Premier League

EFL Championship 2026: Millwall and West Ham rivalry could return next season, Championship playoffs, Premier League relegation battle, history, why they hate each other

EFL Championship 2026: Millwall and West Ham rivalry could return next season, Championship playoffs, Premier League relegation battle, history, why they hate each other

The possibility of Millwall and West Ham renewing their ferocious rivalry in the Championship next season is a genuine prospect, a prospect that stirs deep, historical animosity. As the source notes, these two clubs have hated each other since the reign of Queen Victoria, with their clashes transforming into a century-long crucible of football violence. The potential return of this fixture would mark a significant shift in the Championship landscape, a scenario fueled by Millwall’s ambitious push for a long-awaited Premier League debut. The article describes Millwall as the “crackers” club chasing their first top-flight appearance, a goal that could be realized through the playoff system. Simultaneously, West Ham’s precarious Premier League survival battle raises the distinct chance of a relegation that would rekindle one of football’s most notoriously hostile and, as described, “evil” bloodbaths.

Should West Ham drop into the Championship, the fierce geographical and cultural war that has defined their meetings would instantly be re-lit. The source emphasizes that this is a rivalry that has consistently taken violence to new levels, a stark reality that any neutral observer cannot ignore. For Millwall, facing West Ham in league play would be a collision of their working-class identity against a club they view as a more glamorous, but equally despised, London neighbor. The psychological and physical intensity of these derbies is unmatched in English football, a cauldron of aggression that makes standard derbies look tame. The prospect of such clashes occurring twice a season would electrify the Championship, but also present a monumental security challenge for authorities.

The narrative of promotion and relegation converging is what makes this scenario so compelling. Millwall, under their Australian influence, are chasing a historic breakthrough, while West Ham’s struggles at the top level create a volatile intersection of ambitions. The source makes clear that the hatred is not merely a product of modern football tribalism but a deep-seated, generational conflict. Whether Millwall sec

Source: FOX SPORTS

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