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The Sleeping Lions: Is This the Year They Finally Get A Shot at Promotion?

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The Sleeping Lions: Is This the Year They Finally Get A Shot at Promotion?

On the 16th April 1990, Millwall were officially relegated from the first division after a 1-0 loss to inter-city rivals Tottenham Hotspur. They sat dead last in the table on just 26 points and had not won a match since the 16th December 1989.

They would not gain a point from any of their remaining games, losing to Aston Villa 1-0 before losing to rivals Arsenal and Chelsea 3-1 and 2-0 respectively.

The only slight consolation was that fierce rivals Charlton Athletic were relegated with them.

It has been 35 years since Millwall managed to play a top division match. Their first season in the first division—a year before they had been relegated—showed massive signs of promise. They had finished 10th on 53 points, finished ahead of Manchester United and beat Charlton home and away.

But what began as a fairy tale quickly turned into a cautionary tale.

And despite England’s sleeping lions having failed to bare their glaring teeth for the last 35 years, there is hope amongst fans that they may be able to return to the top division of English football.

Can Millwall Gain Promotion?

As it currently stands, Millwall sit 3rd in the Championship, just one point off automatic promotion. After a hard 4-0 defeat against league leaders Coventry on the first of this month, Millwall could have easily slipped and fallen back on themselves. Instead, head coach Alex Neil has inspired his team, and they have gone on three consecutive wins.

Millwall are ⬆️ to 3rd in the Championship table! 🦁 pic.twitter.com/ThTYeaivi3
— BBC Sport London (@BBCLondonSport) October 21, 2025

Over the past two seasons at the helm, Neil has built a strong core to the Millwall side that has allowed the club to excel. The likes of Aidomo Emakhu, Tristan Crama, Camiel Neghli and Steven Benda have all been bought to the club over the past two years and have become integral parts of the squad.

Benda, the German goalkeeper who has played 10 games for the Lions this season, is on loan from Fulham and has impressed thus far.

The one area that Millwall are currently struggling in is the goals department. Yes, it is beneficial that 12 different players have contributed to goals this season; it is not healthy to have just one player bagging every goal.

But within those 12 goalscorers, the highest scorers have just two (Neghli, Ryan Leonard and Femi Azeez).

So far, last season's top scorer Mihailo Ivanovic has failed to live up to his 13-goal tally of last campaign and has managed just one goal in 11 matches.

In all fairness to Millwall, since Neil has been the manager of the club, the club have built their identity more on defensive solidity than attacking flair. Last season Ivanovic was the only player to hit double figures, and the club scored just 47 goals in the Championship—the fourth least.

But it is when their defence have lapses in judgement that Millwall lose confidence. A backline consisting of the likes of Leonard, Jake Cooper, Zach Sturge and Crama is strong, but they have still allowed eight goals to seep past them.

But that is the way Millwall play. They still have that ferocious bite, the fans still roar whenever a challenge goes in, and opposition players dread an away trip to the Den. But over the past years, there has been a slight polish to their play.

Femi Azeez, the young 24-year-old, is a tricky winger who can turn a one-on-one into a goalscoring opportunity. In midfield, the likes of Derek Mazou-Sacko and Massimo Luongo offer defensive stability, whilst Will Smallbone is allowed to roam free as an attacking outlet.

Femi Azeez making Millwall history! 🦁 pic.twitter.com/6c0RM8Wpws
— Millwall FC (@MillwallFC) October 22, 2025

And that is the story here: evolution without losing the classic Millwall snarl.

The wait for promotion has never been about playing pretty football or rewriting their image.

It is about control.

For years now, the club has battled against external perceptions. The media caricatures, the old headlines, and the famous ‘No one likes us, we don’t care’ became as much a curse as a badge of honour.

The modern Championship does not reward defiance alone. It rewards teams that can channel it into a purpose, and that is what Millwall are beginning to master.

The Lions are not runaway favourites. Most betting outlets have them as 8th favourites. But the Championship is not a league that always allows the expected to unfold. It is often the side that grinds through the first few months, grits their teeth in March and wins ugly in April that finds themselves in the promised land come May.

And if there is any team built for that fight, it is Millwall.

So maybe it will be this season where we finally see the lion roar once again.

They have waited 35 years; what are a few more months if the dream finally comes true?