10 Best Players Who Played For Both West Ham And Millwall
West Ham United FC and Millwall FC have a rivalry that is one of the most brutal, bitter, and violent in the history of English football. Both teams were created in the industrial heartland of east London in the late 19th century by rival factory workers. Consequently, each set of fans worked for rival firms who were competing for the same business; this intensified the tension between the teams.
Over the years, many players have crossed the divide and played for both. In this article, let us have a look at some of the players who played for both West Ham and Millwall.
Here are the 15 best players who played for both West Ham and Millwall.
10. Jack Landells
Jack Landells joined Millwall in 1925 from the amateur side Grays Athletic. The Scottish forward played eight years for Millwall, from 1925 to 1933. He scored a total of 71 goals in 184 appearances in all competitions. He is Millwall’s eighth all-time leading scorer.
Jack left in the summer of 1933 to join their rivals West Ham. He only played with them for a season, scoring four goals in 22 games. He is among the best players who played for both West Ham and Millwall.
9. David Forde
Former Irish international, David Forde, started his career with his hometown club Galway United in 1999. After two seasons with Galway, he moved to Welsh League Champions Barry Town and from there to West Ham United.
Forde failed to make a first-team appearance for West Ham, and after loan spells with Derry City and Barnet, he returned to Ireland on a permanent basis, playing with Galway United and then Derry City.
In 2008, he moved to Millwall, for whom he has made more professional appearances than all his previous clubs together. He helped them win promotion to the Championship from League One. In 2017, Forde joined Cambridge United and retired after being released by them two years later.
8. Jim Standen
Standen was a talented cricketer as well as a great goalkeeper. He kicked off his football career with Arsenal in 1953, playing 35 First Division matches before moving to Luton Town in 1960.
The goalkeeper left Luton in 1962 to join West Ham, where he enjoyed the most productive period of his footballing career. Standen helped the Hammers to FA Cup glory in 1964 and was part of the side that won the European Cup Winners’ Cup the following season. In all, he made 236 appearances for the Hammers.
Standen later featured for Millwall and Portsmouth before moving to America to take up a coaching role with the Detroit Cougars in 1968. Despite spending two seasons with Milwall, he only made 8 league appearances.
7. Paul Allen
Paul Allen made his West Ham debut at just 17 years old. Just months after his debut, Allen found himself getting ready for the FA Cup final – not that he was nervous about it. He made history in the same season as he became the youngest-ever Wembley finalist when he helped the Hammers to FA Cup glory in 1980.
In total, Allen made 186 starts for West Ham, earning an FA Cup winner’s medal and a Division Two winner’s medal. He left the club to join Tottenham in 1985 for a £400,000 fee.
After his time at Spurs, where he won the FA Cup again, he went on to play for Southampton, Luton, Stoke, Swindon, Bristol City and Millwall, before retiring in 1998. He spent only one season at Millwall, where he featured 34 times without scoring. He is regarded as one of the best players who played for both West Ham and Millwall.