Millwall fan O’Neil ready for derby encounter
Millwall fan Gary O’Neil says QPR should expect a tough test at The Den this weekend.
The midfielder, signed by Rangers after leaving West Ham during the summer, was a Lions fanatic as a boy.
And 20 years ago he walked away with his own piece of the south London club’s notoriously intimidating former home.
“I took a bit of the old Den home with me, and me and my grandad built our own mini-stadium with it,” O’Neil recalled.
“We built stands out of Subbuteo stuff and kept the grass going as long as we could.
“It was in the very last match played there (against Bristol Rovers in 1993) and everybody ran on and started pulling the pitch up.
“I was too small to get on, but as people were ripping it up and sharing, this bloke gave me a piece.
“I took it home, put it in a nice little square, watered it, and let the sun get at it.
“It lasted ages until I got too old to care for it and thought it a silly idea.”
O’Neil, 30, still considers himself a Millwall supporter but has shown them no mercy in the past.
And he will be in no mood to do them any favours when Rangers look to maintain their unbeaten Championship record in Saturday’s derby.
“I grew up in Downham, between Catford and Bromley,” he explained.
“I was a big fan as a kid. Once you start playing it changes your perspective, but I always hope they do well and I always look at their results. All my family support them.
“I’ve scored against Millwall a few times – the winner for Portsmouth at home and for Cardiff at The Den.
“I was on loan at Cardiff when I scored and managed not to celebrate too much. I probably won’t celebrate if I score on Saturday but I don’t score very often, so I don’t think it will be a problem.”
Millwall endured a poor start to the season under new manager Steve Lomas and suffered heavy defeats in their last two matches, losing 4-0 at Birmingham and then 5-2 at Bournemouth.
But prior to that they won three in a row, enjoying convincing home victories against Leeds and high-flying Blackpool.
And O’Neil warned: “It will be a tough game. It’s one where they’re playing QPR and they can have a go at it – especially after a two-week break.
“Millwall got off to a very bad start and sometimes it takes a new manager time to get his ideas across.
“Their strength is the way the fans get their team going. They’re a fantastic bunch of fans if you’re playing for them.”
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