The Docker’s Derby started all the way back the late 1800s, as two workers’ teams located along the River Thames. Both teams were born of East London’s dock-working community: Millwall originated from a food-canning factory on the Isle of Dogs, while West Ham was a shipbuilders’ team. But hooliganism for which this rivalry became notorious did not reach its peak until the 1970s and 1980s, during which time there were actually murders committed between the two rival firms. To give you a sense of the public theat at this time, there was at least one game in the 1970s where a police helicopter was deployed for match security! 😬

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