NEWSATDEN looks at all of Millwall’s 23 opponents ahead of the 2017-18 Championship season.
Next up, Lucas Ball casts an eye over Birmingham City.
Name: Birmingham City
Manager: Harry Redknapp
Stadium: St Andrew’s (30,015)
Postcode: B9 4RL
Club website: www.bcfc.com
Nearest train station: Bordesley
Title odds (Sky Bet): 25/1
Last Meeting: Championship – Birmingham 0-1 Millwall, February 10, 2015
Last season: 19th in Sky Bet Championship
Goals for: 45
Goals against: 64
Top league goal scorer: Lukas Jutkiewicz (12)
2017-18 first-team transfers
Ins: Marc Roberts, Craig Gardner, David Stockdale
Outs: Reece Brown, Charlie Cooper
Goalkeeper David Stockdale shocked Brighton when he turned down a chance to stay with them and play in the Premier League to move to Harry Redknapp’s Birmingham, who finished 19th in the second tier in 2016-17.
Stockdale will be the number one for the Blues this season as they look to make an impact in the Championship and potentially push for the play-offs.
After a poor defensive record last season, Birmingham offered a contract to former Chelsea defender John Terry, but he opted to join their city rivals Aston Villa.
Experienced midfielder Craig Gardner made his loan move from West Brom a permanent one this summer, while former Manchester United goalkeeper Thomas Kuszczak, 35, signed a new two-year contract in May.
Birmingham decided to release talented midfielder Reece Brown in June, and he joins Charlie Cooper at the Football League’s newest club, Forest Green Rovers.
Redknapp led Queens Park Rangers to promotion to the Premier League through the play-offs in 2014, but he has his work cut out to repeat that with Birmingham next season.
Millwall vs. Birmingham (Saturday, October 21)
Birmingham vs. Millwall (Saturday, February 17)
Millwall’s last game against Birmingham was in the relegation season of 2014-15, when a 1-0 win at St Andrew’s briefly gave the Lions some hope of staying up.
Graphic: @ShedCreative