A Captain's Tale

Les Briley, Club Captain. "I have played for five league clubs. At every club you play for, you believe your heart is in that club. As a professional footballer, you have to believe that. But when I came to Millwall, I realised everywhere else had just been a job." "The place is so homely, so warm. Footballers tend to form cliques, it’s one of those things." "But here, there is a warmth between people, regardless of what they do. It's a togetherness I don't think you could get in many clubs. The people you see who don't matter, do matter, at Millwall. The groundsman, the people who sweep the terraces, the people in the offices; they really matter." "Fans at all clubs stop and say hello and ask for autographs, but often you feel they do it because of who you are as a name, not anything to do with you as a person. At Millwall, you feel it's personal to you. People here aren't casual with you. They aren't over-awed, either. It doesn't often happen like that with footballers. When it does, ins a good thing. Good for us, good for everyone." Supporters are not frightened to approach you here. I remember once when I was injured, I was walking through the terraces before a game began, and people I didn't know were coming up to me and saying 'How's the leg?’. How're you feeling?' They wanted to know if I wanted a drink, and before I could answer, they had run to the bar and bought me food and drink. They were in a hurry to get to their seats, but they were so pleased to see me. It was so warm, so genuine."	"One year, the whole squad went to a kids' Christmas party at Lewisham. We served the meals, did a question-and-answer session, and stayed for the disco. Fathers were bringing their babies of our or five weeks up to us, saying 'Will you hold my baby?' Incredible. Togetherness like that. Everybody warmed to us that much. People outside the club just don't know how much more they warm to you here." "I don't really know why other clubs have not done the same sort of thing. Most clubs do the odd bit of coaching in schools, a presentation here and there, but that's all, really. If more clubs could do what Millwall are doing, they would be much happier places to work at. But they don't look at it that way. Perhaps they feel they don't need to because of the areas they are in. But hooliganism is a problem we all share in, whether it affects our particular club or not. It is a problem of our society." "You get families that are close, families that are not close, there are so many different types of up bringing. But things can go wrong in any of them. So everyone needs what Millwall have tried to do." "When you step onto the pitch, the feeling you get from the people stays with you. If you win, you feel you have done well for them. If you lose, you feel you have let them down. You really do. "There are some places where it happens like that, but not many. Players go to some clubs, and think, 'I'll have a couple of years here, see how it goes, and then move on to another club. You use them as stepping stones, to be honest. But Millwall is different." Les Briley Captain

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