The Most Hated Person

The East London derby, always intense, took a different turn today. 

The Hammers' fans in the stands were restless, barely aware of the presence of the Lions' supporters.

Meanwhile, the Lions fans didn't hurl insults from the stands today. Instead, they linked arms, sang joyously, and celebrated Millwall's greatness with the champions' anthems.

To them, celebrating Millwall's title on their rivals' turf was the ultimate humiliation for their foes!

The game was tense, with Old Ray setting up a 4-5-1 formation, determined to play defensively. As the match kicked off, their formation slowly retreated, squeezing into their half. The lone striker never crossed the halfway line, going into a full defensive shell!

Old Ray's expression was grim. He understood that even with home advantage, he couldn't risk an all-out attack. A counterattack from Millwall could lead to goals against them, plunging their relegation hopes into chaos.

Old Ray was scratching his head, completely baffled by Millwall's starting lineup.

Tony held the fort in the box, barely moving, while Van Nistelrooy faded into invisibility. The lively Phillips was swallowed by tight marking. Millwall had no wingers today; when penetrating the center proved impossible, they resorted to long balls aimed at Tony. He established himself firmly in the box, threatening with several headers. If not for the numerous defenders surrounding him, he would have had more room to operate.

What on earth was Millwall up to today?

Their style seemed too dated, relying on long balls, with two strikers crowding the box and Phillips lurking outside.

Redknapp was anxious about conceding. The layered defensive setup he had arranged in midfield proved useless as Millwall directly launched long balls, quickly transitioning through the midfield.

The trio of Ballack, Gattuso, and Lampard had a straightforward job in midfield: defend like crazy. They weren't going to take unnecessary risks going forward. The team's rhythm changed from fast-paced to more controlled; whenever they switched from defense to attack, they would lift the ball into the front line to connect with their attackers.

This made for a monotonous, tedious match.

The ball flew back and forth in the air, and West Ham, in their counterattacks, dared not commit more players. Perhaps the pressure of relegation made them tighten up; their defense within forty yards of their goal invariably led to hasty clearances.

Aldrich observed West Ham's defensive posture from the sidelines, shaking his head.

In such a crucial battle, how could they hesitate like this?

If they wanted to stay in the Premier League, they needed to show some fighting spirit!

As the match reached the thirty-minute mark, applause suddenly erupted from the stands.

It came from the West Ham fans.

"Wow, Coventry is trailing 1-0 at White Hart Lane! Middlesbrough is behind at the Riverside! Sunderland is down to Wimbledon 1-0! Oh my gosh, most of the relegation-threatened teams are losing! Even though Everton lost to Chelsea at home, they seemed to have nothing to worry about and could celebrate their success in avoiding relegation.Oh, and Blackburn is also two goals down against Leicester at home!"

Martin Tyler and Andy Cole were stunned. In this crucial relegation battle, not a single team was leading!

What on earth were these teams doing?

Right now, it's about who can win the game, not who can lose it! 

In contrast, in this East London derby, even though West Ham lacked offensive thrust, they were still holding onto a draw, keeping survival within reach.

Redknapp received updates from his assistants about live scores from other matches, and the tension on his face eased slightly.

The first half ended goalless.

As the second half began, Millwall made no substitutions but shifted their tactics. Ballack and Lampard started to push forward, taking turns to launch long-range shots, which sent the crowd into gasps of surprise multiple times in a matter of minutes.

In the sixty-fifth minute, Redknapp made a substitution, bringing in a center-back to switch to a 5-4-1 formation, hoping to shore up defense completely.

As he was making his change, Aldrich inexplicably appeared at the center line. Redknapp reminded him and his teammates about their defensive duties, but Aldrich just patted him on the shoulder. When Redknapp turned back, he looked terrified, as if he had seen a ghost.

"If West Ham United isn't ready to fight tooth and nail, how can the Hammers expect to stay in the Premier League?" Aldrich said lightly, then casually walked back to his spot.

Redknapp immediately complained to the fourth official, mumbling about something unclear.

Desperate times?

Damn it, kid, are you using reverse psychology here?

If we attack and Millwall gets a goal on the break, it could be game over for us.

A draw now holds good chances for survival.

In the second half, Millwall's approach became livelier. The forwards increased their running range, constantly creating offensive threats, forcing West Ham to resort to fouling tactics.

The Hammers' fans started to feel better, engaging in banter with the Millwall supporters.

Especially after hearing that Southampton was trailing 1-0 against Aston Villa, their spirits soared even higher.

West Ham should be safe now!

In the seventy-fifth minute, Aldrich pointed to Ferdinand and Gattuso and then gestured forward. Instantly, both players understood and surged upfield to assist.

With the two full-backs now frequently joining the attack, only Materazzi and the goalkeeper remained in the back. Millwall's players bombarded West Ham's goal with relentless strikes.

Strangely enough, while Millwall had chances, they didn't seem all that great, yet they had numerous attempts, almost on target, but only three actually hit the goal area!

Redknapp surveyed the field, pondering whether to push his team forward while Millwall's defense appeared weak.

Just then, updates from other matches came through.

Middlesbrough equalized!

Coventry also leveled at White Hart Lane!

Old Ray broke out in a cold sweat, his heart racing.

He began calculating the league table standings.

Nottingham Forest was relegated.

Sunderland was trailing with 39 points.

Coventry drew with 39 points.

Middlesbrough was in a tie, 40 points.

West Ham was tied with 40 points.

Southampton was trailing with 41 points.

There were four teams behind West Ham!

If West Ham United can manage a win, they'll be safe for sure. A loss, however, would leave them in serious trouble, and a draw would at least give them a strong chance of staying up.

In this moment, old Ray has opted for caution, reinforcing the defense like a solid fence. As long as they don't concede any goals, the rest is in God's hands—let's just hope no other team pulls off a miracle.

Time ticked away, and West Ham's players clearly grew more anxious, increasingly fouling, giving Millwall more set-piece opportunities. However, they appeared prepared, having rehearsed their set-piece defense, creating a solid wall while tightly tracking every Millwall attacking player.

Old Ray continued to make substitutions, and astonishingly, in their own home ground, West Ham players took their time leaving the pitch, greeting the referee slowly, not caring even if they got carded. Such rare behavior invited boos from the away fans.

When Old Ray finally made all his changes, there were hardly any attacking players left on the pitch for West Ham!

As stoppage time approached, the fourth official raised the board signaling the added time.

Five minutes!

F-ck!

The Hammers fans erupted!

What the hell, five minutes of stoppage time?

Old Ray shouted at the fourth official in anger, "There hasn't been a single goal this half, and no injuries! Why is the stoppage so long?"

The fourth official replied expressionlessly, "Substitutions and your team's constant fouls have interrupted the game. That's a reasonable stoppage time."

Aldrich stood on the sidelines, seemingly unbothered.

Upton Park was filled with boos directed at the referee one moment, but the next, the entire ground went quiet.

"We just received news from another game; Coventry has come from behind to lead Spurs 2-1! If Coventry can hold on to the lead until the end, they'll have 41 points! Middlesbrough is in hot water, as they are tied on points with West Ham United but are lagging in goal difference. Well, they really have to blame them for canceling the game against Blackburn, resulting in three points being deducted! "

The fans exchanged glances, bewildered. 

"What the hell, Spurs really messed up!" 

"They've totally lost face at home!" 

"I can't believe they let Coventry take them down!" 

"Not a single good neighbor around!"

Just then, West Ham committed a foul about thirty-five yards outside the box, giving Millwall a direct free kick.

The match had already passed the ninety-three-minute mark, with just 1 minute and 40 seconds left in stoppage time.

West Ham started to set up a wall, while some players tried to disrupt Millwall's kick to buy a bit more time.

Then something strange happened on the sidelines.

Aldrich raised his right hand, clearly signaling to the backline.

He pointed at Materazzi, then at goalkeeper Butland.

When they looked at him, Aldrich swaggered, gesturing toward the offensive end.

The message couldn't be clearer.

"You two, get up there!"

Not to mention Materazzi and Butland were stunned; the entire crowd couldn't believe their eyes.

Materazzi and Butland dashed forward, sprinting past the halfway line!

Millwall's defense was now bare, the goal wide open.

The Hammers' fans covered their heads in disbelief. 

"What the fuck, Millwall? Are you out of your minds? 

 We're the ones that need to avoid relegation!

The Lions fans, however, were raising their arms in ecstatic frenzy.

"F-cking West Ham, do you see? This is us, the Lions, dominating you from start to finish!

We will crush you—do you have the guts?!

Redknapp's pupils contracted in disbelief as he looked at Aldrich.

Aldrich made a gesture, inviting him to act.

Millwall goal was wide open.

"If you have the chance, shoot!" 

Redknapp immediately turned to his players, shouting, "Mark up! Mark up!"

The West Ham players, who had arranged their wall, focusing intently on their closest opponents, suddenly noticed Materazzi and Butt and charging up, sprinting toward the box. This threw them into a frenzy, with each of them feeling the pressure, leading to a moment of confusion.

Fucking hell!

" Who's going to take care of those two in defense?"

Chaos erupted inside and outside the box, leading to some slackening in West Ham's wall.

Goalkeeper Milok couldn't handle the panic, shouting loudly at his teammates.

"Don't move, human wall! Keep an eye on the two who enter the restricted area!"

In the midst of all this panic, Ballack suddenly pulled the trigger, sending a low shot curving toward the bottom corner of the net.

With the near post defended by the wall and the far post by the goalkeeper, Milok was distracted by directing his teammates and didn't notice that the free kick didn't require the referee's whistle to be taken. While the wall was set, he was prepping for a save, yet with Materazzi and Butland pushing up, West Ham's rhythm was thrown off; everyone lost their focus.

In that split second, what would have been an easily saved shot slipped right under Milok's arm into the goal.

Ballack couldn't believe it after scoring.

Upton Park fell silent.

Redknapp's face turned pale, eyes burning with rage, as he took in the grim scene—a moment of complete disbelief washing over him.

In stark contrast, Aldrich wore a subtle smile, a hint of satisfaction playing at the corners of his mouth. He stood up, gracefully shrugging his suit jacket off the seat, effortlessly draping it over his shoulders as he walked toward the players' tunnel, exuding confidence.

The camera on the sidelines captured this dramatic scene perfectly.

Close-up, Old Ray looked like he had been struck by a bolt of lightning, disbelief freezing him in place; moving to Aldrich in mid-shot, his lips curled into a smile as he marched off, and in the distance, Upton Park's fans wore a canvas of despair, shock painting their faces in varying shades of disappointment and sorrow.

West Ham United's most beloved figure has to be their legendary captain, Bobby Moore.

But on May 10, 1997, the person they hated most appeared.

From their most hated club, Millwall.

That name will forever be etched in the history of this club—Aldrich Hall.