Keith Hackett shares concern as derby double-header creates Millwall vs West Ham issue

West Ham United will face Millwall for the first time in over 14 years, and for the 100th time in their histories, when they meet at The Den on 19 September.

The EFL confirmed the 2026-27 Championship fixtures on Thursday, with the Irons' opening meeting against their bitter local rivals the first place that fans checked.

West Ham's season opener is a tough trip to fellow relegated club Burnley, but even neutrals have been keen to find out when the infamous Dockers Derby returns.

And they won't have to wait long, too, with West Ham heading to Millwall on 19 September, while the reverse fixture at the London Stadium takes place on 20 February next year.

Nuno Espirito Santo's side will be expected to win the game given they're a team dropping down from the Premier League. But, as all football fans know, history and form books tend to get thrown out of the window of days like these.

However, while Millwall versus West Ham alone would already demand significant planning, the scheduling of another fierce derby on the same day adds an extra layer of complexity.

Why the Wolves vs West Brom derby also matters on 19 September

EFL fans are revelling in the fact that Thursday's fixture announcement has also thrown up another huge derby elsewhere in the country on the same day as Millwall versus West Ham.

That's because 130 miles away, the fierce Black Country Derby between Wolves and West Brom will be rekindled at Molineux.

While all fixtures are subject to change at this point, football fans are licking their lips at the prospect of seeing two huge, gritty derbies potentially taking place on the same day.

However, former Premier League referee and ex-PGMOL general manager Keith Hackett has concerns about how both the Metropolitan Police and West Midlands Police forces will be able to handle both fixtures if they remain on the same day.

"Both games come under different police forces and there's no doubt they will be consulted to determine any operational difficulties that might have an influence on kick off times," Hackett exclusively told West Ham Zone.

"The Metropolitan Police will have to determine what other activities are taking place that might clash and impact on the number of officers available.

"When big sporting events take place then officers from other forces are often drafted in to boost the numbers."

"There is a great deal of planning around these events including taking into account the broadcasters plans."

The biggest question now for West Ham supporters is what this could actually mean for the trip to The Den.

How police and broadcasters could yet influence West Ham fixture

There could be some friction between the two police forces and broadcasters Sky Sports when it comes to these games.

For Sky Sports, there's a chance for them to have one huge day of EFL action that puts two of England's nastiest, most hostile derbies together, back-to-back.

But that comes with it's own challenges as the last time Wolves and West Brom met at The Hawthorns in January 2024 in the FA Cup, they kicked off at 11:45am and the game was still halted by a pitch invasion in the second half.

West Ham versus Millwall might also need to be a morning kick-off, so one would have to start between 9am and 10am if Sky Sports wanted to play the games back to back.

The most logical thing would be for one game to be played on Saturday morning or lunchtime and another on Sunday, which the police forces will no doubt also agree to because if needs be, they can help each other out if there's a cause for it.