Jarrod Bowen relative makes new Millwall dig in latest interview
West Ham United and Millwall haven’t faced off in over 13 years, but there’s been no love lost in the eyes of one famous fan.
The last Dockers derby between the two East and South London rivals took place back in February 2012, when West Ham won 2-1 on their way to promotion through that season’s Championship play-off final.
Since then, West Ham have gone from strength to strength in the Premier League while Millwall have fluctuated between the second and third tiers, and rarely coming close to meeting their rivals again.
As Millwall have remained languishing in the EFL, the Hammers have been able to win silverware on the continent and sign some of the Championship’s best talent – including a certain Jarrod Bowen in 2020.
Danny Dyer can’t resist West Ham–Millwall jibe
Since arriving at the London Stadium, Bowen has become one of the Irons’ best and most recognisable players, captaining West Ham this season and becoming part of East London’s most famous families.
| Club | Founded | Stadium capacity | Major trophies |
| West Ham | 1895 | 62,5000 | 9 |
| Millwall | 1885 | 20,146 | 0 |
That family is the Dyer’s – having become engaged to Danny Dyer‘s daughter – and in an interview with Munya Chawawa, Bowen’s soon-to-be stepfather aimed a cheeky dig at West Ham’s arch-rivals.
In a clip of the interview on Instagram (3 March), Chawawa asked: “What if my waiter is holding a bowl of parmesan, and he goes – ‘do you want some’ – but he’s wearing a Millwall shirt?”
Dyer replied: “Oh, I don’t think anyone in a Millwall shirt has ever tasted parmesan.”
West Ham and Millwall rivalry lives on despite contrasting fortunes
Though they’ve not played since sharing a season in the second-tier back in 2011/12, it’s clear that West Ham fans such as Dyer certainly haven’t forgotten who the Irons’ biggest traditional rivals are.
Making a joke that Millwall fans haven’t tasted an Italian cheese is somewhat backed up by the Hammers’ own exploits in Europe across recent seasons; culminating with 2023’s Europa Conference League title.
None other than Bowen scored the last-minute winner in that Prague final as David Moyes’ side lifted West Ham’s first trophy since 1980, and it also came against Italian opposition in the form of Fiorentina.
The Irons, however, haven’t played in Italy itself since losing to Palermo in the first round of the 2006/07 UEFA Cup, with the 2023 Conference League final against Fiorentina coming on neutral ground.
Regardless, it seems obvious that Dyer and every other West Ham fan would love to face Millwall once again, and if Bowen was to find the net against them, expect the celebrations to be absolutely wild.