Andy Booth column: Why I’m backing Scunthorpe United not Millwall and Hull City not Middlesbrough

May 22 2009 by Dougie Thomson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

CONSIDERING that I tipped Leeds and MK Dons to make the League I play-off final in my first Examiner column a fortnight ago, I hope I’m not putting the kiss of death on my old teammate David Mirfin when I say I’d love it if Scunthorpe United could beat Millwall at Wembley on Sunday.

The only downside of that scenario is that our supporters would lose a relatively easy away trip and be left with four games in London next season (Millwall along with Brentford, Charlton Athletic and Leyton Orient).

For that reason, I’m also hoping Shrewsbury beat Gillingham in the League II final tomorrow.

But going back to Mirf, he’s a great bloke and a great player, and in many ways, it’s a shame he’s not still at Huddersfield Town.

Stan Ternent had his reasons for letting Mirf go early on this season, and it’s not been a surprise that he’s been a big success at Scunthorpe, where he has skippered the team.

Of course Mirf and his teammates have already been to the new Wembley, losing to Luton Town in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy final last month.

Mirf had the misfortune to leave the pitch on a stretcher that day, having taken a blow to the head, but hopefully he’ll be smiling come the final whistle on Sunday.

I think that playing – and losing – at Wembley so recently will be a big benefit to Scunthorpe.

I remember when we went there to play Bristol Rovers in the 1995 play-off final having lost to Swansea City in the Autoglass Trophy final the season before.

We’d got the ‘big day out’ aspect of Wembley out of our systems, we knew what it felt like to go there and what the pitch was like, and we were even more determined to win after experiencing the misery of losing on penalties to Swansea.

I’m sure Scunthorpe will feel the same way, and their performance in the semi-final second leg at MK Dons, without their top scorer Gary Hooper, will have given them confidence and belief.

Millwall’s advantage will undoubtedly be their support, and it’s fair to say the Scunthorpe fans will be outnumbered.

There is obviously an element of notoriety about Millwall, but I’ve been there a number of times, and while it can be quite intimidating, my overriding impression was of the way they get behind the team.

They will be very vocal, and even though it’s not a home game for them, it could well seem like one.

They’re also a very decent football team and in Neil Harris, have an experienced frontman who will be desperate to add to an impressive goal tally for the club in one of their biggest games in years.