Millwall’s love affair with the Cup runs on
NEIL HARRIS can trace his love affair with the FA Cup back to Wimbledon’s finest hour when he saw them beat Liverpool at Wembley in 1988. The Millwall boss was 10 years old and his father supported the Dons in their original guise. ‘I’m honest enough to say I love the competition,’ said Harris after his Championship team squeezed past League One strugglers AFC Wimbledon and into the FA Cup quarter-finals for the fourth time in 15 years. I grew up watching it. I saw Wimbledon beat Liverpool at Wembley. I went with my father to watch the game. ‘He was a Wimbledon fan, so I really enjoyed that. ‘I love it as a player and a manager. It brings out the best in us. This competition is built on clubs like Wimbledon and Millwall. That’s what it is all about. ‘I certainly understand its value and importance to the supporters and certainly the importance financially to my owner.’ Millwall’s recent FA Cup record has been outstanding for a club from outside the top flight. They were runners-up to Manchester United in 2004 when Dennis Wise was in charge and Harris played up front. Under Kenny Jackett they reached the last 16 in 2012 and the semifinals a year later when they lost to Wigan. Two years ago, with Harris in the dugout, they made the last eight before a 6-0 defeat at Tottenham. The Millwall boss is hoping for a plum tie in tonight’s quarter-final draw. ‘I watch it with my wife and children,’ said 41-year-old Harris. ‘I always do, whether we’re in it or not. ‘I sit there for a half-hour waiting for it to come on at 7pm, thinking it will come on straight away and then it doesn’t start until 7.25pm. But I sit there. ‘That’s what happened in the last round and that’s what happened last year and the year before. Whether we’re in it or not I sit there and I’m excited by it because I love the competition.’ Central defenders Alex Pearce and Jake Cooper both reached the semi-finals with Reading in 2015 and Murray Wallace, signed from Scunthorpe last year, is learning to love the competition at Millwall after another important goal. Left back Wallace popped up with the winner against Everton in the fourth round and was the unlikely hero again at Wimbledon when he appeared at the back post to score the only goal of the tie, a powerful header from a cross by Ryan Leonard, after only five minutes.