[1] Millwall moved to the Den from North Greenwich in 1910, the location of their fourth and final grounds on the Isle Of Dogs in the 25 years since their formation as a football club.
Tom Thorne, the director in charge, had sought the help of architect Archibald Leitch and builders Humphries of Knightsbridge.
The first match was on Saturday 22 October 1910 against Brighton & Hove Albion, the Southern League Champions who spoiled the celebrations by winning 1–0.
Unfortunately, the opening ceremony also suffered a slight hitch when it was discovered that Lord Kinnaird had inadvertently gone to the Canterbury (Ilderton) Road end.
After rushing to the other end (Cold Blow Lane) the President of the FA performed a brief opening ritual and led the players onto the pitch.
The club accepted offers from neighbours Charlton Athletic, Crystal Palace and West Ham United to stage games.
After the war, rationing in Great Britain continued and Millwall were refused permission by the Ministry of Works to construct a new two-tier stand, despite having procured all the materials.
They had to wait until 1948, when permission was granted to build a smaller, single-tier stand two-thirds the length of the pitch, with a forecourt terrace at the front.
The club, who were in the Third Division at this stage, could not raise sufficient funds to pay for the ambitious project and it eventually fell through.
During the early part of the 20th century, it was considered 'good form' for home fans to show their appreciation of good football displayed by the opposition.
The Den was considered one of the most hostile grounds in the whole of Britain for visiting teams and was closed a record five times by the Football Association.