NEWS Shopper online's Millwall columnist MATT LITTLE this week explains what he feels are the fundamental differences between being a follower of the Lions to neighbours Crystal Palace after last Saturday's annual trip to Selhurst Park.

THERE have been three highly regarded books written around Millwall FC and its supporters.

In all of these books the overriding feeling that came across is that Millwall are a family club with a real sense of identity.

Not the ideal family, but a family nevertheless.

On Saturday we took the short journey to Selhurst Park to play south London cousins Crystal Palace.

Yet despite the short distance, you just don’t get that same sense of identity among the Palace supporters.

OK, South Norwood is not exactly a part of London famed for blitz spirit or inner city grit like the close-knit communities around The Den.

In fact it’s bland and anonymous, but even so.

The creation of the Palace Ultras has only exacerbated this lack of identity.

It veers from being a bit geeky and naff with silly banners and manifestos, to a bit odious and confrontational.

Marches are planned, yet try and emote a spontaneous togetherness, while also attempting to create a tribal display of aggression - but only once their police escort has arrived.

Seeing these Ultras with their pseudo bravado reminds me of when I was a kid and my sister used to pull faces at me from behind my dad’s legs.

They think we are thugs and Charlton are happy-clappy, but I am not sure they know what they are or should be.

Palace fans are like a teenage boy at the cross roads of becoming a man – awkward and uncomfortable in their own skin.

They have a drum like Charlton, but want raw passion like Millwall.

Our bottle throwers are morons, but causing trouble at Brighton is passion – a rivalry that is bizarre in itself.

Then there’s the choreographed chanting.

Selhurst Park has gone from a morgue to a circus.

Atmosphere though? I preferred it when they chanted ‘scum’ at us, at least there was some interaction.

I could go on and on – the constant changing of colour schemes, badge and nickname.

At least Glaziers was significant, Eagles just seems like a wild stab at something interesting.

The PA announcer could just as easily have been screaming ‘Paaannthers’ on Saturday.

When Kenny Jackett referred to us as a ‘small club’ in his BBC interview after the game it caused quite a stir on Palace message boards, as if we should be embarrassed by it.

They just don’t understand it is a key part of our club’s psyche.

We are at our best as underdogs and Kenny has often skilfully used it to our advantage, just ask Leeds.

Millwall fans are proud we are a small club which punches above our weight, not ashamed.

Conversely, Palace’s insistence they are a big club surely demonstrates desperation for recognition given all of their Premier League forays have ended in immediate relegation.

Perhaps they mean big compared to us?

Therefore it must be of great irritation to them we are the club most readily associated with south London and are the only one to have played in Europe.

I’m just glad that thanks to a truly woeful penalty, Millwall were able to get out of there with our excellent record against them still intact.

And so it was back to The Den for a massive game against fellow strugglers Doncaster Rovers Tuesday night.

A win would make the point gained at Palace very valuable.

The Lions made hard work of it, but put a smile back on Kenny Jackett’s face with a 3-2 win after the sombre start to the evening, where an impeccably observed minute’s silence was held for his friend and fellow pro Gary Speed.

We now travel to Leeds on Saturday, another club with a great sense of their own identity, armed with all the things that make us Millwall, in what promises to be another lively encounter with the Yorkshiremen.

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