Ian Cartwright's away guide to Millwall

Well, the waiting is finally over. For the first time since December 5th, 1995, Charlton play an away league fixture against Millwall at the New Den, although we have seen friendly action there on a couple of occasions since that memorable 2-0 victory in the snow.

For this current renewal, all tickets have now sold out. The Addicks sold their initial allocation of 2,500 places on Wednesday afternoon, and an extra 500 tickets were snapped up on Saturday.

Although the seats are allocated by block, the sheer weight of numbers means away fans cannot rely on the stewards - through no fault of their own - to be highly meticulous. So, at the risk of sounding like a parent, it is best that a bit of common sense is exercised when taking a seat prior to the match and particularly after half-time.

The New Den is a world away from the Old Den, maybe not in terms of location, but certainly as far as facilities for away fans go. For a start, there is no mesh netting or pylons in the way, so you can actually see the game in its entirety.

We are behind the goal in the upper tier of the north stand, the decision having been taken not to open the lower for away fans, and the view is certainly one of the best in League One and knocks spots off a few in the Championship. This meant that Charlton fans had a bird's eye view of Mike Small's miss in 1994.

The stadium is pretty new and although very much of the breeze-blocked variety, offers good facilities. It is a bit of a climb to get to the upper tier from the turnstiles, and the entrances to the seats themselves are at the front of the tier, so this throws a few more stairs into the bargain.

There are plenty of toilets, while the concourses are quite spacious. The food is standard stuff, you can have a bet and get a beer, which is a pretty good thing - more of which later.

Not only has the New Den improved things in terms of the view and the facilities but, in terms of safety, it is a million times better than the old ground. Some home fans can be overly partisan and protective of their turf, so it's best to give colours a miss until you are inside the ground, and although parking is at a premium, I suggest removing stickers and other Addcks items from cars.

Furthermore, while everyone will make up their own mind, and no doubt there are plenty of Charlton fans wishing to meet Millwall-supporting friends and family for a pre-match drink, I advise not visiting pubs too close to the ground. Alcohol is served inside the stadium for coach travellers, and those coming by train may also want to give the area around London Bridge station a wide berth.

The journey is pretty straightforward and people will have their own choice of route if driving, but the parking is virtually non-existent, so as with the bulk of London games, a good option would be to park up slightly further away and complete the journey by public transport.

The nearest railway station is South Bermondsey, which is about five minutes away, and there is a walkway that takes you straight to the away end which is well policed.

A potential downside to this is that quite often visiting fans are kept behind for a significant period of time after the final whistle, and I am aware of instances where people have ended up on a train that they did not want to get on!

Surrey Quays is the closest tube station, about a 20-minute walk, as is New Cross Gate train station, with New Cross a further five minutes. There are also plenty of buses (the route that I shall be taking, as I have a choice of two virtually outside the front door) which serve the Old Kent Road, and it's a further five or 10-minute walk. From Surrey Quays, add on another 10 minutes or so, but it's often quieter in terms of traffic.

However, it's worth checking your journey beforehand, as there are reports of engineering work affecting the Jubilee line on Saturday.