The Rise of Millwal

Chapter 84: A rascal encounters a master rascal.

Chapter 84: A rascal encounters a master rascal.

In July 1995, the Spice Girls released their single "Wannabe." As soon as the song was launched, it quickly claimed the top spot on the UK charts, creating a sensation in the music scene and sparking widespread anticipation for their future works. This single alone set numerous records, and seventeen years later, when the Spice Girls reunited, they performed it once more at the closing ceremony of the London Olympics, reigniting the audience's enthusiasm.

On a sunny afternoon in southeast London, the Lion's Den Stadium had already welcomed over ten thousand fans. Instead of sitting down, the supporters stood in the stands, joyfully swaying to the rhythm of the stadium's repetitively playing "Wannabe." It wasn't that Aldrich was promoting the Spice Girls; that would have undermined their reputation. Rather, the most popular songs naturally pleased the largest number of fans.

The fans were dressed uniformly in deep blue jerseys, representing Millwall's new season. This was a special, commemorative occasion because it marked the first season of the Premier League and the team's first home game, prompting the supporters to don the jerseys and transform the stands into a sea of blue.

As the players prepared in the tunnel, Aldrich had arrived early at the stadium. Wherever he went, fans greeted him warmly.

He made his way toward the East Stand, moving up the aisle while fans close to him requested autographs or photos. With over twenty minutes until the match, Aldrich patiently posed for pictures and signed memorabilia, step by step making his way upward.

As Aldrich passed a female fan, she suddenly grabbed him and planted a hard kiss on his cheek.

He was taken aback, looking surprised at her.

The young woman, likely in her early twenties and appearing to be a university student, shared a laugh with her three female friends nearby, who were amused by Aldrich's shocked expression. They even leaned in, intending to do the same, prompting Aldrich to quickly continue his ascent.

At the very top of the East Stand were the boxes that had been renovated over the summer. Though there weren't many, Aldrich had arranged for his family to watch from one of these boxes, hoping to provide a better working environment for the broadcasting team by reducing seating capacity a bit.

Inside the Sky Sports broadcasting area, commentators Martin Tyler and Andy Gray naturally caught sight of the earlier moment on camera.

Aldrich was the center of attention; as soon as he appeared, the camera focused on him.

"Ha! Aldrich Hall has been startled by a female fan! Who would have thought that Aldrich, the matador at Old Trafford, would surrender after just a peck on the cheek? Hahaha!"

Meanwhile, just below the East Stand boxes, five female spectators—the unrecognized Spice Girls—were watching.

From their elevated position, they witnessed what had just transpired. The youngest, Emma, turned to Melanie and said with a grin, "He's so popular! Hey, what a handsome guy! Why not let me steal a kiss too?"

Melanie playfully pushed her away toward the aisle, teasing, "Go for it."

Emma, half-laughing and half-serious, replied, "I was only joking! I'm not into younger guys."

Melanie shrugged, "You're only a hundred days older than him, and you wouldn't feel like he's much younger than you if you were together."

"Wait, are you saying I should go for him?"

"But he wouldn't like a girl your age."

"I'm going to kiss him now!"

"He's coming this way."

"Huh?"

Emma turned around, only to find Aldrich standing right in front of her, beaming. He had shaken off the earlier embarrassment and stretched out his right hand, smiling, "Welcome to the match!"

Sticking out her tongue, Emma shook his hand and stood obediently in place.

The other Spice Girls, however, were swaying in place with the stadium music, as if they were in a nightclub.

Aldrich shook hands with each of them just as the cameras descended upon them, catching the attention of fans below, who quickly recognized the five Spice Girls and erupted in excitement.

Reluctantly, Aldrich had to invite them to the box.

However, Aldrich's intention wasn't simply to greet the Spice Girls; he was going to say hello to his family in the box.

In the middle box, Arthur donned Millwall's home jersey. Starting this season, the club's position has been held by Aldrich's father, Arthur. It's not that he relishes the attention, but with Millwall's ascension to the Premier League, the workload has increased. Aldrich is too busy to take care of it, so being a passionate Millwall supporter, Arthur simply took it upon himself.

The portly Arthur and his wife Amelia were standing by the box window, while Barnett and Andrew were chatting behind them. Arthur's sister-in-law Leah sat on the sofa, cradling a little boy just over a year old—Aldrich's nephew Bowens-Hall, who was born before Aldrich returned to London last summer.

The ambition of the Hall family was clearly reflected in the eldest brother, who was rapidly expanding his business. While it seemed he was destined to become a nouveau riche, he humorously named his son with an aristocratic connotation.

Having settled the Spice Girls in the adjacent box, Aldrich then made his way to where his family was.

Upon entering, he squatted in front of the couch, taking Bowen's hand and playfully shaking it, grinning, "Bowen, do you miss your uncle?"

"Mommy!"

Bowen innocently called out to Aldrich.

"Hey, Aldrich, he can only say 'mommy' and 'daddy' now," Leah said with a chuckle.

Aldrich kissed Bowen's forehead, stood up to hug both brothers, and then turned to receive a peck from his mother, Amelia, who remarked, "Aldrich, you should move back home."

"But I'm really busy at work every day! Don't worry, I'll come back three times a week. You must cook me my favorite beef."

Amelia sighed, shaking her head in resignation.

Arthur was beaming as he gazed down at the Lion's Den Stadium, wearing his jersey without any hint of the club **'s authority, looking more like a playful old child.

Aldrich moved closer, putting an arm around Arthur's shoulders, and said, "The stadium still feels a bit small. After a couple of years, when it's bigger than Old Trafford, you'll see even greater sights."

Arthur was thoroughly excited today. He hugged Aldrich back and exclaimed, "I can hardly believe it! Back when you weren't even born, your brothers and I stood in the stands without any seats, singing and dancing from start to finish. If we didn't like someone, we'd flip them off and curse; if we got really upset, we'd end up fighting outside after the match! Haha, thinking back, it was quite mad! But now that I'm here, it feels like a dream. Son, I'm so proud of you. Not only do you make me proud, but you also make all Millwall fans proud. Manchester United used to look down on us, and now they must feel foolish, right? Arsenal's the same; let's defeat them and show them that Millwall is the real boss from now on! They can go eat shit!"

Arthur's initial excitement had turned into a frown as he continued on, leaving Aldrich perplexed. Millwall and Arsenal didn't seem to have such a deep-seated feud.

"Huh? What did Arsenal do to upset you?"

"Oh, it's just that bloody Premier League roundtable meeting, fuck! That old perv Edwards said Millwall's reputation is ruining the Premier League's interests. Hmph, I charged at him and grabbed him by the collar, and he started begging for mercy—what a coward! Then there's that big-headed idiot Bates, bragging about how Stamford Bridge has welcomed the World Footballer of the Year and telling everyone to learn from Chelsea's 'contributions' to the Premier League. I told him he's a fucking idiot for turning Chelsea into a retirement home and still having the audacity to say that. Everyone else was laughing, but the most annoying of all was David Dein. He actually proposed that Premier League stadiums shouldn't hold more than twenty thousand fans and that we should rent out larger grounds. Everyone knows that was a dig at Millwall. Damn it, I can't stand that guy! After I 'greeted' his whole family, he finally clammed up."

Aldrich laughed heartily, enjoying the moment, "Those posh bastards have run into a true rogue!"

"They seriously need to be put in their place!"

Arthur scoffed, dismissing them.

The Premier League roundtable meeting functioned somewhat like an alternative board meeting.

In a sense, the Premier League was a big corporation, with each owner acting as a shareholder. Each year, some members would exit while newcomers would join.

Similar to office politics seen worldwide, the Premier League roundtable also had its struggles of manipulation and forming cliques, with the powerful suppressing the weaker, such as Edwards, who has been scheming the "European Super League." Especially with Manchester United losing their Champions League qualification after not winning last season, they wanted to ensure they remained consistently in the elite European matches.

David Dein was a major contributor to the Premier League's success, crucial to its formation, with his presence felt in numerous areas, while smaller clubs often lacked a voice. Even if they did, only in solidarity could the smaller clubs hope to resist the overwhelming interests of the larger ones.

However, generally, outwardly, they would present a unified front. Regardless of the political games played during the meeting, once they left the roundtable, everyone adhered to secrecy, or else they'd face expulsion and suppression. The one consensus obtained was clear: the better the Premier League operates, the more money they all stand to make!

Just as Aldrich was about to leave, the box door was pushed open from the outside, and he found Arsenal's vice-president David Dein entering alongside a suave, sophisticated middle-aged man.

Aldrich froze, and David Dein stared back at his expression with mild confusion, while his companion approached Aldrich with a smile, saying warmly, "Long time no see, Aldrich."

Snapping out of his reverie, Aldrich extended his hand in surprise, muttering, "It's really been a long time, Arsène."

Wenger had appeared before him!