IAN Holloway takes charge of Crystal Palace for the first time in a derby against Millwall tomorrow evening already fully aware of the rivalry between the two clubs following a hostile reception at The Den last week.

Holloway was in the stands to watch the Lions’ 2-1 defeat to Blackburn and revealed he had been on the end of stick from Millwall supporters as soon as he arrived at the ground, something he and his Palace team are certain to receive tomorrow when the two sides meet.

“I am now, I experienced it (at the Blackburn game),” replied the Eagles chief when asked if he was up to speed with the Millwall v Palace rivalry.

“I didn’t even get my foot out of the car without being verbally abused.

“I’ve been there a few times and had a bit of banter with their fans and I’m sure I won’t be doing that.

“Normally they’re quite funny.

“Some of it is bordering on hatred.

“I could never understand that in football myself because the game is about the game.

“Yes you have pride in who you support but should you actually hate someone in life?

“I’m not quite sure about that myself.”

Holloway added: “We’ll be going out and we’ll be going out there to win.

“That’s a pride for Crystal Palace and for how we do things, and more importantly an overall target of what we want to achieve, which is being one of the four play-off teams.

“It’s an unbelievable privilege to have a chance to still go up at this time of the year.

“Realistically, everybody at Palace would have taken that if they could get taken back to this time last year when we were trying to stay up.”

Holloway and Lions manager Kenny Jackett are no strangers having worked together at QPR, with the Eagles boss full of admiration for what his opposite number has achieved during almost six years in charge at The Den.

“I don’t know how he’s done it because it was pretty hostile down there and then they went 2-1 down (to Blackburn) and the feeling was pretty intense,” the Selhurst chief said.

“I’m learning about that, I had none of that at Blackpool so I’m going to have to get used to it.

“We want to produce for our fans and it’s important that we do, so let’s start doing it.

“It’s all about passion in football.

“There’s no more passionate place than Millwall but I think you’ll find that if you stand 20 or 30 Palace fans up on the terraces, they want to win as much as any fans I’ve ever seen.”

“This is going to be a London derby with no room for the faint hearted.

“You’ve got to go over there and do your job and stand up to be counted.”

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