The Rise of Millwal

Chapter 316: The Charity Cup Initiative

As the journalists buzzed with excitement, a BBC reporter suddenly raised her hand and directed a question at Yvonne. "Can our TV station air this promotional video?"

Yvonne immediately smiled and replied, "Of course, any media platform can use it. We will play it on our official station and website, and it will also be available for free download."

Upon receiving this answer, the BBC reporter nodded in understanding.

This eye-catching promotional video, while having the potential to serve as an ad for Millwall, could also boost their viewership. They wouldn't air it exclusively as that would make it feel just like an ad; instead, they would feature it in various football programs to enhance overall ratings.

Other TV stations such as ITV are aware of this, after all, they can be downloaded for free online and Millwall are not concerned about copyright issues. The purpose of creating a promotional video like this is to spread it as widely as possible. Unless other teams try to copy their work, there won't be any legal backlash.

Yvonne gestured for everyone to settle down and cheerfully announced, "We have another promotional video for you. Please enjoy!"

This time, the attendees no longer had a dismissive attitude and quieted down in anticipation.

As the second promotional video began, a strange feeling washed over everyone.

Did Millwall get it wrong?

An animated video?

The promotional video opened with a classic animated style, rolling out a map of Europe, then zooming down to focus on the Thames in Southeast London.

From a dense forest, a cute blue cub leapt out, basking in the sunshine amidst blooming flowers. It playfully chased butterflies until it suddenly looked east, seemingly drawn by something, and then took off running.

As it ran, its small body began to grow, gaining speed and creating a whirlwind of wind behind it. The camera cut to its determined eyes, then zoomed into its pupils, revealing a scene that grew from small to large, eventually filling the entire screen.

That scene was the historic first match of Millwall in the Champions League against PSV Eindhoven, with Larsson scoring the goal.

As Larsson found the net, passionate commentary echoed: "Larsson has scored a milestone goal in Millwall's history! This is their debut in the Champions League, and their very first goal!"

The shots switched to goals against Dynamo Kyiv, Barcelona, each accompanied by the commentator's thrilling calls.

Against Juventus: "Pirlo! Pirlo has scored the winner against Juventus! What a last-minute goal!"

Against Monaco: "Trezeguet opens the scoring, and Millwall is one step closer to the final!"

...

After intense highlights, the scene cut back to animation, revealing an expansive sea glimmering under the sunlight, waves sparkling beautifully. The blue lion had transformed from a cub into a majestic adult, exuding the commanding presence of a king of the jungle.

In front of this beautiful seaside landscape, the blue lion embarked on another sprint, suddenly encountering a crystalline path leading eastward. As it ran forward, a vision of a castle appeared on the horizon, suspended above it was a dazzling trophy sparkling in the sun!

The UEFA Champions League!

As the blue lion reached the castle, looking up at the trophy with a determined gaze, the sky darkened suddenly. A giant figure appeared at the opposite end of the castle, equally fixated on the trophy. With a tremendous roar, the blue lion leapt toward it, while the white giant stomped forward, shaking the ground. Just as they were about to reach the trophy, the video abruptly cut off, and metallic letters materialized boldly in the center of the screen:

**1998-5-**

**The Battle of Kings!**

"Wow..."

When the second promotional video ended, the room erupted in applause.

At that moment, the journalists felt their trip was worth it, and they were glad they came.

The earlier doubts about being played by Millwall disappeared entirely.

There was no denying it—Millwall's animated promotional video was both stunning and captivating.

And the message was clear.

Each battle led to their growth.

To the east of England, across the sea lies the Netherlands.

Amsterdam is a city of water; using a castle at sea represented that perfectly.

The white giant at the end undoubtedly hinted at Real Madrid, although without any elements like the emblem or name that might have drawn their ire. Such artistic choices proved to be effective, creating a seamless viewing experience.

After seeing the video, anticipation for the May match built up naturally.

The reason Millwall chose this animated format was simple: to capture the attention of young fans.

The animated film "The Lion King," released in '94, was beloved by a generation of youths, leaving a lasting impact. Millwall mirrored this approach; when football-loving kids see such an animated promotional video, they would naturally start paying attention to Millwall. They won't always be kids; while still young, these impressions could plant seeds of loyalty in their minds. Not every child who watches this video will become a Millwall fan, but certainly, it would yield more fans than without such exposure.

The number of fans is a vital measure of a football club's influence, which in turn translates into commercial strength.

During Aldrich's era, Millwall has undergone a transformation, yet changing the steadfast beliefs of older fans would be challenging. Instead, he aimed to "capture" the younger generation and neutral fans, just as he built the team—others focus on star players, while he gravitated towards the legends. It wasn't that he didn't wish for current stars; he was just constrained by reality, which mirrored the challenges of the fan market.

But he was young, so he had patience. In this budding era of streaming media, he aimed to maximize market presence, especially online, where young people were the main demographic. Millwall's promotional focus aligned with this strategy.

After enjoying the two exciting promotional videos, Yvonne announced a significant piece of news to the journalists.

"Starting this summer, Millwall will hold an annual one-month Youth Football Charity Cup. Teams can join in various compositions, but participants must be under 15 years old. City champions will be determined regionally, and the winners will gather in London for the finals. The city champion will receive ￡2,000, the regional champion ￡3,000, and the final champion ￡10,000, while the runner-up will earn ￡5,000. Finally, Millwall will donate ￡500,000 to children's charities in the name of the champion team! Prize amounts and donations may increase based on future circumstances, and the FA will manage the organization, while costs will be covered by three sponsors."

A reporter started a round of applause, and others quickly followed suit.

Regardless, Millwall's commitment to charity under the club's name was a move sure to earn applause.

It's worth noting that they still bore debts exceeding ￡100 million!

This initiative set a precedent, further rehabilitating Millwall's past reputation of being a club riddled with hooliganism.

The plan for the charity cup had been discussed between Aldrich and Adam the previous summer, taking over six months to finalize.

Initially, the FA had a spectator's stance, but CEO Kelly soon realized this could serve as a public relations win!

The FA needed to be involved.

Millwall needed funds to enhance its public image and influence, but simply having money wasn't enough; they required people and time.

How to arrange the matches, who would officiate, and coordinating schedules were all things Millwall couldn't manage alone.

But the FA could—they would organize the events, take charge of the referees, and Millwall found three partners to handle the related costs.

Although this was a U15 non-professional tournament, once it involved charity, sponsors would flock to it. The costs were relatively low since there were plenty of football fields in every city, and organizing a group of kids to play wouldn't be expensive. Referees would also be mostly amateur, and for the finals in London, they could bring in some noteworthy referees for recognition without incurring heavy costs.

Millwall was happy to be the hands-off operator; while the donation would be made under the champion team's name, it was clear to everyone that Millwall was footing the bill. Coupling that with a named event ensured they captured maximum exposure. Aldrich also hoped that through this annual competition, they could scout for young talents, just like a draft, hoping to unearth future stars for Millwall.

The structure for this charity cup was determined, with the timing set in the summer each year, even coinciding with major competition years wouldn't matter. After all, it was just a bunch of kids under 15 playing football; there was no way they would clash with national teams.

Thus, Millwall seized this opportunity to enhance its image and build goodwill across various cities in England, initiating their climb to rival Manchester United for the title of the premier fan market. Though still just the beginning.

Millwall's press conference amidst the midweek lull concluded perfectly, with reporters leaving thoroughly satisfied.

That very night, a football program aired Millwall's promotional videos. Soon, the most talked-about feature in Britain was Millwall's two promotional pieces.

These videos cost the club nearly ￡1 million. Despite their short duration, totaling under 8 minutes, the exceptional effects came at a steep price for the production team, especially with tight deadlines requiring extra work.

The popularity of these videos sparked a wave of support from neutral fans for Millwall while also drawing criticism from some traditional supporters.

They felt that Millwall, like Manchester United, was on a full-on commercialization path, a departure from traditional football!

Are you playing football or shooting a film?

Dressing up the club's image like a flamboyant girl seeking attention was all about making money, wasn't it?

Aldrich dismissed the harsh critiques from extreme traditionalists. Whether this approach was right or wrong, only time would tell. Or perhaps when the number of Millwall supporters surged again, the answer would already be evident.