Brian Mulligan meets the Millwall Jew, self-styled stand-up comic Ivor Dembina
“People say Millwall are racist but that’s not true – we have Black players, brown players, white players…. the only thing we don’t have is good players “
Ivor Dembina is chatting with me, Brian Mulligan, in the Aces and Eights bar after his hilarious if provocative show, Millwall Jew, now in its third year. At the age of 74, Ivor has been performing comedy since the 1980s, moving between the club circuit and his one-man shows at the Edinburgh Fringe including Old Jewish Jokes and this year’s I Should Have Listened to Ivor Dembina.
Dembina has attracted attention for his anti-Zionist and Socialist views. In 2004, while on his way to perform stand-up comedy in Israel and the West Bank, Dembina was detained for several hours by Israeli police. His activism continues as he tells me about his Fringe 2025 experience.
Say the word ‘Millwall’, and few would assume that the next one would be ‘Jew’ – but that’s what makes Ivor’s story so special:
“I was expected by my fellow Jews to support one of two clubs: Spurs or Arsenal. I resented this, so when I moved south of the river in my sixties, I seized upon the opportunity to claim football fan independence and support the team nearest to my new home: Millwall. This show is about allegiance and how we manage the loyalties we are endowed with at birth when they conflict with those we acquire by choice”.
“The first time I went to The Den, I queued up and bought a ticket which, as you’d expect, had a seat number displayed in bold type.”
I smile, because anyone who has been to Millwall can predict what’s coming next.
“So I make my way up the aisle looking for the row and spot a fiftysomething geezer in my seat. ‘Excuse me, mate, you’re in my seat!’”
I applaud his directness – confessing I would generally weigh up the person I am asking to relocate using the available data such as number and location of scars, non-Millwall geographical references/insignia inked on body, approx sobriety or otherwise.
“This is Millwall, mate, you sit where you like!”
“Alright, but out of interest, where is your seat? What does your ticket say?”
“Mate, I’ve been coming here for 22 years and I’ve never sat in the right one!“
The main attraction in Millwall Jew is the interaction between Ivor and his lively audience. Ivor’s years of compering have gifted him an easy-going relationship with punters happy to concede some territory – especially during the football related quizzes which are really set-ups for gags.
See a clip here.
However, there is no doubt who is in charge as he effortlessly transitions from defence to attack, highlights of which include the hypocrisy of the FA/FIFA, shallow judgements we make about our fellow humans and growing up in a Jewish household.
“Millwall do have a small number of Jewish supporters but the crowds are predominantly white, working-class men who support the club, at least in part, to express their collective identity and to celebrate their club’s reputation.”
“This is a proper football club with a true relationship with its supporters – there are no soccer fans here. Their outlook is embodied by their famous chant, ‘No-one likes us, we don’t care’. I don’t pretend that racism in football has gone away – my job is to find the funny side of it.”
As Dembina points out: “The most pleasing thing about Millwall Jew is that you don’t have to know anything about football to enjoy the show. Even Scotland fans understand it”.
Millwall Jew is at The Glitch, London SE1 7AE, Wednesdays in October and November. Tickets and further info here.
