Absence has not made the heart grow fonder. Millwall and West Ham meet for the first time in 14 years on Saturday, but it is not going to be a joyous reunion at the Den. The atmosphere will be ferocious and the main hope is that the focus is on the football rather than any nonsense away from the pitch.

These two have plenty of previous, even though they so rarely play each other. The most glaring example is the shocking disorder inside and outside Upton Park when Millwall lost in the second round of the League Cup at West Ham’s old ground in August 2009. A 44-year-old man was stabbed in the chest as trouble raged outside and riot police struggled to maintain order during the game, with play suspended briefly when home supporters invaded the pitch after one West Ham goal.

There is nothing to glorify here. This will be the 100th competitive meeting, if discontinued, minor tournaments are included, and anyone failing to see the logic behind the rivalry can be forgiven. The sides are not on each other’s doorstep and Millwall are south of the Thames, meaning Crystal Palace and Charlton are more obvious enemies. Yet it is not really about football. The tribalism runs deep, dating back to when the clubs were formed by rival shipbuilding firms at docks on the Isle of Dogs in east London, and is more down to hooligan elements than anything that happens on the pitch.

There have been many occasions when the nastiness has spiralled out of control. Hooliganism was rife in English football during the 1970s and 1980s and Millwall and West Ham had fearsome firms. Trouble erupted when the sides met at the Den for a testimonial for the Millwall defender Harry Cripps in 1972. The toxicity grew and a Millwall fan, Ian Pratt, died after a clash with West Ham fans at New Cross station in 1976. It is worth keeping in mind when people try to hype up this fixture. Stories about who was top dog on the terraces back in the day are not that interesting.

The 2009 game was disturbing and frightening. In March 2004 there were police horses on the pitch when West Ham fans rioted and ripped up seats during a 4-1 defeat at the Den. Away fans were not allowed in the lower tier when West Ham returned eight months later. West Ham have only 1,774 tickets on Saturday. The Metropolitan police will have measures in place to try to keep opposing fans apart. The dedicated walkway linking South Bermondsey station to the away end acts as a coolant.

The mood will still be tense. There is an odd dynamic to the game. West Ham have at times found it awkward because some of their fans care far more about beating Chelsea and Tottenham. But a trip to Stamford Bridge or N17 is a familiar experience. Going south of the river to Millwall is somehow viewed as different, the short train ride from London Bridge treated as an intrepid journey into some hostile alien planet.

Perhaps the irregularity of the game adds to the mystique. It has happened 18 times in the league since the second world war and only in 1988-89 have the teams been together in the top flight. Millwall stayed up that season but West Ham were relegated, which is usually required for the game to take place. West Ham have generally done something wrong if they are looking for Millwall when the fixture list comes out.

It pits Millwall as underdogs, a role they play well. They often rose to the occasion after West Ham were relegated in 2003. Millwall had a decent team – they reached the FA Cup final in 2004 – and picked up two wins and two draws against West Ham before Alan Pardew led the Hammers back into the Premier League in 2005.

It can be hard for West Ham to match up to the intensity. They won at Upton Park when the sides last met, bouncing back from an early Kevin Nolan red card to beat Millwall in February 2012, but tend to struggle in the away game. The Den is tight, compact, intimidating. Millwall are on a five-match unbeaten run at home against West Ham since losing in 1988. They will look to level the odds. West Ham are on a four-game winning run in the league and top the Championship after smashing Wrexham 6-0 last weekend. Alex Neil’s Millwall came close to winning automatic promotion last season but have injuries and are 10th after an inconsistent start.

Logic says West Ham should win. Logic may not count for very much when the game begins.