The 2004-05 campaign was a season of unprecedented excitement for Millwall as The Lions embarked on their first-ever European adventure, earned by reaching the previous season's FA Cup Final. Under player-manager Dennis Wise, they secured a respectable 10th-place finish in the newly rebranded Championship, with their historic UEFA Cup run ending in the First Round against Ferencváros. Leading the line was veteran striker Barry Hayles, whose 12 league goals were vital, anchoring a memorable, if turbulent, year defined by a change in club ownership and Wise's subsequent departure at the end of the season.