Millard Bert Image 1 Coventry City 1921

Description

Sedgley, Staffordshire born centre half Bert Millard began his football career in Midlands junior football first with Coseley in 1911 and then with Willenhall Swifts the following year, from where he joined Barry in 1913. Initially a centre forward, he scored the club’s first ever hat-trick in a 6-2 win over Newport County in February 1914 before signing for Southern League club Cardiff City in the 1914 close season.

The suspension of peacetime football due to the onset of the First World War in May 1915 interrupted his career but on the resumption of peacetime football he joined Second Division Birmingham in 1919, making his Football League debut as a centre forward against South Shields in September 1919, scoring twice in a 4-0 victory. His impact was substantial, scoring 12 goals in his first 9 games, but from December 1919 he converted to centre half, however Birmingham narrowly missed out on promotion finishing third.

He played only twice more for Birmingham in the early matches of the following season before he transferred to Coventry City after 15 goals in 33 appearances in October 1920. His two seasons at Coventry saw 9 goals in 68 appearances as they struggled at the foot of the Second Division. In the summer of 1922 he moved to Crystal Palace where he scored 4 times in 36 matches over two further Second Division seasons before a move to Third Division (South) Charlton Athletic in the summer of 1924. He scored 8 goals in 42 appearances for The Addicks over his final two seasons in League football, including a hat-trick deputising at centre forward in an FA Cup first round win over non league Windsor & Eton in November 1925, joining Warwick & District League club Leamington Town in 1926, his final club before his eventual retirement.