Mills Willie Image 1 Aberdeen 1933

Description

Bonhill, Dunbartonshire born inside forward Willie Mills began his football career with junior club Bridgeton Waverley in 1931 before joining Scottish League Aberdeen in 1932, where he soon established himself as a key member of their first team aged 17. He formed an excellent partnership with Matt Armstrong and was the club’s top goalscorer in the 1933-34 season with 28 goals.

He first played for Scotland in a 1-1 draw with Wales at Ninian Park, Cardiff in October 1935 and won two further caps, playing in a 2-1 win over Ireland at Tynecastle the next month, and finally in a 2-1 defeat to Wales at Dens Park in December 1936. He played for Aberdeen in the 1937 Scottish Cup Final (the club’s first appearance in the Final) when they lost 2-1 to Celtic in front of 147,365 at Hampden Park, a record attendance for a match in the UK.

He was transferred to First Division Huddersfield Town in March 1938 for £6,500 after 114 goals in 210 appearances for Aberdeen, making his Football League debut against Birmingham the same month. Mills did not stay long in English football, however, as the Second World War curtailed League football in September 1939, by when he had scored 7 times in 34 appearances for The Terriers. He joined Dumbarton in 1939 and played 7 wartime matches for them that winter, he also played for Clyde and Queen of the South. After the War concluded he played in the Highland Football League for Lossiemouth in 1948, Huntly in 1949 and finished his playing career with Hamrun Spartans in 1950.

His brother Hugh ‘Bunty’ Mills also began his career at Bridgeton and featured for West Ham United.