McMillen Walter Image 2 Chesterfield 1937

Description

Belfast born wing half Walter McMillen first played football for Albert Foundry and West End United before joining Carrickfergus in 1930, and subsequently he made his name as a teenager with amateur club Cliftonville whom he joined in 1931 after a brief spell at Belfast Distillery. While at Solitude he won two Amateur caps (against England and Scotland) and helped the Reds to a rare trophy win in the Gold Cup. In early 1933 he agreed a move to Arsenal, with the London-giants visiting Solitude for a friendly as way of recompense. Although briefly registered as an amateur with Gunners in May 1933, the deal fell through and he instead joined Manchester United in August 1933.

McMillen made his Football League debut for United, appearing as centre-half in a 4-3 win at Brentford on 9th September 1933. After a 5-2 won over Burnley in his second match, he retained his place for much of the rest of the season as United were fortunate to avoid relegation to the Third Division, scoring once in 25 appearances. His first campaign at Old Trafford did bring McMillen his first full Irish international cap, and he played at right-half in a 3-0 defeat by England at Windsor Park that October.

In his second season with United McMillen made just four appearances, three of them at outside-left. He made his final appearance for the club against Burnley in March 1935, marking the occasion with a goal in a 4-3 defeat. Thereafter McMillen spent close to two years in the United reserves, finally signing for Second Division Chesterfield in December 1936.

Lack of success in the Football League didn’t hinder McMillen’s international aspirations. He won a total of three caps while with United, perhaps the most notable of which, his second, saw a 2-1 win over Scotland at Windsor Park in October 1934. The press prior to the match had written the Irish off, stating that “the Scots should avenge last year’s defeat at Parkhead”. Ireland’s task was made even more difficult as they went in at half-time 1-0 down and with Elisha Scott taken to hospital due to a hand injury. McMillen filled in as ‘keeper and “did great work in (Scott’s) place… saving splendidly when called upon”. An “inspired second-half fight by ten men” brought Ireland a deserved victory.

With Chesterfield McMillen was employed with great effect as an attacking wing-half. In 1937-38 he scored an impressive ten goals, including one in a 7-1 defeat by Manchester United in November, to finish as the club’s second top goalscorer. That season he also became the first Spireites’ player to earn international recognition when he lined up at centre-half in a 1-1 draw against Scotland. The four caps collected by McMillen while with Chesterfield remains a club record, since equalled by another (Northern) Ireland international, Mark Williams.

Described as a “cultured half-back… (who) had excellent ball control and was a judicious passer who out-manoeuvred opponents by anticipation and timing”, the “quiet and unassuming” McMillen was also valued as a “club-man”. Having won his final Ireland cap of seven in November 1938 in a 7-0 defeat against England in Manchester, he departed Saltergate in May 1939 having scored 17 goals in 92 appearances to join Millwall, but almost immediately the move was curtailed by the outbreak of the Second World War, McMillen having played the first 3 games of the abandoned 1939-40 season for The Lions.

During the War he returned to Ireland and worked as an electrician at Harland and Wolff. He continued his playing career with Glentoran then Linfield in War-Time football, earning inter-league honours along the way. After the War he was persuaded to return to Millwall and a bombed-out Den. Financially stricken , The Lions suffered relegation to Division Three (South) in 1948 and in 1950, McMillen’s last as a player, they finished bottom of the League and were forced to apply for re-election. Just short of his 37th birthday when he left Millwall having scored once in 96 appearances either side of the War. McMillen continued to turn out in non-League football for Tunbridge in the Southern League before retiring.