Mills Bertie “Paddy” Image 2 Hull City 1922

Description

Born in Multan, Punjab, India, but raised in Barton-upon-Humber, Lincolnshire. centre forward Bertie “Paddy” Mills began his football career with local club Barton Town in 1919 before joining Second Division Hull City in 1920, making his Football League debut at Nottingham Forest the same December. For three consecutive seasons from 1923-24 to 1925-26, Mills was Hull’s leading scorer, including scoring 29 goals in 41 appearances during 1924-25 when no other Hull player reached double figures, being described at the time as possessing “penetrative power”.

In March 1926, Notts County paid a fee of £3,750 for his services, but he was unable to prevent their relegation from the First Division scoring once in 3 appearances before the season end. In 1927 he was joined by his younger brother Percy, who would go on to play more than 400 games for the club. After three years with County, in which he scored at a rate approaching a goal every other game, totalling 36 goals in 79 appearances, Mills moved back to the First Division with Birmingham in February 1929, but failed to settle, and returned to Hull in December 1929 after 3 goals in 13 appearances.

Mills contributed two goals in Hull’s 1929-30 FA Cup run which took them to the semi-final for the first time in their history, only to lose to eventual Cup-winners Arsenal 1-0 in a replay at Villa Park, following which their form slumped and they were relegated to the Third Division (North). New manager Haydn Green converted Mills to play at left half, though he still scored goals filling in at centre forward: 12 in 30 games in the 1930-31 season and 11 in 37 the next season, including a hat-trick in a win at Carlisle United in April 1931 and all three goals in a 3-0 win over Walsall at Anlaby Road in January 1032.

In 1932-33, Hull City won the Third Division (North) Championship, winning promotion for the first time in their history. Mills played in nearly half the games, but failed to score, and was released at the end of the season after 110 goals in 292 games across his two spells. As of December 2008, his League goals total of 101 in 269 games places him third in Hull City’s all-time League goalscorers, and his overall total places him fourth when all competitions are counted.

On leaving Hull in 1933, Mills moved into non-league football with Midland League club Scunthorpe & Lindsey United and he joined Gainsborough Trinity in 1935 before finishing his career at his first club, Barton Town, joining them in 1936.