Mills Tommy Image 2 Clapton Orient 1933

Description

Ton Pentre, Glamorgan born inside forward Tommy Mills began his football career with Ton Pentre in 1927 and Trocadero in 1928, before joining Third Division (South) Clapton Orient in the 1929 close season, making his Football League debut at Brighton & Hove Albion the same September. He scored 5 goals in 25 appearances during his debut season, and his consistent performances earned his international recognition when he was called into the Wales team that drew 1-1 with Ireland at Windsor Park, Belfast in November 1933. He won 3 more Welsh caps over the next year, his final cap coming in a 3-2 defeat to Scotland at Pittodrie in November 1934, by when he had joined First Division Leicester City in the 1934 close season after 23 goals in 132 appearances for Clapton Orient.

Leicester were relegated during his first season at Filbert Street, where he struggled for first team opportunities, scoring 5 times in 18 appearances over two seasons. He then joined Bristol Rovers in the summer of 1936, and was a regular in their first team in the 3 seasons before the Second World War. Indeed after the War he scored twice in 4 FA Cup ties for Bristol Rovers in late 1945, but didn’t resume for them in League football, instead spending 1946-47 on the books of both Chester and Notts County without appearing for the first teams of either before his retirement from the game. He scored 21 goals in 111 appearances for Bristol Rovers either side of the War.