Lee Mills
Encyclopedia
Rowan Lee Mills usually known as Lee Mills, is an English
former footballer, who played as a striker.
In a career spanning fourteen years he made 293 appearances in the Football League
, scoring 86 goals. He played for numerous clubs and was transferred for some big money moves; totalling around £2 million. Arguably his most successful period came at Port Vale
and Bradford City
in the late 1990s. He helped Vale to their highest post-war finish in the league, whilst he helped Bradford win promotion into the Premier League.
before being brought to the Football League
with Wolverhampton Wanderers
of the First Division
in December 1992. The 1992–93 and 1993–94 seasons saw "Wolves" finish mid-table. In 1994–95 they pushed for promotion, but Mills had been loaned to Derby County
in February 1993, scoring on his Derby debut, the deal was made permanently the following month for £400,000. He finished the season with seven goals in sixteen games for the "Rams", yet in July 1995 was let go to John Rudge
's Port Vale
for a £475,000 fee, plus Robin van der Laan
.
His Vale debut came as a substitute on 13 August 1995, in a goalless draw with Derby at The Baseball Ground
. At the end of the season Derby were promoted
, but Vale were to finish in twelfth spot.
The 1996–97
season saw the club's highest post-war finish – eighth place in the First Division. On 13 October 1996 he came off the bench in a Potteries derby
game to score a last minute equalizer, denying Stoke City
an away win and local
bragging rights. He finished the season with fifteen goals and was handed the club's player of the year
award.
During the 1997–98
season Mills was the club's top scorer with 16 goals. However Vale were in terminal decline
, narrowly avoiding relegation.
Mills became Bradford City
's first £1 million player when Paul Jewell
purchased him in preparation for the 1998–99 season. Mills made a large contribution to Bradford's promotion to the Premier League, becoming the club's top scorer with 24 goals. He also scored on his return to Vale Park
, perhaps with a point to prove after a Vale programme article described him as "poor" and his touch as "frequently awful".
The 1999–2000 season was a poor one for Mills, scoring just six goals he was troubled with injury and had a falling out with manager Paul Jewell
. He spent March 2000 on loan with First Division Manchester City
. His poor form left him labelled as a "forgotten man" when he scored twice in the 2000 UEFA Intertoto Cup
against Lithuania
n side FK Atlantas
. New manager Chris Hutchings
put Mills on a list of seven "underachievers", with a warning that a continuation of poor form would see those players released. Hutchings' reign would last only a further four months. However in that time Hutchings had sold Mills to Portsmouth
for a club-record £1.25 million, in order to make way for Ashley Ward
. "Pompey" later struggled to pay the fee and were put on a transfer embargo by the FA
.
He scored five goals in 27 games during the 2000–01 season. He played just two games the following season before a one month loan to Coventry City
in December 2001 soon turned into a £250,000 move at the end of the year. He aimed to fire the "Sky Blues" to the play-offs
, though the season ended with Coventry occupying 11th spot. By some measure of irony
he played at Fratton Park
in a Portsmouth shirt, Graham Barber
having deemed both Coventry strips were too similar to Pompey's home strip forced the side to borrow Portsmouth's orange away strip.
In July 2001 he broke
his arm in a "freak" training ground incident, this came after recently recovering from a potentially career threatening knee injury. He came back later in the season with "a bang", Mills saying: "I've come in and done OK and let's hope that continues." He was soon battling with an ankle injury, choosing to take injections to avoid time on the sidelines.
In February 2003, following a one month loan with Tony Pulis
' Stoke City
, where John Rudge was now Director of Football, he signed for the "Potters" on a permanent basis. The next month was in a car crash on the M6 motorway
and was lucky to come out with only minor injuries.
In July 2003 he signed with Telford United
. Manager Mick Jones
was clearly delighted with the capture, stating: "I don't want to put too much pressure on Lee but I am hopeful he might have the same kind of impact as Alan Shearer
had when he moved from Blackburn
to Newcastle
". After eleven goals in thirty games, Mills tore his ankle ligaments during a training accident, keeping him out of action for three months.
Following the collapse of Telford United there was a race to Mills' signature, which was eventually won by Hereford United
. Graham Turner
having signed Mills, Mark Robinson
and Jonathan Gould
, looked to improve upon 2003–04's second place finish, which saw the "Bulls" agonizingly close to automatic promotion to the Football League
. Nine league goals from Mills in the 2004–05 season could not help United catch runaway champions Barnet
, for a second consecutive season they crashed out in the play-off semi-finals. Four of his goals had come in the first two months, despite starting just five matches. Mills was released after the semi-final defeat, as was fellow veteran Graham Hyde
.
club Rocester
.
In May 2010 he was confirmed as new manager of Midland Football Alliance club Bridgnorth Town
. However at the end of the 2010–11 season, Mills and his assistant Tony Dinning
resigned from their posts at Bridgnorth Town, citing a wish to move on to a new challenge. After missing out on the vacant management position at Stafford Rangers
, Mills was instead appointed as assistant manager at Bridgnorth's league rivals Ellesmere Rangers
.
with Bradford City
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
former footballer, who played as a striker.
In a career spanning fourteen years he made 293 appearances in the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
, scoring 86 goals. He played for numerous clubs and was transferred for some big money moves; totalling around £2 million. Arguably his most successful period came at Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
and Bradford City
Bradford City A.F.C.
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....
in the late 1990s. He helped Vale to their highest post-war finish in the league, whilst he helped Bradford win promotion into the Premier League.
Playing career
Mills started his career with Stocksbridge Park SteelsStocksbridge Park Steels F.C.
Stocksbridge Park Steels Football Club is a football club based in Stocksbridge, South Yorkshire, England, playing in the Northern Premier League Premier Division. The club was formed in 1986 after a merger between two other clubs, and initially played in the Northern Counties East League...
before being brought to the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
with Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
of the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
in December 1992. The 1992–93 and 1993–94 seasons saw "Wolves" finish mid-table. In 1994–95 they pushed for promotion, but Mills had been loaned to Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
in February 1993, scoring on his Derby debut, the deal was made permanently the following month for £400,000. He finished the season with seven goals in sixteen games for the "Rams", yet in July 1995 was let go to John Rudge
John Rudge
John Robert Rudge is an English former football player and football manager. He is currently working as the director of football at Stoke City....
's Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
for a £475,000 fee, plus Robin van der Laan
Robin van der Laan
Robin van der Laan is a Dutch former footballer who spent most of his senior career in English football...
.
His Vale debut came as a substitute on 13 August 1995, in a goalless draw with Derby at The Baseball Ground
Baseball Ground
The Baseball Ground was a stadium in Derby, England. It was first used for baseball as the home of Derby County Baseball Club from 1890 until 1898 and then for football as the home of Derby County from 1895 until 1997. It was commonly referred to as the "BBG".As the name suggests, the stadium was...
. At the end of the season Derby were promoted
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
, but Vale were to finish in twelfth spot.
The 1996–97
1996–97 Port Vale F.C. season
The 1996–97 season was Port Vale's eighty-fifth season of football in the Football League, and third successive season in the First Division. John Rudge led the club to its joint-second highest ever league finish, as Vale finished in eighth spot, four points from the play-offs...
season saw the club's highest post-war finish – eighth place in the First Division. On 13 October 1996 he came off the bench in a Potteries derby
Potteries derby
The Potteries derby is the football local derby in Stoke-on-Trent between Port Vale and Stoke City. The fans of each club both consider the other to be their main rivals; this has led to a heated atmosphere at these matches, especially with the rise of football hooliganism and the 'Naughty Forty'...
game to score a last minute equalizer, denying Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
an away win and local
Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent , also called The Potteries is a city in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation almost 12 miles long, with an area of . Together with the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme Stoke forms The Potteries Urban Area...
bragging rights. He finished the season with fifteen goals and was handed the club's player of the year
Port Vale F.C. Player of the Year
The Port Vale Player of the Year award is voted for annually by Port Vale's supporters in recognition of the best overall performance by an individual player throughout the football season. Towards the end of each season, fans are invited to cast their votes for this award.The inaugural award was...
award.
During the 1997–98
1997–98 Port Vale F.C. season
The 1997–98 season was Port Vale's eighty-sixth season of football in the Football League, and fourth successive season in the First Division. John Rudge managed to mastermind a final day escape from relegation, as rivals Stoke City instead lost their second tier status, leaving Vale as the top...
season Mills was the club's top scorer with 16 goals. However Vale were in terminal decline
History of Port Vale F.C.
The history of Port Vale F.C., an English association football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, began when the club was formed in 1876. In 1884, the club moved to the town of Burslem, changing their name to Burslem Port Vale in the process. The club joined the Football League Second Division upon its...
, narrowly avoiding relegation.
Mills became Bradford City
Bradford City A.F.C.
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....
's first £1 million player when Paul Jewell
Paul Jewell
Paul Steven Jewell is a former English footballer who is currently the manager of Ipswich Town.His playing career started with Liverpool before moving to Wigan Athletic and then a ten-year spell with Bradford City...
purchased him in preparation for the 1998–99 season. Mills made a large contribution to Bradford's promotion to the Premier League, becoming the club's top scorer with 24 goals. He also scored on his return to Vale Park
Vale Park
Vale Park is a football stadium in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England. It is the home ground of Port Vale F.C., who have played at the ground since 1950....
, perhaps with a point to prove after a Vale programme article described him as "poor" and his touch as "frequently awful".
The 1999–2000 season was a poor one for Mills, scoring just six goals he was troubled with injury and had a falling out with manager Paul Jewell
Paul Jewell
Paul Steven Jewell is a former English footballer who is currently the manager of Ipswich Town.His playing career started with Liverpool before moving to Wigan Athletic and then a ten-year spell with Bradford City...
. He spent March 2000 on loan with First Division Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
. His poor form left him labelled as a "forgotten man" when he scored twice in the 2000 UEFA Intertoto Cup
UEFA Intertoto Cup
The UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued...
against Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
n side FK Atlantas
FK Atlantas
FK Atlantas is a Lithuanian football team from the port city of Klaipėda. The team currently plays on the first level of the Lithuanian football league pyramid....
. New manager Chris Hutchings
Chris Hutchings
Christopher "Chris" Hutchings is an English former footballer and former manager of Walsall. He played for a number of clubs including Chelsea and played more than 100 games for Brighton & Hove Albion and Huddersfield Town...
put Mills on a list of seven "underachievers", with a warning that a continuation of poor form would see those players released. Hutchings' reign would last only a further four months. However in that time Hutchings had sold Mills to Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
for a club-record £1.25 million, in order to make way for Ashley Ward
Ashley Ward
Ashley Ward is an English retired footballer. He was a centre forward.-Biography:Ward was born in Middleton, Lancashire, the son of a coal mining engineer...
. "Pompey" later struggled to pay the fee and were put on a transfer embargo by the FA
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
.
He scored five goals in 27 games during the 2000–01 season. He played just two games the following season before a one month loan to Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
in December 2001 soon turned into a £250,000 move at the end of the year. He aimed to fire the "Sky Blues" to the play-offs
Football League Championship play-offs
The Football League Championship play-offs are a series of playoff matches contested by the teams finishing from 3rd to 6th in the Football League Championship table. The semi-finals are played over two legs, with 6th playing 3rd and 5th playing 4th, with the return fixtures following...
, though the season ended with Coventry occupying 11th spot. By some measure of irony
Irony
Irony is a rhetorical device, literary technique, or situation in which there is a sharp incongruity or discordance that goes beyond the simple and evident intention of words or actions...
he played at Fratton Park
Fratton Park
Fratton Park is a football stadium in the English city-port of Portsmouth. It has been the home of professional club Portsmouth F.C. since its construction in 1898.-Description:...
in a Portsmouth shirt, Graham Barber
Graham Barber
Graham P. Barber is an English former football referee. He was based in Tring in Hertfordshire during his career, but now lives in Spain.-Career:...
having deemed both Coventry strips were too similar to Pompey's home strip forced the side to borrow Portsmouth's orange away strip.
In July 2001 he broke
Bone fracture
A bone fracture is a medical condition in which there is a break in the continuity of the bone...
his arm in a "freak" training ground incident, this came after recently recovering from a potentially career threatening knee injury. He came back later in the season with "a bang", Mills saying: "I've come in and done OK and let's hope that continues." He was soon battling with an ankle injury, choosing to take injections to avoid time on the sidelines.
In February 2003, following a one month loan with Tony Pulis
Tony Pulis
Anthony Richard "Tony" Pulis is a Welsh former football player and is currently the manager of Stoke City. Pulis obtained his FA coaching badge at the age of 19, followed by his UEFA 'A' licence aged 21 – making him one of the youngest professional players ever to have obtained the qualification...
' Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
, where John Rudge was now Director of Football, he signed for the "Potters" on a permanent basis. The next month was in a car crash on the M6 motorway
M6 motorway
The M6 motorway runs from junction 19 of the M1 at the Catthorpe Interchange, near Rugby via Birmingham then heads north, passing Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Preston, Carlisle and terminating at the Gretna junction . Here, just short of the Scottish border it becomes the A74 which continues to...
and was lucky to come out with only minor injuries.
In July 2003 he signed with Telford United
Telford United F.C.
Telford United F.C. was an English football club based in Telford, Shropshire.The club existed under various names for a total of 132 years from its formation in 1872. The club was founder members of the Alliance Premier League in 1979 and played at this level for 25 years before being wound up in...
. Manager Mick Jones
Mick Jones (footballer born 1947)
Michael "Mick" Jones is a former footballer and is a coach who is employed by Queens Park Rangers as assistant manager to Neil Warnock.-Playing career:...
was clearly delighted with the capture, stating: "I don't want to put too much pressure on Lee but I am hopeful he might have the same kind of impact as Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer OBE, DL is a retired English footballer. He played as a striker in the top level of English league football for Southampton, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and for the England national team...
had when he moved from Blackburn
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
to Newcastle
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
". After eleven goals in thirty games, Mills tore his ankle ligaments during a training accident, keeping him out of action for three months.
Following the collapse of Telford United there was a race to Mills' signature, which was eventually won by Hereford United
Hereford United F.C.
Hereford United Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Hereford. Founded in 1924, they are competing in Football League Two in the 2011–12 season. Hereford have played at Edgar Street for their entire history and are nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites',...
. Graham Turner
Graham Turner
Graham John Turner is an English former footballer who became a manager. He is currently manager of League Two club Shrewsbury Town. His son Mark was also a professional footballer....
having signed Mills, Mark Robinson
Mark Robinson (footballer born 1981)
Mark Andrew Robinson is an English footballer who plays for Whitby Town as a defender.-Club career:Born in Guisborough, North Yorkshire, Robinson began his career with Middlesbrough's centre of excellence at the age of 14 and he joined Nottingham Forest on schoolboy forms...
and Jonathan Gould
Jonathan Gould
Jonathan Alan Gould is a former Scottish international footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He is currently the Goalkeeping Coach at Perth Glory of the Australian A-League.-Playing:...
, looked to improve upon 2003–04's second place finish, which saw the "Bulls" agonizingly close to automatic promotion to the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
. Nine league goals from Mills in the 2004–05 season could not help United catch runaway champions Barnet
Barnet F.C.
Barnet Football Club is an English football team from High Barnet, London, England, currently playing in Football League Two. The ground is in the town of Barnet within the London Borough of Barnet....
, for a second consecutive season they crashed out in the play-off semi-finals. Four of his goals had come in the first two months, despite starting just five matches. Mills was released after the semi-final defeat, as was fellow veteran Graham Hyde
Graham Hyde
Graham Hyde is a professional footballer, currently Head Coach at Redditch United.-Playing career:...
.
Management career
In December 2009, Mills was linked to the management position at Midland Football AllianceMidland Football Alliance
The Midland Football Alliance is an English association football league for semi-professional teams. It covers Leicestershire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands, Worcestershire and also southern parts of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire...
club Rocester
Rocester F.C.
Rocester Football Club is a football club based in Rocester, near Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, England.-History:Rocester Football Club was formed in 1876 and for over a century played in various local leagues including the Stafford Amateur League and Uttoxeter and District League until they became...
.
In May 2010 he was confirmed as new manager of Midland Football Alliance club Bridgnorth Town
Bridgnorth Town F.C.
Bridgnorth Town F.C. are a football club based in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, England. They joined the Worcestershire Combination in 1938 and have twice reached the 5th round of the FA Vase...
. However at the end of the 2010–11 season, Mills and his assistant Tony Dinning
Tony Dinning
Anthony "Tony" Dinning is an English former football midfielder. He spent sixteen years of an eighteen year career in the Football League, making 515 appearances in league and cup....
resigned from their posts at Bridgnorth Town, citing a wish to move on to a new challenge. After missing out on the vacant management position at Stafford Rangers
Stafford Rangers F.C.
Stafford Rangers Football Club is a semi-professional English football team from Stafford which plays in the Northern Premier League Premier Division.The team wear black and white stripes with black shorts...
, Mills was instead appointed as assistant manager at Bridgnorth's league rivals Ellesmere Rangers
Ellesmere Rangers F.C.
Ellesmere Rangers F.C. are an English football club based in the town of Ellesmere, Shropshire. For the 2011-12 season they are members of the Midland Alliance.-History:Ellesmere Rangers F.C...
.
Honours
Individual- Port Vale F.C. Player of the YearPort Vale F.C. Player of the YearThe Port Vale Player of the Year award is voted for annually by Port Vale's supporters in recognition of the best overall performance by an individual player throughout the football season. Towards the end of each season, fans are invited to cast their votes for this award.The inaugural award was...
: 19971996–97 Port Vale F.C. seasonThe 1996–97 season was Port Vale's eighty-fifth season of football in the Football League, and third successive season in the First Division. John Rudge led the club to its joint-second highest ever league finish, as Vale finished in eighth spot, four points from the play-offs...
with Bradford City
- Football League First DivisionFootball League First DivisionThe First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
runner-up: 1998–99