Tony Millington
Encyclopedia
Anthony Horace "Tony" Millington (born 5 June 1943) is a retired Welsh footballer who played as a goalkeeper for West Bromwich Albion
, Crystal Palace
, Peterborough United
and Swansea City
in the 1960s and 1970s and made 21 international appearances for Wales
. His career ended in 1975 following a car accident and he is now the disability officer at Wrexham. He is the brother of Grenville Millington
, who played in goal for Rhyl
and Chester
.
, Flintshire
and played football for his school side and represented his county. After playing for various local clubs, he joined West Bromwich Albion
as a trainee in July 1959.
He made his first-team debut for Albion on 30 September 1961, taking over from Ray Potter in a 2–2 draw at home to Manchester City
. He retained the goalkeeper's jersey for the remainder of the 1961–62 season but the following year he and Potter "shared" the jersey. His final game for the "Baggies" came on 16 March 1963 at Molineux
, when he played in the absence of the injured Potter against Wolverhampton Wanderers
, conceding seven goals. Millington spent the next 18 months in the reserves before he was transferred to Crystal Palace
in October 1964.
After two seasons at Selhurst Park
, Millington was sold to Peterborough United
in March 1966 along with Derek Kevan
for a combined fee of £15,000. At Peterborough, he replaced Willie Duff
, making his debut on 1 October 1966 in a 5–2 defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion
. He soon became established as the first choice goalkeeper and made 118 league appearances over three years before moving to Wales to join Swansea Town for a £5,000 fee in July 1969.
Millington was a "key figure" as Swansea gained promotion from the Fourth Division
in 1970. In January 1971, Swansea (now "City") met Rhyl
in the Third Round of the FA Cup
; in goal for Rhyl was Millington's younger brother, Grenville
. The match ended 6–1 in favour of Swansea, who then went on to meet Liverpool
in the next round, going down 3–0.
By 1973, Millington was out of favour with Swansea's manager Harry Gregg
, who brought in a succession of goalkeepers on loan, the most successful being Jimmy Rimmer
from Manchester United
.
's David Hollins
for the British Home Championship
match against Scotland
at Ninian Park
on 20 October 1962. Despite "doing well", Millington conceded thee goals with Wales only scoring twice in reply. He retained his shirt for the next two matches, against Hungary
and England
, both of which ended in defeats.
Throughout his international career, Millington was generally the second-choice keeper firstly behind David Hollins and then Gary Sprake
of Leeds United. On 30 May 1965, he replaced Hollins, who was suffering from food poisoning, in a World Cup qualifying match at Moscow
's Central Lenin Stadium against the Soviet Union. Wales went down 2–1, with Graham Williams turning the ball past Millington for the hosts' second goal, thus destroying Wales's hopes of qualifying.
"Milly", as he was known, was popular with the fans who saw him as "a one-man entertainment". During quiet periods in a match, he would leave his goal and "cadge sweets from children" in the crowd or take and eat a pie from supporters. Being superstitious, he was unable to watch penalty kick
s being taken at the far end of the pitch and would kneel in the goalmouth with his back to the action. When his team scored a goal, he would often celebrate with a handstand
in his penalty area
.
Legend has it that during his time at Swansea:
in the summer of 1974 and moved to Northern Ireland
to work in his father-in-law's business, turning out occasionally for Glenavon
. His football career was ended by a car crash in 1975; his injuries resulted him being wheelchair-bound for the rest of his life and in need of constant care. He settled in Wrexham
where he helped found a club for Wrexham Football Club's disabled supporters, going on to become the football club's disability officer.
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
, Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
, Peterborough United
Peterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...
and Swansea City
Swansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...
in the 1960s and 1970s and made 21 international appearances for Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
. His career ended in 1975 following a car accident and he is now the disability officer at Wrexham. He is the brother of Grenville Millington
Grenville Millington
Grenville Rodney Millington was a professional footballer who played in The Football League as a goalkeeper. He enjoyed a long career with Chester City and was voted the club's BBC Cult Hero in 2005. Millington is now an established goalkeeping coach...
, who played in goal for Rhyl
Rhyl F.C.
Rhyl Football Club is a Welsh football club, playing in the Cymru Alliance.The club was founded in 1882 and the team plays its home matches at Belle Vue, Rhyl, which can accommodate 3,000 spectators.- History :Few clubs in the Welsh Premier League have as distinguished a past as Rhyl's...
and Chester
Chester City F.C.
Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...
.
Club career
Millington was born in HawardenHawarden
Hawarden is a village in Flintshire, North Wales. Hawarden forms part of the Deeside conurbation on the Welsh/English border. At the 2001 Census, the population of Hawarden Ward was 1,858...
, Flintshire
Flintshire
Flintshire is a county in north-east Wales. It borders Denbighshire, Wrexham and the English county of Cheshire. It is named after the historic county of Flintshire, which had notably different borders...
and played football for his school side and represented his county. After playing for various local clubs, he joined West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
as a trainee in July 1959.
He made his first-team debut for Albion on 30 September 1961, taking over from Ray Potter in a 2–2 draw at home to 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...
. He retained the goalkeeper's jersey for the remainder of the 1961–62 season but the following year he and Potter "shared" the jersey. His final game for the "Baggies" came on 16 March 1963 at Molineux
Molineux stadium
Molineux Stadium is a Premier League football stadium situated in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, England. It has been the home ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club since 1889, and has a long and illustrious history as the first 'new build' stadium in Football League history, one of the...
, when he played in the absence of the injured Potter against 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...
, conceding seven goals. Millington spent the next 18 months in the reserves before he was transferred to Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
in October 1964.
After two seasons at Selhurst Park
Selhurst Park
Selhurst Park is an English football stadium located in the London suburb of South Norwood in the Borough of Croydon. It is the current home ground of Crystal Palace Football Club. Its present capacity is 26,309.-History:...
, Millington was sold to Peterborough United
Peterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...
in March 1966 along with Derek Kevan
Derek Kevan
Derek Tennyson Kevan is a retired English footballer. He played for West Bromwich Albion as an attacker. He earned 14 caps for the England national football team, scoring a total of eight goals, including two in the 1958 FIFA World Cup. During his Albion career, he earned the nickname "The Tank"...
for a combined fee of £15,000. At Peterborough, he replaced Willie Duff
Willie Duff
William "Willie" Duff was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.Born in Winchburgh, West Lothian, Duff grew up in western Edinburgh, attending Corstorphine Primary School and Boroughmuir High School...
, making his debut on 1 October 1966 in a 5–2 defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....
. He soon became established as the first choice goalkeeper and made 118 league appearances over three years before moving to Wales to join Swansea Town for a £5,000 fee in July 1969.
Millington was a "key figure" as Swansea gained promotion from the Fourth Division
Football League Fourth Division
The Fourth Division of The Football League was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season...
in 1970. In January 1971, Swansea (now "City") met Rhyl
Rhyl F.C.
Rhyl Football Club is a Welsh football club, playing in the Cymru Alliance.The club was founded in 1882 and the team plays its home matches at Belle Vue, Rhyl, which can accommodate 3,000 spectators.- History :Few clubs in the Welsh Premier League have as distinguished a past as Rhyl's...
in the Third Round of the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
; in goal for Rhyl was Millington's younger brother, Grenville
Grenville Millington
Grenville Rodney Millington was a professional footballer who played in The Football League as a goalkeeper. He enjoyed a long career with Chester City and was voted the club's BBC Cult Hero in 2005. Millington is now an established goalkeeping coach...
. The match ended 6–1 in favour of Swansea, who then went on to meet Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
in the next round, going down 3–0.
By 1973, Millington was out of favour with Swansea's manager Harry Gregg
Harry Gregg
Henry "Harry" Gregg, MBE is a former Northern Ireland international footballer and manager.He played 25 times for Northern Ireland as a goalkeeper and played for Manchester United during the reign of Sir Matt Busby with a total of 210 appearances.-Playing career:Gregg started his career with...
, who brought in a succession of goalkeepers on loan, the most successful being Jimmy Rimmer
Jimmy Rimmer
John James "Jimmy" Rimmer is an English former footballer who played as a goalkeeper in the Football League for Manchester United, Swansea City, Arsenal and Aston Villa. He was capped once for England....
from Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
.
International career
Millington made his international debut when he took the place of Newcastle UnitedNewcastle 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...
's David Hollins
Dave Hollins (footballer)
David Michael "Dave" Hollins is a Welsh former footballer who played at both professional and international levels as a goalkeeper.-Personal life:...
for the British Home Championship
1963 British Home Championship
The 1963 British Home Championship football tournament came after disappointment for the home nations in the 1962 FIFA World Cup, for which only England qualified, only to be beaten 3–1 in the quarter-finals by eventual winners Brazil...
match against Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
at Ninian Park
Ninian Park
Ninian Park was a football stadium in Leckwith, Cardiff, Wales. Until 2009, it was the home ground of Cardiff City F.C., who compete in the English Football League Championship...
on 20 October 1962. Despite "doing well", Millington conceded thee goals with Wales only scoring twice in reply. He retained his shirt for the next two matches, against Hungary
Hungary national football team
The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation....
and England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
, both of which ended in defeats.
Throughout his international career, Millington was generally the second-choice keeper firstly behind David Hollins and then Gary Sprake
Gary Sprake
Gareth Sprake is a Welsh former professional footballer. A goalkeeper, he played for Leeds United and Birmingham City and also won 37 caps for Wales....
of Leeds United. On 30 May 1965, he replaced Hollins, who was suffering from food poisoning, in a World Cup qualifying match at Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
's Central Lenin Stadium against the Soviet Union. Wales went down 2–1, with Graham Williams turning the ball past Millington for the hosts' second goal, thus destroying Wales's hopes of qualifying.
International appearances
Millington made 21 appearances for Wales in official international matches, as follows:| Date | Venue | Opponent | Result | Goals | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 October 1962 | Ninian Park Ninian Park Ninian Park was a football stadium in Leckwith, Cardiff, Wales. Until 2009, it was the home ground of Cardiff City F.C., who compete in the English Football League Championship... , Cardiff Cardiff Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for... |
2–3 | 0 | 1963 British Home Championship 1963 British Home Championship The 1963 British Home Championship football tournament came after disappointment for the home nations in the 1962 FIFA World Cup, for which only England qualified, only to be beaten 3–1 in the quarter-finals by eventual winners Brazil... |
|
| 7 November 1962 | Népstadion, Budapest Budapest Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter... |
1–3 | 0 | Euro 1964 qualifying | |
| 21 November 1962 | Wembley Stadium, London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
0–4 | 0 | 1963 British Home Championship | |
| 18 November 1964 | Wembley Stadium, London | 1–2 | 0 | 1965 British Home Championship 1965 British Home Championship The 1965 British Home Championship was an outright victory for the English football team in the run up to the 1966 FIFA World Cup which was held in the country... |
|
| 30 May 1965 | Central Lenin Stadium, Moscow Moscow Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent... |
1–2 | 0 | 1966 World Cup qualifying | |
| 18 May 1966 | Mineirão Mineirão Mineirão , officially Estádio Governador Magalhães Pinto established in 1965 in Belo Horizonte, is the largest football stadium in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, and the second largest in the country, after Maracanã... , Belo Horizonte Belo Horizonte Belo Horizonte is the capital of and largest city in the state of Minas Gerais, located in the southeastern region of Brazil. It is the third largest metropolitan area in the country... |
0–1 | 0 | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|
| 22 May 1966 | Estadio Nacional Estadio Nacional de Chile The Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos is the national stadium of Chile, and is located in the Ñuñoa district of Santiago). It is the largest stadium in Chile with an official capacity of 47,000, and is part of a 62 ha sporting complex which also features tennis courts, an aquatics center, a... , Santiago Santiago Santiago is the capital city of Chile. Santiago may also refer to:*Santiago *Santiago , a Spanish given name*Santiago!, a shortened form of the Reconquista battle cry "Santiago y cierra, España"... |
0–2 | 0 | Friendly | |
| 16 November 1966 | Wembley Stadium, London | 1–5 | 0 | 1967 British Home Championship 1967 British Home Championship The 1967 British Home Championship has remained famous in the memories of British Home Nations football fans ever since the dramatic climatic match at Wembley Stadium, where an unfancied Scottish team beat England on the same turf they had won the 1966 FIFA World Cup a year before... |
|
| 12 April 1967 | Windsor Park Windsor Park Windsor Park is a football stadium in Belfast, Northern Ireland and the home ground of Linfield F.C. and the Northern Ireland national football team. It is also where the Irish Cup and Irish League Cup finals are played.-History:... , Belfast Belfast Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly... |
0–0 | 0 | 1967 British Home Championship | |
| 28 February 1968 | Racecourse Ground Racecourse Ground The Glyndŵr University Racecourse Stadium AKA The Racecourse Ground is a stadium located in Wrexham, North Wales. It is the home of Wrexham F.C. and, since 2010, the Crusaders Rugby League team who play in the engage Super League... , Wrexham Wrexham Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England... |
2–0 | 0 | 1968 British Home Championship 1968 British Home Championship The 1968 British Home Championship football was the final stage of the 1968 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying for the Home Nations, and provided revenge for an England team smarting from a defeat on their home ground to the Scots just months after winning the 1966 FIFA World Cup which... |
|
| 8 May 1968 | Ninian Park, Cardiff | 1–1 | 0 | Friendly | |
| 23 October 1968 | Ninian Park, Cardiff | 0–1 | 0 | 1970 World Cup qualifying | |
| 16 April 1969 | Heinz-Steyer-Stadion Heinz-Steyer-Stadion The Heinz-Steyer-Stadion is a Football and athletics stadium in Dresden, which is currently used by the Dresdner SC. It has a capacity of about 30.000, but is currently restricted to about 5.000 for soccer matches . It was also the first stadium of Dynamo Dresden... , Dresden Dresden Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area.... |
1–2 | 0 | 1970 World Cup qualifying | |
| 18 April 1970 | Ninian Park, Cardiff | 1–1 | 0 | 1970 British Home Championship 1970 British Home Championship The 1970 British Home Championship Home Nations international football tournament was a heavily contested series which contradicted the common view that it would be little more than a warm-up for the English team prior to the 1970 FIFA World Cup, at which they were to defend the title they had won... |
|
| 22 April 1970 | Hampden Park Hampden Park Hampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland... , Glasgow Glasgow Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands... |
0–0 | 0 | 1970 British Home Championship | |
| 25 April 1970 | Vetch Field Vetch Field The Vetch Field was a multi-purpose stadium in Swansea, Wales. It was used mostly for football matches and was the home ground of Swansea City until the Liberty Stadium opened in 2005. Opened in 1912, the ground held around 12,000 at the time of its closure, but upwards of 30,000 at its peak... , Swansea Swansea Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands... |
1–0 | 0 | 1970 British Home Championship | |
| 21 April 1971 | Vetch Field, Swansea | 1–3 | 0 | Euro 1972 qualifying | |
| 26 May 1971 | Olympiastadion Helsinki Olympic Stadium The Helsinki Olympic Stadium , located in the Töölö district about from the center of the Finnish capital Helsinki, is the largest stadium in the country, nowadays mainly used for hosting sports events and big concerts. The stadium is best known for being the center of activities in the 1952... , Helsinki Helsinki Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is... |
1–0 | 0 | Euro 1972 qualifying | |
| 13 October 1971 | Vetch Field, Swansea | 3–0 | 0 | Euro 1972 qualifying | |
| 27 October 1971 | Letenský stadion, Prague Prague Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million... |
0–1 | 0 | Euro 1972 qualifying | |
| 24 November 1971 | Stadionul 23. August, Bucharest Bucharest Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River.... |
0–2 | 0 | Euro 1972 qualifying | |
| Win | Draw | Loss |
Personality
Described as a "brave goalkeeper (who was) full of agility, had a safe pair of hands and a useful kick", Millington was also a "showman" who "saw himself as an entertainer" whose maxim was that "if something couldn't be done with spectacular style, it wasn't worth doing at all". Often he would make a save with a "spectacular" dive, rather than something simpler."Milly", as he was known, was popular with the fans who saw him as "a one-man entertainment". During quiet periods in a match, he would leave his goal and "cadge sweets from children" in the crowd or take and eat a pie from supporters. Being superstitious, he was unable to watch penalty kick
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
s being taken at the far end of the pitch and would kneel in the goalmouth with his back to the action. When his team scored a goal, he would often celebrate with a handstand
Handstand
A handstand is the act of supporting the body in a stable, inverted vertical position by balancing on the hands. In a basic handstand the body is held straight with arms and legs fully extended, with hands spaced approximately shoulder-width apart...
in his penalty area
Penalty area
The penalty area , is an area of an association football pitch. It is rectangular and extends to each side of the goal and in front of it. Within the penalty area is the penalty spot , which is from the goal line, directly in-line with the centre of the goal...
.
Legend has it that during his time at Swansea:
Warming up before the game, he suddenly chased off the field only to return carrying a chair. He’d spotted an elderly supporter on crutches in the crowd and ushered him into the disabled supporters' enclosure and sat him down to watch the game.
Later career
Millington left the Football LeagueThe 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...
in the summer of 1974 and moved to Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
to work in his father-in-law's business, turning out occasionally for Glenavon
Glenavon F.C.
Glenavon F.C. is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club playing in the IFA Premiership. The club, founded in 1889, hails from Lurgan and plays its home matches at Mourneview Park...
. His football career was ended by a car crash in 1975; his injuries resulted him being wheelchair-bound for the rest of his life and in need of constant care. He settled in Wrexham
Wrexham
Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
where he helped found a club for Wrexham Football Club's disabled supporters, going on to become the football club's disability officer.
Honours
WalesWales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
- British Home ChampionshipBritish Home ChampionshipThe British Home Championship was an annual football competition contested between the United Kingdom's four national teams, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from the 1883–84 season until the 1983–84...
joint winners: 1969–701970 British Home ChampionshipThe 1970 British Home Championship Home Nations international football tournament was a heavily contested series which contradicted the common view that it would be little more than a warm-up for the English team prior to the 1970 FIFA World Cup, at which they were to defend the title they had won...