George Mills (soccer player)
George Robert Mills (born December 29, 1908 in Deptford , † July 15, 1970 in Torquay ) was an English football player and coach who played primarily for Chelsea and later took over as coach.
Career as a footballer
He signed his first contract with Chelsea FC as an amateur in 1929. He previously played for Bromley FC He then played for the rest of his career with Chelsea. He was a very successful goalscorer in his day, scoring 123 goals in 239 games. Even so, he was often overlooked and overshadowed by more glamorous, but less reliable and successful, players like Hughie Gallacher and Joe Bambrick .
In his first season, Mills scored 14 goals in 20 games for Chelsea, helping them reach the Football League First Division . His best season was 1936/37 when he scored 22 goals in 32 games, which earned him a nomination for the English national team. For England he scored three goals, all in a 5-1 win over Northern Ireland on October 23, 1937.
Mills became the first Chelsea player to score more than 100 league goals, an achievement only five others have since achieved. Mills ranks sixth on Chelsea's all-time top scorer list. After his active career, he became a coach at Chelsea.
Life after playing football
Mills later worked for a printing company in the City of London and died in Torquay in 1970 while on vacation .
Individual evidence
- ^ Northern Ireland 1 - England 5; 23 October 1937 (Match summary) . www.englandstats.com. Retrieved September 17, 2008.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Mills, George |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Mills, George Robert |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | English soccer player |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 29, 1908 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Deptford |
| DATE OF DEATH | July 15, 1970 |
| Place of death | Torquay |