Cup final king

Apr 12 2009 by David Old, Sunday Sun

So different from today

JIMMY McMILLAN’S footballing career started with an early trip to Wembley.

Willington had reached the FA Amateur Cup final in 1950 and Jimmy worked in the same office as the team’s goalkeeper.

He volunteered to go as a reserve for the injury ravaged team. But with no substitutes allowed to play in those days, Jimmy had to make do with watching Willington hammer Bishop Auckland 4-0 from the stands.

As a 17-year-old it was some experience, and it gave him a taste for success.

Four years later he was playing at the Twin Towers, in what proved to be an epic encounter with local rivals Bishop Auckland.

The first game finished 2-2 after extra time with both teams down to 10 men. Another four goal thriller at St James’s Park in the replay meant it went to a third match at Middlesbrough’s Ayresome Park.

Jimmy finally got his hands on the cup after a controversial 1-0 win.

He said: “The Bishop Auckland players still argue they had a perfectly good goal disallowed. Those days were the heyday of amateur football. There was 100,000 at Wembley, 60,000 at St James’s and 40,000 at Middlesbrough - 200,000 in total at the three matches. The first time I played in the cup for Crook in 51/52 and we had 10,000 at one game and 17,000 at another.

In fact they broke the gates down so there was probably 22,000 in the ground. Top amateur football was very important in those days, with few televisions and money tight after the war it was the most some people got for entertainment.”

Jimmy, a planning officer for Durham County Council, and then the city council, played outside left, and describes himself as more of a provider than a scorer. Though he did net at Wembley with a cross cum shot in the 1962 final against Hounslow. And he notched in the 4-0 replay victory at Middlesbrough.

He said: “There were no coaches or tactics in those days, just a bagman who told us to get stuck in.

“I always remember when we played at Wembley the first time, the only tactics were if we were winning to make sure we kicked the ball down to the corner flag and keep it there. We just played off the cuff, because we didn’t see players from one Saturday to the next.

“When we finally got a coach, it was blanket defences, passing back and keeping possession rather than end to end. It wasn’t as exciting as we were used to.”