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Dougie McMillan


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I thought it was brilliant to see Dougie honoured yesterday by taking part in the half time draw.

 

In common with Derek Dooley Dougie lost a leg in the cause of the Club in a horrendous Team Coach Crash near London when he just happened to be standing in the wrong place on the bus and had to be cut free from the wreckage.

 

He was a great young talent and how we would have turned out we sadly never got to know.

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Saw him play in goal, against Kiveton Park FC, AFTER he lost his leg. Must've been in the very early '70s. He came with another team who for one reason or another, had no keeper, so he got hold of a keepers jersey, and a pair of trackie bottoms, and turned out in goal.

Edited by Wolfmanjack
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Yes, he was a promising nineteen year old Scottish lad on the verge of the first team, who was taken for experience to the Boxing Day fixture at Arsenal in 1960.The coach crashed on the A1 on the way back, and McMillan was stood at the front with Johnnie Quinn, singing Into the microphone.He was trapped in the stairwell by his leg. By chance, a surgeon was following in his car and he informed McMillan he would have to amputate just below the knee to save his life. The doctor's wife, a nurse, assisted him in the op, with a local anaesthetic, as Quinny comforted him, and as above Mac sang his way through it. After fitba (scottish), he took a post office at Wincobank till he retired a few years ago.

On a lighter note, the others doing the half time draw yesterday were Young, Eustace, and the above Mighty Qinnn, three of only what 20 odd? living Owls players to play in an FA Cup Final. I met Quinny a few years ago and he was still rightly proud of that, even though we lost.

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Well remember McMillan. It seemed so soon after Dooley's accident, though probably a number of years, and the fact that McMillan looked to have the promise of another Dooley. I remember him to this day, since immediately after the incident my mother obtained a puppy, the first one we'd ever had, and didn't know what to call him. I promptly said 'MIFF', and although the dog was a *****, the name stuck (Miff was McMillan's nickname among the players).

For a period, it seemed Wednesday were doomed by major injuries. We lost Dooley and McMillan with similar results (amputation) we also lost a superb winger from the Quigley time - one of a trio of Eddie's on the right flank. We had Gannon  at RH, Quigley at IR and a winger with pace - Kilshaw. Kilshaw broke his leg and spent months trying to recuperate by running up to the top of the then uncovered Kop and back. Unfortunately it didn't work. 

I can also remember with pride and affection 'The Mighty Quinn'

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That was the last time we won at Highbury wasn't it?

 

I included McMillan in an article I wrote for Just Another Wednesday, called the Hillsborough Jinx IIRC.  Dougie was in it, plus Ian Knight, Siggi Jonsson, Hirsty Boy Wonder - all had promising careers ended prematurely (or severely restricted) by injury of varying seriousness.  There might have been another one, was a long time ago - a winger? Bradshaw?

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That was the last time we won at Highbury wasn't it?

 

I included McMillan in an article I wrote for Just Another Wednesday, called the Hillsborough Jinx IIRC.  Dougie was in it, plus Ian Knight, Siggi Jonsson, Hirsty Boy Wonder - all had promising careers ended prematurely (or severely restricted) by injury of varying seriousness.  There might have been another one, was a long time ago - a winger? Bradshaw?

 

No - we drew 1-1 at Arsenal.   We won 2-1 at Arsenal in 62-3. A Bronco Layne double - the last time we won at Arsenal.

 

The coach crash happened near Huntingdon if I remember right.  They were about half-way home.

 

I was at his Trust Fund game.  Can't remember a great deal about it though - apart from it being my first glimpse of Derek Dooley.... he stepped out with Doug to address the crowd as you can see from the photo.

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Guest minsk owl

that bloke on the right ....is it ted catlin ?

That might just be a fair old shout Torry,  Ted would certainly still be in Sheffield at that time, and he also suffered a career threatening injury.

 

My old man knew him, and once took me to the Rose and Crown at Wadsley, to see the famous 1935 medal

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