Biography
Wing half McMillan joined City in June 1960, returning to the land of his birth for a £2,000 transfer fee. For three seasons he was a first team staple, undertaking sound defensive duties while also providing a supply line for the emerging talent of Chris Chilton and belting home the occasional thunderous shot. Between 2nd September 1961 (a 3-0 win at Lincoln) and 26th October 1963 (a 1-0 defeat at Bristol City) McMillan made 119 consecutive first team starts across all league and cup competitions, an impressive feat even in post-WW2 days when squads were smaller and players were expected to play week in week out. For most of the remainder of 1963/64 season and all of 1964/65 season (apart from a League Cup tie against Southend) Eric was consigned to the reserves, usurped in the first eleven by Chris Simpkin and Gerry Summers. He departed Boothferry Park in July 1965 after five years of solid service to the Tigers’ cause.
Born in Beverley, McMillan’s route to a Hull City shirt was anything but direct. He undertook his National Service with the RAF in his early twenties before he had played any kind of organised football. He was selected for, and impressed in, inter-Forces matches, which attracted the attention of League clubs. In January 1958 McMillan, based in High Wycombe, joined Chelsea on amateur terms then turned professional three months later when his stint in the Air Force ended. He made five First Division appearances for the Blues at the start of the 1959/60 season but failed to hold his place and yearned to return to the East Riding, a move he duly made in the 1960 close season.
In July 1965 McMillan joined Halifax Town where he spent two seasons before dropping into the lower leagues with Scarborough. In 1969 he ventured overseas to play for Port Elizabeth in the South African league, which is where he ended his playing career in 1971. He returned to Hull once his playing career had ended, dying in the city in March 2006.
Details
Nationality: England
Date/Place of Birth: 2 November 1936, Beverley
Hull City First Game: 20 August 1960, Colchester United A (Division Three), 23 years, 292 days old
Hull City Final Game: 22 September 1964, Southend United H (League Cup Second Round), 27 years, 325 days old
Clubs
Chelsea (1958-1960), Hull City (1960-1965), Halifax Town (1965-1967), Scarborough (1967-1969), Port Elzabeth (1969-1971)
Hull City Record
Career: 174 apps, 4 goals
Eric McMillan| Season | LGE App | LGE Gls | FAC App | FAC Gls | FLC App | FLC Gls | EUR App | EUR Gls | OTH App | OTH Gls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960/61 | 37 | 3 | 6 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1961/62 | 42 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
| 1962/63 | 46 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
| 1963/64 | 25 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
| 1964/65 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - |