A 2-2 draw with Swindon Town. It was meant to be a combined Argyle / Swindon XI but Argyle pulled their players out at the last minute. The great Don scored the opening goal very early on in the game.gateman49 wrote:
Yes, Don Mills was an artist on the ball and one big regret is that I wasn't allowed to go to his testimonial match which was an evening k.o.!
Added in 16 minutes 20 seconds:
I would agree with the older codgers although I also regret not having seen him play for Torquay in competitive games, although I did get to his testimonial game in 1963.wivelgull wrote: However, older codgers than me in the pop. side stand always argue that Don Mills was the best-ever United player, even ahead of Robin.
I did vote for both the Leeds game (which was when I was 3) and the Palace game (when I was 7) as I just could not see how either game could not be in a 'top 100'.
I was fortunate in my Plainmoor years as an amateur to have Don Mills as my youth and reserve team coach, and I also played alongside him many times for Newton Abbot Spurs. Although a midfielder, in later years when turning out for Spurs he would play in the back four, so as a full back myself (right or left - fully interchangeable!) he not only 'coached' as the game progressed but also seemed to make the game easy for the players around him. Incredible skill, even then in his mid-forties.
The last time I was on the same pitch as him was a friendly game at Christmas in 1981, when we were on opposing sides. Don would then have been about 56, but was still turning people inside out with his deft feints, a trademark of his game.
I am not sure if we can compare Don Mills and Robin Stubbs. Different types of player and different positions. What is without doubt though is that they are both genuine legends of the club and we have not seen their like since.
Needless to say, teachers knew exactly what was going on and turned a blind eye (I suspect most of them would have liked to have been there themselves). Very unusually, I do have to correct Stefano on one point, though. It was player-manager Eric Webber who played at Centre Half - not Henry McGuinness. One thing from that match I remember is Eric Webber, the then player-manager, completely dominating the great John Charles. If I had pulled my finger out, this match would definitely been on my list.
I remember being in the Grandstand watching a reserve match and waiting for the final result to come through (this was light years before Final Score, teletext, mobile phones etc). Then the disappointment when the result was announced and we had lost out to promotion to the second tier of English football on goal difference to Ipswich. Don Mills was a vital member of that team and he played, but it was rumoured that he wasn't fully fit (this was long before the introduction of substitutes). 
