*Indicates unconfirmed information. Figures in brackets after English team names indicate all appearances made and goals scored in competitive matches for Football League clubs from 1888 onwards. For Scottish League clubs the figures show details of all competitive appearances and goals scored from 1946/47 onwards.
David Hills
Appearances: 240 Goals: 86
Date / Year of birth: 9th April 1940
Position: Striker / Winger
Season of first appearance: 1960/61
Season of last appearance: 1964/65
Also played for: Manchester United (0), Hitchin Town, West Ham United (0), Hillingdon Borough, Burton Albion, Folkestone, Baldock Town and Canterbury City
Opportunist goalscorer blessed with excellent ball control and skill who was born in Hitchin, Hertfordshire.
After leaving school David began his career with a spell at Manchester United as an amateur player but left after six months to join Hitchin.
He signed amateur forms with West Ham ahead of the 1958/59 season but David continued playing for Hitchin until their FA Amateur Cup run ended at the start of 1959.
In February 1959 West Ham signed him as a professional and David played for the Hammers' Metropolitan League and reserve sides before being released at the end of 1959/60. By then he'd made 29 reserve team appearances.
In August 1960 David signed for Margate and David made an instant impact by scoring a hat-trick on his debut as Margate thrashed Dover 6-0 in a Southern League Cup tie at Hartsdown Park on 31.8.60. It was the start of an excellent season for David and he went on to score 23 times in 46 appearances playing as an out-and-out striker or as a left winger. There was some dispute as to what his best position was but David himself was said to prefer the left wing. His goals included another hat-trick in a 3-1 win over Ramsgate at Hartsdown Park on 7.12.60 and David also scored with a cheeky back-heel in a 3-3 draw at Corby on 25.3.61. In addition he played an hour as an emergency goalkeeper in an FA Cup tie at Ashford on 22.10.60 after John Prodger was injured. David covered himself in glory by saving a penalty having already scored Margate's goal in what turned out to be a 1-1 draw. During the season a letter to the local paper described David as being "one of the most promising players I have ever seen" and his performances came to the attention of a West Ham scout who didn't realise the club had released him a few months earlier.
The 1961/62 campaign was another good one for David and he scored 20 goals from 58 appearances, playing almost exclusively on the left wing. He would have been virtually ever-present but for a groin injury that put him out for six weeks early in 1962. He bagged all three goals in a 3-2 win over Folkestone on 30.10.61 and his treble included a 25 yarder.
On 4.11.61 David was part of the Margate side that pulled off a famous 3-0 win at Bournemouth & Boscombe in the 1st Round of the FA Cup and he also featured in the 2nd Round tie against Notts County at Hartsdown Park on 25.11.61 which ended in a 1-1 draw. He then played in the replay at Notts County on 30.11.61 which the home side won 3-1.
On 7.4.62 David got one of the goals as Margate drew 2-2 at Cambridge United in the 1st Leg of the Southern League Cup Final and on 16.4.62 he scored with an excellent solo effort in a 3-1 home win over Poole, beating three men before firing home. On 12.5.62 David played as Margate beat visitors Folkestone 4-0 to win the Kent Senior Shield.
In May 1962 he was offered terms by an Australian club but turned them down to stay at Margate. It turned out to be a wise move as the 1962/63 season was a great one for the club as Margate won the Southern League Division One title. David also enjoyed a great campaign and scored 33 goals from 59 appearances. There were several superb strikes in his tally which included a 40 yard effort from out on the touchline in a 3-1 win at Ramsgate on 28.8.62, a shot from an acute angle in a 6-0 win over Dover on 1.9.62 and a 35 yard screamer at Ramsgate on 9.10.62. On 3.11.62 David was in the Margate side that lost 3-1 at Millwall in the FA Cup 1st Round.
On 7.5.63 he got both goals as Margate won 2-0 at Maidstone in the 1st Leg of the Kent Floodlight Cup Final and David also scored in the 2nd Leg at Hartsdown Park on 13.5.63 which Margate won 3-0 to claim the trophy. On 1.6.63 he was in the team that beat visitors Bexleyheath & Welling 1-0 in the Kent Senior Shield Final.
The 1963/64 season wasn't such a good one for David and although his 47 appearances took him past 200 for the club he only managed six goals. On 16.11.63 he played as Margate drew 2-2 at Brentford in the FA Cup 1st Round and then on 20.11.63 David featured in the replay at Hartsdown Park that the Bees won 2-0. He suffered a serious attack of shingles during the campaign and David's best goal was a long-range effort in a 5-1 defeat at Guildford on 11.1.64.
He continued to struggle for form at the start of the 1964/65 season and on 28.9.64 David broke his nose in a game against Wisbech at Hartsdown Park after colliding with Alan Blackburn. By that time David was Margate's longest-serving player but his days at the club were numbered. On 14.12.64 he made his final appearance when he played in a Kent Floodlight Cup tie against Dover at Hartsdown Park. Margate had signed two potential replacements for David on the left wing, Colin Holder and Chick Hughes, and he felt the time had come to move on.
So in December 1964 David joined Hillingdon for a three figure fee, turning down an offer from Romford. He'd made 30 appearances during the season and scored four goals, the last of them coming in a 5-2 win over Cambridge City at Hartsdown Park on 28.11.64.
David went on to make 80 appearances for Hillingdon, scoring 13 goals, before having a brief spell with Burton Albion during the 1967/68 campaign.
In the summer of 1968 he toured Germany as a guest player with Margate and then joined Folkestone where he spent the 1968/69 season. On 21.9.68 David scored for them in an FA Cup tie at Hartsdown Park, tucking away the rebound after his penalty was saved by David Bevis.
David joined Baldock for the 1969/70 season and then made a brief return to Kent during the 1970/71 campaign when he made four appearances for Folkestone. He also made two Southern League appearances for Canterbury during 1972/73.
On 14.11.87 David paid a surprise visit to Hartsdown Park when he was amongst Baldock's travelling officials for a Southern League game with Thanet United.
During his time with Margate he worked as a driver for a Hitchin electronic switchgear firm and David sadly died aged only 60 on 1.4.01.
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
|
FAC |
SLC |
KSC |
KSS |
|
|
1960/61 (MFC) |
46 (50) |
N/A |
23 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (15TH OF 21) |
4QR |
2R |
2R |
1R |
|
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
|
FAC |
SLC |
KSC |
KSS |
|
|
1961/62 (MFC) |
58 (66) |
N/A |
20 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (5TH OF 20) |
2R |
RU |
SF |
W |
|
| Played in FA Cup 1st
Round (04.11.61 - won 3-0 at Bournemouth & Boscombe
Athletic). Played in FA Cup 2nd Round (25.11.61 - drew 1-1 at home to Notts County). Played in FA Cup 2nd Round replay (30.11.61 - lost 3-1 at Notts County). Played and scored in Southern League Cup Final 1st Leg (07.04.62 - drew 2-2 at Cambridge United). Played in Southern League Cup Final 2nd Leg (14.04.62 - lost 2-1 to Cambridge United at home). Played in Kent Senior Shield Final (12.05.62 - beat Folkestone 4-0). | |||||||||
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
SLC |
KSC |
KSS |
KFC | |
|
1962/63 (MFC) |
59 (66) |
N/A |
33 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (1ST OF 20) |
1R |
SF |
RU |
W |
W |
| Margate won Southern
League Division One title and promoted to Premier
Division. Played in FA Cup 1st Round (03.11.62 - lost 3-1 at Millwall). Played in Kent Senior Cup Final (11.05.63 - lost 1-0 to Ashford Town). Played in Kent Senior Shield Final (01.06.63 - beat Bexleyheath & Welling 1-0). Played and scored twice in Kent Floodlight Cup Final 1st Leg (07.05.63 - won 2-0 at Maidstone United). Played and scored in Kent Floodlight Cup Final 2nd Leg (13.05.63 - beat Maidstone United 3-0 at home). | |||||||||
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
SLC |
KSC |
KSS |
KFC | |
|
1963/64 (MFC) |
47 (60) |
N/A |
6 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (17TH OF 22) |
1R |
2R |
2R |
1R |
GR |
| Played in FA Cup 1st
Round (16.11.63 - drew 2-2 at Brentford). Played in FA Cup 1st Round replay (20.11.63 - lost 2-0 to Brentford at home). | |||||||||
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
SLC |
KSC |
KFL |
| |
|
1964/65 (MFC) |
30 (71) |
N/A |
4 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (6TH OF 22) |
4QR |
2R |
3R |
GR |
|