*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 MacMillan
Appearances: 5 Goals: 0
Clean Sheets: 0
Date / Year of birth: 30th December 1954
Position: Goalkeeper
Season of first appearance: 1974/75
Season of last appearance: 1975/76
Also played for: Kirkcaldy (Scotland) and Raith Rovers (Scotland) (0)
Thanet-born goalkeeper who turned out for Minster Youth Club as a schoolboy before moving to Scotland at the age of 16.
David played for Scottish amateur club Kirkcaldy before joining Raith Rovers during the 1971/72 season. He appeared in Raith's reserves and became part of the first team squad before his progress was halted by a knee injury.
David returned to Thanet in the summer of 1972 and joined Margate, turning down the offer of a trial at Ramsgate as he was a Margate supporter. He played exclusively for the reserves during the 1972/73 and 1973/74 seasons and David sometimes appeared as an outfield player for them. He also turned out for local amateur club Margate Athletic whose side included several other young Margate reserve players as well as former Margate first teamers such as Terry Morris and Peter Donnelly.
David continued to play regularly for the reserves during the 1974/75 campaign and he also made two first team appearances, deputising for Steve Bowtell. David made his debut on 11.2.75 in a 2-1 Kent Messenger Trophy win at Ramsgate. The Isle of Thanet Gazette said that he "covered himself in mud and glory with numerous immaculate saves" and praised David's "whole-hearted bravery". He was described as being "a fine prospect for the future" and also did well in his second game - a 3-1 home defeat at the hands of Ashford in another KMT tie on 3.4.75. David pulled off several fine saves and was responsible for preventing what the local paper said would have been "a cricket score".
However things didn't go so well for David when an injury to Bowtell led to him being called up for the opening match of the 1975/76 season, a game against Telford at Hartsdown. Telford won 2-1 and David was blamed for both their goals by the Thanet Times. First he allowed a free-kick from 40 yards out to slip between his upraised hands and then a minute before time he completely misjudged a deep cross. The ball sailed gently over his head and was headed into the empty net by a Telford player for the winning goal.
David recovered from that setback and continued to be a regular in the reserves during the season. He also made two further first team appearances and turned in good performances. On 18.10.75 he made what the local paper described as "a memorable save" from former Margate player John Wickens during an FA Cup tie at Canterbury that Margate lost 2-0. At the end of the 1975/76 campaign David left the club when the reserve team was disbanded for financial reasons. He then retired from football aged only 21 as the knee injury he'd originally sustained during his time with Raith had never fully healed.
In 2007 David was still living in Thanet and worked for a local timber frame company as a Sales Manager. At that time he said that one his main memories of his time at Margate was sitting by the Tottenham bench when they played in the famous FA Cup tie at Hartsdown in January 1973 and meeting their big name players.
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
SLC |
KSC |
KMT | |
|
1974/75 (MFC) |
2 (66) |
0 |
0 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (7TH OF 22) |
4QR |
2R |
RU |
2R |
GR |
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
SLC |
KSC |
KFT | |
|
1975/76 (MFC) |
3 (65) |
0 |
0 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (11TH OF 22) |
3QR |
2R |
1R |
SF |
W |