*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.
Dennis Hillman
Appearances: 5 Goals: 0
Date / Year of birth: 27th November 1918
Position: Winger
Season of first appearance: 1956/57
Season of last appearance: 1956/57
Also played for: Southend United (0), Brighton & Hove Albion (0), Colchester United (4,0), Gillingham (21,0), Hastings United and Ramsgate Athletic
5' 9" tall, right-sided player born in Southend who started his career as a junior with his hometown club before moving to Brighton in January 1944.
Dennis then joined Colchester in September 1946, they were still a non-league club at the time. He figured prominently in their famous 1947/48 FA Cup run that ended in a 5th Round defeat at Blackpool and helped the club reach three consecutive Southern League Cup Finals. Dennis went on to make four first team appearances during 1950/51, Colchester's first in the league, before leaving the club to join Gillingham in August 1951.
He made 21 senior appearances for the Gills before signing for Hastings in July 1952.
Dennis spent four years at Hastings and then joined Margate in the summer of 1956.
He was 37 when he made his debut in a Kent League Cup tie at Tunbridge Wells on 28.8.56, a game that Margate won 2-0. Dennis went on to make four more first team appearances during the opening weeks of the 1956/57 season but he struggled to make an impression. That was at least partly due to his job in a Southend factory involving permanent night shifts that made it difficult for him to find time to devote to football. After a couple of months in the reserves he was released in November 1956.
In February 1957 Dennis returned to Hartsdown Park and played for Margate's reserves in a Kent Intermediate Cup tie against Dover. He made the trip from Southend as a favour to the club and was needed due to the eligibility rules of the competition meaning that Margate would have only had ten players available to field otherwise.
Dennis later played for Ramsgate before retiring.
He sadly died in tragic circumstances aged 76 on 22.12.94 after being involved in a road traffic accident in Colchester.
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
|
FAC |
KSC |
KLC |
KSS |
|
|
1956/57 (MFC) |
5 (47) |
N/A |
0 |
KENT LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (8TH OF 17) |
2R |
1R |
SF |
SF |
|