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Ralph Milne
Personal information
Full name Ralph Milne
Date of birth (1961-05-13)13 May 1961
Place of birth Dundee, Scotland
Date of death 6 September 2015(2015-09-06) (aged 54)
Place of death Dundee, Scotland
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Position(s) Midfielder
Youth career
1970–1976 Dundee Celtic Boys Club
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1976–1987 Dundee United 179 (45)
1987–1988 Charlton Athletic 22 (0)
1988 Bristol City 30 (6)
1988–1991 Manchester United 23 (3)
1990 → West Ham United (loan) 0 (0)
1991–1992 Sing Tao
Total 254 (54)
International career
1981–1983 Scotland U21 3 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Ralph Milne (13 May 1961 – 6 September 2015) was a Scottish professional footballer whose clubs included Dundee United, Charlton Athletic, Bristol City and Manchester United. He played as both an attacking midfielder or a winger.

He began his career at Dundee United, helping the club to be crowned Premier Division champions in 1982–83, and playing in Scottish Cup and League Cup final defeats. In recognition of his contribution to the most successful period in the club's history, Milne has been inducted into the Dundee United Hall of Fame, alongside several of his former teammates. He made a total of 285 appearances for Dundee United in major competitions and is the club's all-time top scorer in Europe (UEFA Cup and European Cup) with a tally of 15 goals. Milne is often considered to be amongst some of the best Scottish footballers not to win a full senior cap.

Hampered by his heavy drinking, he hit his peak at an early age and after an unsuccessful spell at English club Charlton Athletic from January 1987, ended the 1987–88 season with Third Division club Bristol City. He returned to the First Division after being signed by Alex Ferguson at Manchester United in November 1988 for a £170,000 fee, but failed to restart his career. Barring a brief spell in Hong Kong with Sing Tao, Milne played his last first-team game as a professional at the age of 28.

Club career

Ralph Milne was born in Dundee, the youngest of four siblings, on 13 May 1961.[1] He was moved forward a year in primary school due to his remarkable academic progress.[2] He began his football career as a youth with Dundee Celtic Boys Club, where he played initially as a striker and had a prolific goalscoring record.[3]

Dundee United

Immediate success

Milne signed for Dundee United in January 1976 and after a couple of seasons in the reserves began to feature for the first team during the 1979–80 campaign. He scored his first goal at the age of 18 during his full debut appearance on 28 July 1979, United's third goal in a 3–0 win over Dunfermline Athletic in a Drybrough Cup tie.[4] Milne scored his first Premier Division goal on 8 September in a 2–2 draw away against Celtic, netting the equaliser with a long-range shot.[5] By the end of his debut season, Milne had played 20 games, eight of which he was in the starting line-up for, and scored three goals.[6] He was named as the club's Reserve Player of the Year and picked up a 1979 Scottish League Cup Final winners medal despite not being named in the matchday squad.[7]

The 1980–81 season saw Milne become a regular in the Dundee United team, scoring 10 goals in 33 appearances.[6] United retained the League Cup, though Milne did not feature in the final victory over their Dundee derby rivals at Dens Park.[8] He finished the season playing in the 1981 Scottish Cup Final side, which ended in a 4–1 defeat to Rangers after a replay.[9] Milne was now being described by manager Jim McLean as "potentially... the most exciting player in Scotland", describing Milne as a "winger with pace who can score goals". McLean however expressed reservations about Milne's overall attitude and ability to play through patches of poor form.[10]

Dundee United reached another final in the 1981–82 season, and Milne scored the opening goal in the 1981 Scottish League Cup Final on 28 November 1981, latching onto a pass from Paul Sturrock and striking a low powerful shot past the Rangers goalkeeper; however Rangers went on to controversially win 2–1 after another goal for Dundee United, "scored" by Sturrock, had been disallowed for offside.[11] Milne also impressed in Europe that season, scoring against AS Monaco, Borussia Mönchengladbach and Winterslag (twice) in the UEFA Cup.[12][13][14]

League title and European Cup campaign

The 1982–83 season proved to be a seminal year for both Dundee United and 21 year-old Milne. The club won the league for the first time, finishing one point ahead of Celtic and "New Firm rivals" Aberdeen in a tightly fought league campaign.[15] Milne's 16 goals in the league, playing wide right, were a significant contribution to United's league win.[6] One of the most high profile of these goals was on 20 April when he scored the winning goal in a 3–2 win over Celtic at Parkhead; he controlled an Eamonn Bannon cross from the right on his chest and volleyed the ball from 20 yards out past Celtic goalkeeper Pat Bonner.[16][17] On the last day of the season, 14 May 1983, Dundee United needed a win to guarantee the league title. The day after his 22nd birthday, Milne opened the scoring against local rivals Dundee with a skilfully executed long-distance chipped shot; the match finished 2–1 to United.[17][18][19][20] Milne achieved his peak goal tally in his career that season, scoring 21 goals in all competitions.[6] Having turned 22 the day before the game, the goal against Dundee was to be the defining moment of his career.[2]

Dundee United's league success saw them take part in the European Cup in 1983–84. Milne scored doubles against Hamrun Spartans[21] and Standard Liège[22] as United reached the semi-final, losing 3–2 on aggregate to Roma in an ill-tempered tie.[23][24] Dundee United also failed to retain their league title, finishing in third place and 10 points behind champions Aberdeen.[25] Milne's goal tally also dropped significantly from the previous year, down to five goals in the league and a total of 12 in all competitions.[6]

Discipline problems and decline

Milne was with Dundee United for a further three seasons and still a regular player in the team, although he scored less frequently. Milne's increasingly fractious relationship with manager Jim McLean was also becoming common knowledge; in December 1983 McLean publicly criticised Milne, stating "I have tried to get the message across to him that it is when he is not playing well that he needs to work hardest. It is plainly not sinking in."[26] Ironically some months later in August 1984, it was Milne who scored both goals against Nottingham Forest in a pre-season testimonial match for McLean.[27] However, after the game the pair again fell out because of a brief conversation Milne had with Brian Clough which led McLean to believe the player was trying to arrange a deal away from United; by this time Milne had grown increasingly frustrated over being frequently fined a week's wages for breaking minor club rules and generally offending McLean's strict sense of discipline.[28] The financial strain this caused led to him to work as a casual labourer in order to meet his mortgage repayments.[29] By this time his drinking had become more of a problem, resulting in a struggle to maintain fitness.[30]

Milne featured in a further two Cup finals for United, losing 1–0 to Rangers in October 1984 in the Scottish League Cup Final[31] and losing 2–1 to Celtic in May 1985 in the Scottish Cup Final.[32] He aggravated a hamstring injury in the final against Rangers and was out of action for three months.[33] In 1986–87, he played in the first three rounds of the UEFA Cup run (scoring once, against RC Lens in the first round)[34] which eventually saw the team beat Barcelona and Borussia Mönchengladbach on their way to the final. However Milne had left in January 1987 before these high-profile games took place, sold to Charlton Athletic, having lost his place in the side to the up-and-coming Kevin Gallacher.[35] He made a total of 285 appearances for Dundee United in major competitions and is the club's all-time top scorer in Europe (UEFA Cup and European Cup) with a tally of 15 goals.[36]

Charlton Athletic

He was sold to English First Division club Charlton Athletic in January 1987 for a fee of £125,000.[37][38] He played at Wembley Stadium in the final of the Full Members Cup on 29 March, which ended in a 1–0 defeat to Blackburn Rovers.[39] Charlton finished the 1986–87 season in the relegation play-off place, but retained their top-flight status after beating Leeds United 2–1 in a replay in the play-off final, following a 1–1 aggregate draw. Milne only played as a late substitute in the first leg at Selhurst Park, and ended the game with a broken jaw after being elbowed by Micky Adams.[40] He dropped out of manager Lennie Lawrence's first team plans during the 1987–88 season, and was allowed to leave the club.[41]

Bristol City

Milne dropped down two divisions to join Bristol City for a £50,000 fee in January 1988.[42] City ended the 1987–88 campaign in the play-offs, but failed to gain promotion after losing 4–0 to Walsall in a replay of the play-off final.[43]

After a full pre-season he started to play well and hit six goals in 30 Third Division games during his time at Ashton Gate. Milne's form attracted attention elsewhere with Aberdeen among those interested, a move Milne favoured to be near his son and other family in Scotland.[44] On being called into a meeting with manager, Joe Jordan, Milne was told by Jordan that he had no intention of letting him nor any of his other best players leave, but that he would make an exception for Manchester United.[2][45]

Manchester United

Milne's form at Bristol City was enough to convince Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson that he was still worth a contract with a top-flight club. In November 1988 he moved to Old Trafford in a £170,000 deal.[46] Ferguson was looking to build a title winning side two years after joining United, but had seen his side finish second in the league the previous season and now they were on a winless run in the league that saw them mid-table. He put Milne on the left-wing as Gordon Strachan was already established on the right-wing.[20]

Milne managed three goals in 22 league appearances in 1988–89. The first was a 20-yard volley on 3 December 1988 in a 3–0 home win over former club Charlton Athletic, which ended United's nine-match winless run (eight draws and a defeat) in the First Division.[47] He also found the net on Boxing Day in a 2–0 win over Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford.[48] The week after Milne played what he felt was his best game in a Manchester United jersey in a 3–1 New Year's victory over rivals Liverpool.[49] However they were unable to maintain their form and finished 11th in the league after winning only three of their last 14 league games.[50] Milne scored his third and final United goal on 25 March 1989 in a 2–0 home win over Luton Town, once again in the league.[51]

In September 1989, Ferguson signed left-winger Danny Wallace from Southampton.[52] Wallace was not a particularly successful buy for United, and was soon himself struggling to hold down a place in the first team, but the progression of Lee Sharpe meant that Milne was forced out of the first team picture at Old Trafford in 1989–90, making one substitute appearance in the league.[53] During that season, as United struggled in the league but won the FA Cup, Milne was loaned out to Lou Macari's West Ham United, where he made the final appearance of his career in a League Cup tie on 24 January 1990 away to Derby County at the age of 28.[54] His season was ended shortly afterwards after he picked up groin injury that required surgery.[55] Despite being given a new one-year contract he began missing reserve team games during the 1990–91 season and instead spent his time drinking.[56]

Milne has been described as Ferguson's and even as Manchester United's worst signing, despite his low transfer fee.[57] Ferguson defended the signing by pointing out Milne's contribution to the development of Lee Sharpe, who was playing left-back at the time.[58] Ferguson remarked that Milne helped Sharpe by both dropping back to protect Sharpe and by giving him positional advice.[2] Milne remained on United's payroll until 30 June 1991, when he was released.[59]

"You know what it’s like? It’s like being a kid watching a movie, and it’s a sad ending. And you start crying. If it makes a huge impression when United want to sign you, it makes a huge one when they want to get rid of you. Bang, the door’s closed. You’re finished."

— Milne was revitalised when he was approached by United, but his failure at Old Trafford left him mentally drained.[60]

Sing Tao

Milne had unsuccessful trials with Turkish club MKE Ankaragücü and Danish side Esbjerg fB in 1991.[61] Later in the year he travelled to Hong Kong to play for Sing Tao SC. He spent a year there, helping the club to finish fourth in the First Division in 1991–92, before he rejected the offer of a new contract and instead returned to Britain.[62] He had a trial spell at Derry City before quitting football at the age of 32.[63][64]

International career

Milne made his debut for the Scotland under-21 side on 8 September 1981 at the age of 20, when he on came as a substitute for Alan Brazil during a 4–0 win over Sweden in Edinburgh.[65] He made a further two appearances for the under-21 side as an overage player in the autumn of 1983, playing against Belgium (0–0 at Dundee) and East Germany (1–1 at Jena, East Germany).[66] He was never capped for the senior team, and has been cited as one of the best Scottish footballers not to win a full senior cap.[67]

Style of play

Milne was naturally right-footed, though trained hard with his left foot as a boy to become equally skilled with both feet.[68] Former Dundee United teammate Paul Hegarty stated that Milne possessed great pace, as well as bravery, a good work ethic, and an ability to score important goals.[69] Another former Dundee United teammate, Davie Dodds, said that Milne was as good a finisher as any player in Scottish football during the 1980s.[70]

Jim McLean, Milne's manager at Dundee United, summed up Milne's career and footballing ability when writing his autobiography:

"If I had an outstanding failure then it was Ralph Milne. He should have been playing in World Cups. He should have won a bundle of Scotland international honours. It was a tragedy that that boy was not playing for his country all the time. He had tremendous talent – and I failed with him. He did not have the right attitude to the game and I could not instil that into him."[71]

Personal life

He was married to Kim from 1985 to 1988, and the couple had a son, Bradley.[72] He also had a son, Robert, with new partner Lee in 1990.[73] The relationship with Lee ended after ten years.[74] In 2005 he began a relationship with Fiona Spence, 19 years his junior, who stayed with Milne for over eight years despite admitting that Milne regularly beat her.[75]

Struggle with alcoholism

Milne had admitted to problems with alcoholism and gambling addiction during and after his playing career.[76][77][78][79] He was always an enthusiastic drinker throughout his career, but he lost his passion for football after picking up an injury in 1990 and began drinking in a way which began to severely damage his health.[80] After retiring as a player he worked at a pub in Nailsea.[81] He appeared in court in 2010 and 2013, but was never convicted, for allegedly attacking his partner Fiona Spence whilst highly intoxicated.[82] Milne's manager at Dundee United, Jim McLean, has since stated that Milne would have had greater success in his career were it not for his problems with alcohol and discipline.[71][83] Milne died on 6 September 2015, at the age of 54, due to complications from liver problems.[84][85]

Career statistics

Club    Season    Division League Cup League Cup Europe Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Dundee United 1979–80 Scottish Premier Division 13 2 0 0 4 0 2 0 19 2
1980–81 Scottish Premier Division 21 7 6 0 5 3 1 0 33 10
1981–82 Scottish Premier Division 35 8 4 0 8 2 8 4 55 14
1982–83 Scottish Premier Division 34 16 1 0 6 2 8 3 49 21
1983–84 Scottish Premier Division 25 5 4 0 10 3 8 4 47 12
1984–85 Scottish Premier Division 19 4 5 0 5 2 2 2 31 8
1985–86 Scottish Premier Division 18 2 2 0 3 2 6 1 29 5
1986–87 Scottish Premier Division 14 1 0 0 2 0 6 1 22 2
Total 179 45 22 0 43 14 41 15 285 74
Charlton Athletic 1986–87 First Division 12 0 — — — 12 0
1987–88 First Division 10 0 — — — 10 0
Total 22 0 — — — 22 0
Bristol City 1987–88 Third Division 19 4 — — — 19 4
1988–89 Third Division 11 2 — — — 11 2
Total 30 6 — — — 30 6
Manchester United 1988–89 First Division 22 3 7 0 0 0 — 29 3
1989–90 First Division 1 0 0 0 0 0 — 1 0
1990–91 First Division 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 23 3 7 0 0 0 0 0 30 3
West Ham United (loan) 1989–90 Second Division 0 0 0 0 1 0 — 1 0
Career total[6][54][86] 254 54 29 0 44 14 41 15 368 83

Honours

Dundee United

Charlton Athletic

References

Specific

  1. ^ Milne 2009, p. 1
  2. ^ a b c d "Ralph Milne". When the Floodlights Fade. MUTV. January 2010. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
  3. ^ "Our Ralph Milne". Dundee United FC. 6 September 2015. Retrieved 7 September 2015.
  4. ^ "Dundee United 3 - 0 Dunfermline Athletic (Dryburgh Cup)". Arab Archive. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  5. ^ "Celtic 2 - 2 Dundee United (League)". Arab Archive. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  6. ^ a b c d e f "Players - Ralph Milne". Arab Archive. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  7. ^ a b Milne 2009, p. 29
  8. ^ Milne 2009, p. 31
  9. ^ Reynolds, Jim (13 May 1981). "Cooper hero as Rangers make amends in style". The Glasgow Herald. p. 24. Retrieved 11 January 2015.
  10. ^ "Better than Dalglish - that's mighty Milne". Shoot!. October 1981. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  11. ^ Reynolds, Jim (30 November 1981). "Rangers shatter Dundee United's League Cup dream". The Glasgow Herald. p. 19. Retrieved 11 January 2015.
  12. ^ "Dundee United 1-2 AS Monaco, Sep 30th 1981, Tannadice Park". Arab Archive. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
  13. ^ "Dundee United 5-0 Borussia Mönchengladbach, Nov 3rd 1981, Tannadice Park". Arab Archive. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
  14. ^ "Dundee United 5-0 KFC Winterslag, Dec 9th 1981, Tannadice Park". Arab Archive. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
  15. ^ Winton, Richard (14 May 2013). "Champagne memories of a city United". Herald Scotland. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
  16. ^ Cameron, Alex (22 April 1983). "Last-gasp United". Daily Record. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
  17. ^ a b c "Goals That Changed History – Ralph Milne". Football Futbal Fitba. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
  18. ^ "dundee united v dundee 1983". YouTube. 6 November 2006. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
  19. ^ "Simon Clark - Taking Liberties - The day Dundee United won the Scottish Premier League". Taking Liberties. 5 May 2013. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
  20. ^ a b "Ralph Milne: Dazzling winger who shone during Dundee Utd's march to the European Cup semi-finals in 1984". The Independent. 2 October 2015. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  21. ^ "Dundee United 3 Hamrun Spartans". The Glory Years. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
  22. ^ "Dundee United 4 Standard Liege 0". The Glory Years. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
  23. ^ "When Roma played Dundee United". Voices in Football. 10 April 1984. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
  24. ^ "Dundee United 2 A.S. Roma 3 – IBWM". In Bed with Maradona. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
  25. ^ "League Tables 1983-1984 Scottish Premier - Manchester United FC - United Mad". Manchesterunited-mad.co.uk. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
  26. ^ Paul, Ian (29 December 1983). "Hibs act quickly to prevent any further crowd trouble". The Glasgow Herald. p. 16. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
  27. ^ "Two fine Milne goals beat lacklustre Forest". The Glasgow Herald. 9 August 1984. p. 17. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
  28. ^ Milne 2009, p. 84
  29. ^ Milne 2009, p. 92
  30. ^ Milne 2009, p. 96
  31. ^ "Rangers 1-0 Dundee United, Oct 28th 1984, Hampden Park". Arab Archive. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
  32. ^ "Dundee United 1-2 Celtic, May 18th 1985, Hampden Park". Arab Archive. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
  33. ^ Milne 2009, p. 86
  34. ^ "Dundee United 2-0 RC Lens, Oct 1st 1986, Tannadice Park". Arab Archive. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
  35. ^ Cryer, Andy (3 July 2009). "Kevin Gallacher life story part 2: Growing up was tough as grandson of late great Patsy". Lancashire Telegraph. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
  36. ^ "Dundee United FC in Europe". UEFA.com. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  37. ^ Traynor, James (28 January 1987). "Milne on his way south for £125,000". The Glasgow Herald. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  38. ^ Davidson, Jack (8 September 2015). "Obituary: Ralph Milne, footballer". The Scotsman. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  39. ^ Milne 2009, p. 104
  40. ^ a b Milne 2009, p. 106
  41. ^ Milne 2009, p. 116
  42. ^ Milne 2009, p. 117
  43. ^ Milne 2009, p. 120
  44. ^ Milne 2009, p. 126
  45. ^ Milne 2009, p. 127
  46. ^ Milne 2009, p. 134
  47. ^ Milne 2009, p. 136
  48. ^ Milne 2009, p. 137
  49. ^ Milne 2009, p. 138
  50. ^ "English Division One (old) 1988-1989". Statto. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
  51. ^ "Profile - Ralph Milne". MUFC Info. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  52. ^ "Wallace battles with MS". BBC Sport. 30 April 2004. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
  53. ^ "It Could Have Been a Brilliant Career: Lee Sharpe". State Of The Game. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  54. ^ a b "Welcome to the Wonderful World of West Ham United Statistics Ralph Milne". West Ham Stats. Retrieved 16 April 2012.
  55. ^ Milne 2009, p. 165
  56. ^ Milne 2009, p. 173
  57. ^ Milne 2009, p. 175
  58. ^ Milne 2009, p. 141
  59. ^ "Hospitalised Dundee United legend Ralph Milne 'critical'". The Scotsman. 4 September 2015. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
  60. ^ Mathieson, Stuart (7 September 2015). "Ralph Milne: The late Manchester United 'legend' who would have swept the Old Trafford terraces". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  61. ^ Milne 2009, p. 180
  62. ^ Milne 2009, p. 200
  63. ^ Milne 2009, p. 202
  64. ^ Burin, David (17 August 2015). "The tangerine dream - A Ralph Milne retrospective". The Terrace Scottish Football Podcast. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  65. ^ "Scotland U21 0-0 Belgium, European Championship (11/10/1983)". FitbaStats. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  66. ^ "Scotland U21 Player Ralph Milne, Games Played". FitbaStats. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  67. ^ Smyth, Rob; Murray, Scott (24 September 2010). "The Joy of Six: Uncapped players". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
  68. ^ Milne 2009, p. 7
  69. ^ Milne 2009, p. 228
  70. ^ Milne 2009, p. 229
  71. ^ a b McLean, Jim (1987). Jousting with Giants. Billing and Sons. pp. 162–163. ISBN 1-85158-088-3.
  72. ^ Milne 2009, p. 123
  73. ^ Milne 2009, p. 172
  74. ^ Milne 2009, p. 209
  75. ^ McPherson, Lynn (18 August 2015). "Battered lover of former football star Ralph Milne vows to stay with him – despite his drunken, violent attacks". Daily Record. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
  76. ^ "Former Dundee United star Ralph Milne reveals his battle with the booze". Daily Record. 15 November 2008.
  77. ^ "Dundee Utd legend Ralph Milne blasts Jim McLean for ruining his World Cup dream". Daily Record. 9 October 2009.
  78. ^ Beatson, Jamie. "Football legend Ralph Milne is kicked out of town". The Sun.(Subscription required.)
  79. ^ Milne 2009, p. 213
  80. ^ Milne 2009, p. 166
  81. ^ Milne 2009, p. 206
  82. ^ "Hospitalised Dundee United legend Ralph Milne 'critical'". The Scotsman. 4 September 2015. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  83. ^ McLean, Jim (9 October 2009). "Boozing cost Ralph chance of 50 caps". Daily Record. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  84. ^ "Former Dundee United star Ralph Milne dies". The Scotsman. Edinburgh. 6 September 2015. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  85. ^ "Ralph Milne, former Dundee United and Manchester United winger, dies". The Guardian. 6 September 2015. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  86. ^ "Ralph Milne". Stretford End.
  87. ^ "Hall of Fame Inductees 2009". Dundee United FC. Retrieved 5 August 2013.

General

  • Milne, Ralph; Robertson, Gary (2009), What's It All About Ralphie?, Black & White, ISBN 978-1-84502-269-3

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