Don Mills Testimonial.28/10/63.Ernie Hunt Goal.

Another Timbo gem, so pleased you have got into the history room so much Timbo, I just know your going to continue to bring us many more great programmes.

Many thanks

Dave

That forward line was truly incredible and for this game it is pertinent to note that with the exception of Dave "Sooty" Corbett (who had been sold to Argyle), it was all Swindon and of course he was a another product of the "Bert Head Academy" .......................a truly accomplished talent spotter and developer of young players who Torquay United were really negligent in letting go at the end of his playing career at Plainmoor where he had been an inspirational captain and centre half.

Who knows what could have transpired had we harnessed his ability together with that of Don Mills and they had worked under Eric Webber? Remember he too was giving plenty of local talent their chance in the early sixties, players like Ernie Pym, Graham Bond, Colin Court, Alan Smith, Peter Wakeham and others.

Indeed that Swindon forward line is still fresh in my mind from that night and later Peter Noble had joined them to form the legendary "Moonrakers" line up of Noble, Woodruff, Jackson, Summerbee and Rogers......................all home grown and all fabulous players.

Peter Noble went on to great things with Burnley, Bobby Woodruff with Wolves, Cliff Jackson with Crystal Palace (and later at Plainmoor of course), Mike Summerbee at Manchester City and Don Rogers at Palace too with his old mentor Bert Head who took them into the First Division for the first time in their history.

Indeed the Plainmoor of the fifties had spawned some real coaching and talent spotting and coaching talent within it's ranks for not only were Don Mills and Bert Head as good as it gets when it comes to recognising and putting over the finer points of the game, Ellis Stuttard and Tony Collins both excelled too and I well remember one evening training at Newton Rec when both Stuttard and Head came along to have a look to see if they could spot any future talent. You really sat up and took notice when things like that happened and the evening's session under Don Mills certainly had an extra edge to it!