Ralph Milne (13 May 1961 – 6 September 2015) was a Scottish professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...
whose clubs included
Dundee United
Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in the city of Dundee. The club name is usually abbreviated to Dundee United. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1 ...
,
Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, south-east London, which compete in . Their home ground is The Valley, where the club have played since 1919. They have also played at The Mount in C ...
,
Bristol City
Bristol City Football Club is a professional football club based in Bristol, England, which compete in the , the second tier of English football. They have played their home games at Ashton Gate since moving from St John's Lane in 1904. The ...
and
Manchester United
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
. He played as both an
attacking midfielder
A midfielder is an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position in association football.
Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As #Cent ...
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
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,[League Cup
In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...](_blank)
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
A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store Solid, solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, porcela ...
and
European Cup
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
) with a tally of 15 goals. Milne is often considered to be among 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
Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson (born 31 December 1941) is a Scottish former football manager and player, best known for managing Manchester United from 1986 to 2013. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football managers of all time ...
at Manchester United in November 1988 for a £170,000 fee, but failed to restart his career. Barring a brief spell in
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
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
Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...
, the youngest of four siblings, on 13 May 1961. He was moved forward a year in
primary school
A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary e ...
due to his remarkable academic progress.
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.
Dundee United
Immediate success
Milne signed for
Dundee United
Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in the city of Dundee. The club name is usually abbreviated to Dundee United. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1 ...
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
Dunfermline Athletic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the city of Dunfermline, Fife. Founded in 1885, the club currently play in Scottish League One after being relegated from the 2021–22 Scottish Championship. Dunfermline ...
in a
Drybrough Cup
The Drybrough Cup was a Scottish annual football tournament. It was held from 1971 until 1974, and was revived from 1979 to 1980. It was open to the four highest-scoring teams from Division 1, and the four highest-scoring teams from Division 2. T ...
tie. Milne scored his first
Premier Division goal on 8 September in a 2–2 draw away against
Celtic
Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to:
Language and ethnicity
*pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia
**Celts (modern)
*Celtic languages
**Proto-Celtic language
* Celtic music
*Celtic nations
Sports Fo ...
, netting the
equaliser with a long-range shot. 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.
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
In military terminology, a squad is among the smallest of military organizations and is led by a non-commissioned officer. NATO and US doctrine define a squad as an organization "larger than a team, but smaller than a section." while US Army do ...
.
The
1980–81 season saw Milne become a regular in the Dundee United team, scoring 10 goals in 33 appearances.
United retained the League Cup, though Milne did not feature in the
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
victory over their
Dundee derby
The Dundee derby is a football match between Dundee and Dundee United. The clubs are based yards apart in the city of Dundee, the fourth-largest city in Scotland.
History
Dundee is the older of the two, having been founded in 1893, compare ...
rivals at
Dens Park
Dens Park, officially known as Kilmac Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a football stadium in Dundee, Scotland, which is the home of club Dundee F.C. and has a capacity of . Tannadice Park, the home of rivals Dundee United, is just 200 yards ...
. He finished the season playing in the
1981 Scottish Cup Final side, which ended in a 4–1 defeat to
Rangers after a replay.
Milne was now being described by manager
Jim McLean
James Yuille McLean (2 August 1937 – 26 December 2020) was a Scottish football player, manager and director. He managed Dundee United between 1971 and 1993, becoming the longest-serving and most successful manager in the club's history, winni ...
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.
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
Paul Whitehead Sturrock (born 10 October 1956) is a Scottish former association football, football coach and former player.
As a player, Sturrock spent his entire senior career with Dundee United, making more than five hundred appearances betwe ...
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.
Milne also impressed in Europe that season, scoring against
AS Monaco
Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club SA, commonly referred to as AS Monaco () or Monaco, is a professional football club based in Monaco that is member of French Football Federation (FFF) and competes in Ligue 1, the top tier of Fre ...
,
Borussia Mönchengladbach
Borussia Verein für Leibesübungen 1900 e. V. Mönchengladbach, commonly known as Borussia Mönchengladbach (), Mönchengladbach () or Gladbach (; abbreviated as Borussia MG, BMG), is a professional Association football, football club based in ...
and
Winterslag (twice) in the
UEFA Cup
A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store Solid, solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, porcela ...
.
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
Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
in a tightly fought league campaign. Milne's 16 goals in the league, playing wide right, were a significant contribution to United's league win.
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
Parkhead ( sco, Pairkheid) is a district in the East End of Glasgow. Its name comes from a small weaving hamlet at the meeting place of the Great Eastern Road (now the Gallowgate and Tollcross Road) and Westmuir Street. Glasgow's Eastern Necropo ...
; he controlled an
Eamonn Bannon
Eamonn John Bannon (born 18 April 1958) is a Scottish former internationalist footballer who played in midfield. His most successful seasons were with Dundee United where he won two league cups and the 1983 League Championship. Numerous runs w ...
cross from the right on his chest and volleyed the ball from 20 yards out past Celtic goalkeeper
Packie Bonner
Patrick Joseph Bonner (born 24 May 1960) is an Irish retired footballer who played as a goalkeeper and spent his entire career at Celtic. He earned a total of 80 caps for the Republic of Ireland national football team after making his debut on h ...
.
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
Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...
with a skilfully executed long-distance chipped shot; the match finished 2–1 to United.
Milne achieved his peak goal tally in his career that season, scoring 21 goals in all competitions.
Having turned 22 the day before the game, the goal against Dundee was to be the defining moment of his career.
Dundee United's league success saw them take part in the
European Cup
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
in
1983–84. Milne scored doubles against
Hamrun Spartans and
Standard Liège
Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège (; nl, Standard Luik ; german: Standard Lüttich ) or simply Standard in Belgium, is a Belgian professional football club based in the city of Liège.
They are one of the most ...
as United reached the semi-final, losing 3–2 on aggregate to
Roma
Roma or ROMA may refer to:
Places Australia
* Roma, Queensland, a town
** Roma Airport
** Roma Courthouse
** Electoral district of Roma, defunct
** Town of Roma, defunct town, now part of the Maranoa Regional Council
*Roma Street, Brisbane, a ...
in an ill-tempered tie. Dundee United also failed to retain their league title, finishing in third place and 10 points behind champions Aberdeen. 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.
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." Ironically some months later in August 1984, it was Milne who scored both goals against
Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. Nottingham Forest was founded in 1865 and have been playing their home games at the City Ground, on the banks of the River Tren ...
in a pre-season testimonial match for McLean. However, after the game the pair again fell out because of a brief conversation Milne had with
Brian Clough
Brian Howard Clough ( ; 21 March 1935 – 20 September 2004) was an English football player and manager, primarily known for his successes as a manager with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. He is one of four managers to have won the Englis ...
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. The financial strain this caused led to him to work as a casual labourer in order to meet his
mortgage
A mortgage loan or simply mortgage (), in civil law jurisdicions known also as a hypothec loan, is a loan used either by purchasers of real property to raise funds to buy real estate, or by existing property owners to raise funds for any pu ...
repayments. By this time his drinking had become more of a problem, resulting in a struggle to maintain fitness.
Milne featured in a further two Cup finals for United, losing 1–0 to Rangers in October 1984 in the
Scottish League Cup Final and losing 2–1 to Celtic in May 1985 in the
Scottish Cup Final
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the Scottish Cup, is a knockout cup competition in Scottish football. Organised by the Scottish Football Association, it is the third oldest existing football competition in the w ...
.
He aggravated a
hamstring
In human anatomy, a hamstring () is any one of the three posterior thigh muscles in between the hip and the knee (from medial to lateral: semimembranosus, semitendinosus and biceps femoris). The hamstrings are susceptible to injury.
In quadrupeds, ...
injury in the final against Rangers and was out of action for three months. In
1986–87, he played in the first three rounds of the UEFA Cup run (scoring once, against
RC Lens
Racing Club de Lens (, commonly referred to as RC Lens or simply Lens) is a French professional football club based in the northern city of Lens in the Pas-de-Calais department. Its nickname, ''les sang et or'' (''the blood and gold''), come ...
in the first round) which eventually saw the team beat
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
and Borussia Mönchengladbach on their way to
the final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
. However, Milne had left in January 1987 before these high-profile games took place, sold to
Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, south-east London, which compete in . Their home ground is The Valley, where the club have played since 1919. They have also played at The Mount in C ...
, having lost his place in the side to the up-and-coming
Kevin Gallacher
Kevin William Gallacher (born 23 November 1966) is a Scottish former professional footballer and football pundit and co-commentator.
He played as a forward from 1983 until 2002, notably in the Premier League with Blackburn Rovers where he was p ...
. 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
A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store Solid, solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, porcela ...
and
European Cup
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
) with a tally of 15 goals.
Charlton Athletic
He was sold to English
First Division club Charlton Athletic in January 1987 for a fee of £125,000. He played at
Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 200 ...
in
the final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
of the
Full Members Cup
The Full Members' Cup was an association football cup competition held in English football from 1985 to 1992. It was also known under its sponsored names of the Simod Cup from 1987 to 1989 and the Zenith Data Systems Cup from 1989 to 1992.
The ...
on 29 March, which ended in a 1–0 defeat to
Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is a professional football club, based in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, which competes in the , the second tier of the English football league system. They have played home matches at Ewood Park since 1890. T ...
.
Charlton finished the
1986–87 season in the relegation play-off place, but retained their top-flight status after beating
Leeds United
Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire in England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of England's football league system, and plays its home matches at Elland Road S ...
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
Selhurst Park is a football stadium in Selhurst in the London Borough of Croydon which is the home ground of Premier League side Crystal Palace. The stadium was designed by Archibald Leitch and opened in 1924. It has hosted international footba ...
, and ended the game with a broken jaw after being elbowed by
Micky Adams
Michael Richard Adams (born 8 November 1961) is an English former professional association football, footballer and football manager. As a player, he was a Full-back (football), full back, and made a total of 438 league appearances in a ninete ...
.
He dropped out of manager
Lennie Lawrence
Robin Michael Lawrence (born 12 December 1947) is an English former football manager, player and football consultant who is non-executive director at EFL League Two side Hartlepool United.
Lawrence was a semi-professional at Croydon, Carshalt ...
's first team plans during the
1987–88 season, and was allowed to leave the club.
Bristol City
Milne dropped down two divisions to join
Bristol City
Bristol City Football Club is a professional football club based in Bristol, England, which compete in the , the second tier of English football. They have played their home games at Ashton Gate since moving from St John's Lane in 1904. The ...
for a £50,000 fee in January 1988. City ended the 1987–88 campaign in the play-offs, but failed to gain promotion after losing 4–0 to
Walsall
Walsall (, or ; locally ) is a market town and administrative centre in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands County, England. Historic counties of England, Historically part of Staffordshire, it is located north-west of Birmingham, east ...
in a replay of
the play-off final.
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. On being called into a meeting with manager,
Joe Jordan
Joseph Jordan (born 15 December 1951) is a Scottish football player, coach and manager. He is currently a first-team coach at AFC Bournemouth.
A former striker, he played for Leeds United, Manchester United, and Milan, among others at club le ...
, 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.
Manchester United
Milne's form at Bristol City was enough to convince
Manchester United
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
manager
Alex Ferguson
Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson (born 31 December 1941) is a Scottish former football manager and player, best known for managing Manchester United from 1986 to 2013. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football managers of all time ...
that he was still worth a contract with a top-flight club. In November 1988 he moved to
Old Trafford
Old Trafford () is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 74,310 it is the largest club football stadium (and second-largest football stadium overall after Wemb ...
in a £170,000 deal. 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
Gordon David Strachan ( born 9 February 1957) is a Scottish former football coach and player. He played for Dundee, Aberdeen, Manchester United, Leeds United and Coventry City, as well as the Scotland national team. He has since managed Cove ...
was already established on the right wing.
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. He also found the net on Boxing Day in a 2–0 win over Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford. The following week, Milne played what he felt was his best game in a Manchester United jersey in a 3–1 New Year's victory over
rivals
A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant o ...
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
. However, they were unable to maintain their form and finished 11th in the league after winning only three of their last 14 league games. Milne scored his third and final United goal on 25 March 1989 in a 2–0 home win over
Luton Town
Luton Town Football Club () is a professional association football club based in the town of Luton, Bedfordshire, England, that competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1885, it is nicknam ...
, once again in the league.
In September 1989, Ferguson signed left-winger
Danny Wallace from
Southampton
Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
. 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
Lee Stuart Sharpe (born 27 May 1971) is an English professional golfer, former professional footballer, sports television pundit and reality television personality.
As a player was predominantly a left winger from 1988 to 2004, he notably play ...
meant that Milne was forced out of the first team picture at Old Trafford in
1989–90, making one substitute appearance in the league. During that season, as United struggled in the league but won the
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
, Milne was loaned out to
Lou Macari
Luigi Macari (born 7 June 1949) is a Scottish former footballer and manager. He began his playing career at Celtic where he was one of the Quality Street Gang, the outstanding reserve team that emerged in the late 1960s that also included Kenny ...
's
West Ham United
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club that plays its home matches in Stratford, East London. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The club plays at the London Stadium, hav ...
, where he made the final appearance of his career in a
League Cup
In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...
tie on 24 January 1990 away to
Derby County
Derby County Football Club () is a professional association football club based in Derby, Derbyshire, England. In 2022, it was announced that DCFC was acquired by Clowes Developments (UK) Ltd, a Derbyshire-based property group.
Founded in 1884 ...
at the age of 28.
His season was ended shortly afterwards after he picked up groin injury that required surgery. 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.
Milne has been described as Ferguson's and even as Manchester United's worst signing, despite his low transfer fee. Ferguson defended the signing by pointing out Milne's contribution to the development of Lee Sharpe, who was playing left-back at the time. Ferguson remarked that Milne helped Sharpe by both dropping back to protect Sharpe and by giving him positional advice.
Milne remained on United's payroll until 30 June 1991, when he was released.
Sing Tao
Milne had unsuccessful trials with
Turkish
Turkish may refer to:
*a Turkic language spoken by the Turks
* of or about Turkey
** Turkish language
*** Turkish alphabet
** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
*** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey
*** Turkish communities and mi ...
club
MKE Ankaragücü
MKE Ankaragücü or fully Makina ve Kimya Endüstrisi Ankaragücü (), is a Turkish sports club located in the city of Ankara. The football team wears a yellow and navy kit and plays its home matches at Eryaman Stadium following the closure of th ...
and
Danish
Danish may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark
People
* A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark
* Culture of Denmark
* Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...
side
Esbjerg fB
Esbjerg forenede Boldklubber (; commonly known as Esbjerg fB or EfB in short) is a Danish professional football club based in Esbjerg, West Jutland, that plays in the 2nd division, the third-tier of the Danish football league system. Foun ...
in 1991. Later in the year he travelled to
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
to play for
Sing Tao SC
Sing Tao Sports Club () is a now defunct Hong Kong football club which was dissolved after the 1998–99 season. The club was established by Aw Hoe (), a director of '' Sing Tao Daily'' in 1940. The first team made their first appearance in the ...
. 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. He had a trial spell at
Derry City before quitting football at the age of 32.
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
Alan Bernard Brazil (born 15 June 1959) is a Scottish broadcaster and former football player, most notably for Ipswich Town, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and internationally for Scotland. He played as a forward before being forced to r ...
during a 4–0 win over
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
in Edinburgh. He made a further two appearances for the under-21 side as an overage player in the autumn of 1983, playing against
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
(0–0 at Dundee) and
East Germany
East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...
(1–1 at Jena, East Germany). He was never
capped
In sport, a cap is a player's appearance in a game at international level. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of rugby football and association football. In the ea ...
for the senior team, and has been cited as one of the best Scottish footballers not to win a full senior cap.
According to Milne himself the Scotland manager
Jock Stein
John "Jock" Stein (5 October 1922 – 10 September 1985) was a Scottish football player and manager. He was the first manager of a British side to win the European Cup, with Celtic in 1967. Stein also guided Celtic to nine successive Scottish ...
intended to take him on a warm-up tour to the United States, but was told not to by McLean, for which Milne never forgave him.
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. Former Dundee United teammate
Paul Hegarty
Paul Anthony Hegarty (born 25 July 1954 in Edinburgh) is a Scottish football player and manager. He was captain of Dundee United during their most successful era in the 1970s and 1980s, winning the Scottish league championship in 1983 and the ...
stated that Milne possessed great pace, as well as bravery, a good work ethic, and an ability to score important goals. Another former Dundee United teammate,
Davie Dodds
David Dodds (born 23 September 1958) is a Scottish former footballer who played for Dundee United, Aberdeen and Rangers in the 1980s. With United, he was a Scottish League champion in 1983 and was in their winning 1980 Scottish League Cup ...
, said that Milne was as good a finisher as any player in Scottish football during the 1980s.
Jim McLean
James Yuille McLean (2 August 1937 – 26 December 2020) was a Scottish football player, manager and director. He managed Dundee United between 1971 and 1993, becoming the longest-serving and most successful manager in the club's history, winni ...
, 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
A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the concept i ...
. 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."
Personal life
He was married to Kim from 1985 to 1988, and the couple had a son, Bradley. He also had a son, Robert, with new partner Lee in 1990. The relationship with Lee ended after ten years. 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.
Milne had admitted to problems with
alcoholism
Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol (drug), alcohol that results in significant Mental health, mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognize ...
and
problem gambling
Problem gambling or ludomania is repetitive gambling behavior despite harm and negative consequences. Problem gambling may be diagnosed as a mental disorder according to ''DSM-5'' if certain diagnostic criteria are met. Pathological gambling is ...
during and after his playing career.
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. After retiring as a player he worked at a
pub
A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...
in
Nailsea
Nailsea is a town in Somerset, England, southwest of Bristol, and northeast of Weston-super-Mare. The nearest village is Backwell, which lies south of Nailsea on the opposite side of the Bristol to Exeter railway line. Nailsea had a populatio ...
. He appeared in court in 2010 and 2013, but was never convicted, for allegedly attacking his partner Fiona Spence whilst highly intoxicated. 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.
Milne died on 6 September 2015, at the age of 54, due to complications from
liver
The liver is a major Organ (anatomy), organ only found in vertebrates which performs many essential biological functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the Protein biosynthesis, synthesis of proteins and biochemicals necessary for ...
problems.
Career statistics
Honours
Dundee United
*
Scottish League Cup
The Scottish League Cup (also known as the Viaplay Cup for sponsorship reasons) is a football competition open to all Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) clubs. First held in 1946–47, it is the oldest national League Cup in existen ...
:
1979
Events
January
* January 1
** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...
*
Scottish Football League Premier Division
The Scottish Football League Premier Division was, from 1975 until 1998, the top division of the Scottish Football League and the entire Scottish football league system. It lay above the Scottish Football League First, Second and (from 1994) Th ...
:
1982–83
* Dundee United Hall of Fame (inducted 2009)
Charlton Athletic
*
Football League Second Division
The Football League Second Division was the second level division in the English football league system between 1892 and 1992. Following the foundation of the FA Premier League, the Football League divisions were renumbered and the third ti ...
play-offs:
1987
File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, k ...
References
Specific
General
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Milne, Ralph
1961 births
2015 deaths
Footballers from Dundee
Scottish footballers
Scotland under-21 international footballers
Association football wingers
Dundee United F.C. players
Charlton Athletic F.C. players
Bristol City F.C. players
Manchester United F.C. players
West Ham United F.C. players
Expatriate footballers in Hong Kong
Scottish expatriate sportspeople in Hong Kong
Sing Tao SC players
Scottish Football League players
English Football League players
Hong Kong First Division League players
Scottish autobiographers
Scottish expatriate footballers
Deaths from liver disease