Everyone at AFC was saddened to learn of the passing of our former player and Scottish Cup winner Tommy McMillan.

Tommy joined Aberdeen in 1965 from Neilston Juniors and was a signing that Eddie Turnbull came to rely on as his team took shape in 1969. Dominant in the air and fearless in a tackle, McMillan was the rock at the centre of a fine defence, one of the very best in the club’s history.

Tommy was actually was on the verge of emigrating to Australia when scout Bobby Calder knocked at his door and persuaded him to visit Pittodrie for a trial. He played in two reserve matches before being drafted straight into the first team against Rangers in August 1965, becoming an instant fixture from then on. He was a key player in the Eddie Turnbull revolution at Pittodrie that saw the Dons famously beat Celtic 3-1 at Hampden to lift the Scottish Cup for only the second time.

The Aberdeen success in the 1970 final was a triumph of style and tactics under the astute guidance of manager Eddie Turnbull. That Aberdeen side emerged as one of great resolve, built on a strong, organised defence and a front line that was full of pace and power.

The Dons rear-guard developed, using the experience of Bobby Clark, an international goalkeeper, and the emergence of Martin Buchan, the first ‘sweeper’ in Scottish football. While Clark and Buchan took most of the plaudits, they were more than supported by the likes of Henning Boel, Jim Hermiston, George Murray and Tom McMillan. McMillan was certainly the unsung hero in that side that won 15 league games in a row in 1970/71, twelve of them without conceding a single goal, setting a European shut-out record.

Tommy made 248 Aberdeen appearances and scored two goals before joining Falkirk for a short spell in 1972. After a stint as manager of Inverness Thistle, Tom retired from the game, stayed in the Aberdeen area and became a popular taxi driver in the city.

In his later years Tommy was a regular and very popular attender at football memories sessions at Pittodrie, accompanied by his great friend Jim Whyte, where he entertained members with stories from his career with the Dons. Last May his family and staff organised a special Scottish Cup Day for him at Angusfield Care Home, supported by AFCCT and AFCHT, as he cheered Aberdeen to victory 55 years after his own triumph at Hampden Park.

Our thoughts are very much with Tommy’s family, friends and former teammates at this very sad time.

His career

Tom was born in Paisley on 26 June 1944, and as a young defender he turned out for Johnstone Burgh and Neilston in the Scottish Junior Leagues. In between his spells with the Juniors, Tommy had a spell with Blackpool. Tom was due to go to Bolton Wanderers for a trial, but the move fell through.

It was the persuasive skills of Aberdeen scout Bobby Calder that managed to ensure Tommy signed for the Dons in 1965. McMillan was all set to emigrate to Australia and sign for Australian club Wilhelmina. The move paid off as McMillan excelled in the public trial game at Pittodrie, with new Aberdeen manager Eddie Turnbull so impressed that he was signed on a full-time contract.

Tommy made his debut on 21 August 1965 against Rangers at Pittodrie in a League Cup tie. The Dons won 2-0 and McMillan was outstanding as he shut out Rangers’ Jim Forrest, who would go on and become a teammate. McMillan’s display came as no surprise to Simon Stevenson, who had discovered Tommy at the age of 13 in the St Mirren Boys Guild: ‘After his spell with Neilston I was convinced he would be a success. His form at Aberdeen has confirmed my view that he will do well in senior football.’

Tommy McMillan went on to establish himself as the first-choice centre half at Pittodrie. In 1966, he was capped for Scotland U-23 against Wales, then England a year later.

In 1967 Aberdeen and McMillan reached the Scottish Cup final where they would face Celtic in the final and although the Parkhead side were on the threshold of winning the European Cup, Aberdeen had drawn both league matches against them that season. However with manager Eddie Turnbull falling ill at the club hotel in Gleneagles before the game the Dons went to Hampden without their manager and their chances of taking the cup north were greatly diminished. The team bus was also late and only arrived 35 minutes before kick-off. All these factors contributed to Aberdeen never looking like taking anything from the game and so poor were there preparations that they never really had a chance. A short time after Aberdeen travelled to the USA and spent the summer of 1967 as the Washington Whips.

Reaching the Scottish Cup final led to European qualification. In September 1967, Tommy was in the Aberdeen side that played their first ever European tie against Reykjavik – and he scored.

Aberdeen manager Eddie Turnbull predicted his side would score a few goals and he was certainly proven correct as Aberdeen went on to win the opening tie 10-0, still the club’s record score in European football. Frank Munro had the distinction of scoring Aberdeen’s first ever goal in Europe and he went on to complete a hat-trick. Reykjavik held out for 19 minutes but after that, the Dons imposed themselves on the game and virtually scored at will. Bobby Clark had one save to make in the game, from Hafsteinsson after 82 minutes. The goal avalanche came from Munro on 19, 53 and 62 minutes, Jimmy Smith (32 and 78 minutes), Jim Storrie (21 and 56), Tom McMillan (44), Ian Taylor (49) and Jens Petersen (72).

By 1970, the team had evolved into a side that was built on a defence as tough as the Aberdeen granite. Tommy McMillan and Martin Buchan had emerged as the Dons’ central defensive pairing who played their part when Aberdeen won the Scottish Cup that year. McMillan played in every tie, including the final against Celtic at Hampden before a 108,464 crowd. The defensive duo held their own against a Celtic side that was heading for their second European Cup final. McMillan and Buchan were inspired and paved the way for a memorable 3-1 win as the Scottish Cup came north for the second time in Aberdeen’s history. Up to that point, the club’s finest hour. 

The following season, McMillan was in the Aberdeen side that went so close to winning the league title as the Dons created a European record of 13 games without conceding a goal.

In March 1972, Tommy McMillan looked to have been on his way to St Johnstone, but a deal to take Saints’ winger John Connolly to Pittodrie fell through.

The Dons were prepared to offer McMillan as part of the deal after Aberdeen had topped Rangers offer for Connolly.

By that time, the emergence of Willie Young had put pressure on McMillan for a starting place, although when the Dons toured Canada in the summer of 1972, McMillan and Young were paired together in central defence. McMillan was transferred to Falkirk on 26 June 1972.

Falkirk manger Willie Cunningham was delighted to secure McMillan’s services for a fee of more than £10,000. After one season at Brockville, McMillan joined Inverness Thistle as player/manager. Tom later returned to Aberdeen after retiring from playing.