| Paddy Mills | |
| Fullname: | Bertie Reginald Mills |
| Position: | Forward / Wing half |
| Birth Date: | 23 February 1900 |
| Birth Place: | Multan, Punjab Province, British India |
| Years1: | – |
| Clubs1: | Barton Town |
| Years2: | 1920–1926 |
| Clubs2: | Hull City |
| Caps2: | 173 |
| Goals2: | 76 |
| Years3: | 1926–1929 |
| Clubs3: | Notts County |
| Caps3: | 76 |
| Goals3: | 35 |
| Years4: | 1929 |
| Clubs4: | Birmingham |
| Caps4: | 13 |
| Goals4: | 3 |
| Years5: | 1929–1933 |
| Clubs5: | Hull City |
| Caps5: | 96 |
| Goals5: | 25 |
| Years6: | 1933–1935 |
| Years7: | 1935–193x |
| Years8: | 193x–193x |
| Clubs8: | Barton Town |
Bertie Reginald Mills (23 February 1900 – 22 January 1994), known as Paddy Mills, was a professional footballer who scored 139 goals in 358 appearances in the Football League playing for Hull City (in two spells), Notts County and Birmingham.[1] He played as a forward, though in the later part of his career he moved to wing half.
Mills was born in Multan, India, but raised in Barton-upon-Humber, Lincolnshire.[2] He began his football career with local club Barton Town before joining Hull City of the Second Division in 1920.[3] For three consecutive seasons, from 1923–24 to 1925–26, Mills was Hull's leading scorer;[4] in the second of those three seasons, he scored 29 goals in all competitions when no other Hull player reached double figures.[2]
In March 1926, Notts County paid a fee of £3,750 for his services,[3] but he was unable to prevent their relegation from the First Division.[5] In 1927 he was joined by his younger brother Percy, who would go on to play more than 400 games for the club.[1] After three years with County, in which he scored at a rate approaching a goal every other game,[1] Mills moved back to the First Division with Birmingham, but failed to settle, and returned to Hull in December 1929.[3]
Mills contributed two goals in Hull's 1929–30 FA Cup run which took them to the semi-final for the first time in their history, only to lose to eventual Cup-winners Arsenal, following which their form slumped and they were relegated to the Third Division North.[6] New manager Haydn Green converted Mills to play at wing half, though he still scored goals:[7] 12 in 30 games in the 1930–31 season and 11 in 37 the next season.[2] In 1932–33, Hull City won the championship of the Third Division North, winning promotion for the first time in their history.[7] Mills played in nearly half the games, but failed to score,[2] and was released at the end of the season.[7] As of December 2008, his league goal return of 101 in 269 games places him third in Hull City's all-time league goalscorers, and his 110 from 291 appearances puts him fourth when all competitions are counted.[8]
On leaving Hull, Mills moved into non-League football with Scunthorpe & Lindsey United and Gainsborough Trinity before finishing his career at his first club, Barton Town.[2]
After football Mills was employed as a security man at a steelworks in Scunthorpe.[3] He died in 1994 at the age of 93.[2]
Mills was great-uncle to football player and manager Nigel Pearson, the grandson of his brother Percy.[9]
Hull City