The mancityfans.net football forum

I have a mate who lives and works in and around bradford as a bike instructor, he has no interest and certainly no knowledge in football, last week when one of his appointments assumed he'd know who he was, Martins response was "I havent got a fucking clue mate", as it turns out this was Danny Mills.

The same evening Martin spoke to me and said he could get him to sign a shirt etc to which I politely refused and proceeded to fill Martin in on how long Mills had sat on his arse at home getting thousands and thousands of pounds a week out of my beloved club, and how much I despised that greedy fucker for not going playing football somewhere else.

Last night I saw Martin again after Mills took his CBT part 1 yesterday, Martin was laughing all over his face when he told me that he had informed Mills that he knew someone who'd like to beat seven shades of shit out of him? Then Martin explained a lot about Mills I didnt already know.

In 2008 when Mills was sent to Derby on loan he got injured in his second appearance for them, despite every effort in physio and in the Gym this turned out to be a career finishing injury, his knee has never been the same again and when put under a certain amount of pressure it feels like someone is constantly sticking a needle in him, this also could eventually lead to him having trouble walking in later life. Martin explained that Mills loved playing for City, he explained that he did not love the club as his own as it was at the end of the day an employment, but he did love playing here, far more than his time anywhere else including Leeds, and Mills loved working with everyone at the club. Since the extent of his injury never actually came to light, the reaction from fans has been less than positive towards him, therefore there is no love loss from either party, but as far as he was concerned he was eager to fight for his place back into the side (whether or not he had the ability anymore) and was more than willing to play throughout the remainder of his contract whether that be here or on loan. Martin said he has had good long chats with Mills and said he is a sound bloke, a good laugh and absolutely genuine, if what Mills has said is correct then I cant help but feel for the guy.

He is truly sorry his career ended the way it did, but didnt have any option but to stop playing, and I personally cannot blame the guy for allowing the club to pay him what he is contracted to, especially since his career was cut slightly shorter than desired.

don't think his serious injury was classified information

NOTW

Alex Sapphire wrote:don't think his serious injury was classified information

NOTW

Fair do's, I generally avoid NOTW.

The club should retire his shirt as a mark of respect.

And just as one walks out the door, another enters. Hello Mr Mwaruwari. How many career saving moves are you going to turn down before your contract expires and you realise you're on the scrap heap?

Another player I never felt the same ire for as others. We were very weak at the back when he arrived, playing the hapless Sun there. He toughened us up and with Thatcher changed us from soft as shite to a mean spirited defence. The guy had a contract, what do people expect him to do? Just say, "No thanks, I don't want my wages"
He had a couple of loan spells and got injured and by then his opportunity had gone. Shame it didn't work out and that he was on an unfeasibly long deal with the club, but there you go.

Piccsnumberoneblue wrote:Another player I never felt the same ire for as others. We were very weak at the back when he arrived, playing the hapless Sun there. He toughened us up and with Thatcher changed us from soft as shite to a mean spirited defence. The guy had a contract, what do people expect him to do? Just say, "No thanks, I don't want my wages"
He had a couple of loan spells and got injured and by then his opportunity had gone. Shame it didn't work out and that he was on an unfeasibly long deal with the club, but there you go.

I would have to question his insurance cover. If the injury was career ending then he could have retired with a lump sum and been a full-time pundit etc. without the damage to his reputation i.e. being a waster. That means I can only conclude he didn't have appropriate insurance and had to sit out his contract until it expired because he had no choice.

I thought insurance was standard these days for footballers but I may be wrong.

foreverblue wrote:

Piccsnumberoneblue wrote:Another player I never felt the same ire for as others. We were very weak at the back when he arrived, playing the hapless Sun there. He toughened us up and with Thatcher changed us from soft as shite to a mean spirited defence. The guy had a contract, what do people expect him to do? Just say, "No thanks, I don't want my wages"
He had a couple of loan spells and got injured and by then his opportunity had gone. Shame it didn't work out and that he was on an unfeasibly long deal with the club, but there you go.

I would have to question his insurance cover. If the injury was career ending then he could have retired with a lump sum and been a full-time pundit etc. without the damage to his reputation i.e. being a waster. That means I can only conclude he didn't have appropriate insurance and had to sit out his contract until it expired because he had no choice.

I thought insurance was standard these days for footballers but I may be wrong.

I don't know exctly how insuring players works, but I would have thought that it would be the club who insured the player. Ultimately they have the most to lose. (Wages owed and fee paid)

Piccsnumberoneblue wrote:

foreverblue wrote:

Piccsnumberoneblue wrote:Another player I never felt the same ire for as others. We were very weak at the back when he arrived, playing the hapless Sun there. He toughened us up and with Thatcher changed us from soft as shite to a mean spirited defence. The guy had a contract, what do people expect him to do? Just say, "No thanks, I don't want my wages"
He had a couple of loan spells and got injured and by then his opportunity had gone. Shame it didn't work out and that he was on an unfeasibly long deal with the club, but there you go.

I would have to question his insurance cover. If the injury was career ending then he could have retired with a lump sum and been a full-time pundit etc. without the damage to his reputation i.e. being a waster. That means I can only conclude he didn't have appropriate insurance and had to sit out his contract until it expired because he had no choice.

I thought insurance was standard these days for footballers but I may be wrong.

I don't know exctly how insuring players works, but I would have thought that it would be the club who insured the player. Ultimately they have the most to lose. (Wages owed and fee paid)

So if he was insured privately he would take the lump sum but then still have a contract, why not take the money, he's not a city fan, i'd have taken the money if I played for any other team?

If he is insured by the club then we have lost nothing, so either way I think he has done no wrong?

Even before his injury Mills had few chances to join other clubs where he would've been regular but he refused because he was so well paid with us. We apparently even offered to put something towards his lesser wages elsewhere but he wasn't willing to move.

Also, his injury is bit shit but I knew lot of people who have had similar injuries playing amateur football and struggle with them. Hell, my own knees constantly gather liquid after 25 years of playing football and my left hand has maybe 50% of strength it had before I broke my wrist and it aches from time to time. That's all part of playing football and you know the risks when you take the pitch.

His 'serious' injury stopped him playing but he can ride a motorbike? My dad had to give his bike up because of his dodgy knees, riding motorbikes aggravate knee injuries apparently because of the position you are in, that's what my old man was informed and is what he believes through experience.
I have no sympathy with very well paid footballers careers coming to an end tbh, whether it is Mills or anyone else. Colin Bell did his utmost to pull on a City shirt after a serious injury and he was on a fraction what Mills has been pulling for the last 5 years.

Piccsnumberoneblue wrote:

foreverblue wrote:

Piccsnumberoneblue wrote:Another player I never felt the same ire for as others. We were very weak at the back when he arrived, playing the hapless Sun there. He toughened us up and with Thatcher changed us from soft as shite to a mean spirited defence. The guy had a contract, what do people expect him to do? Just say, "No thanks, I don't want my wages"
He had a couple of loan spells and got injured and by then his opportunity had gone. Shame it didn't work out and that he was on an unfeasibly long deal with the club, but there you go.

I would have to question his insurance cover. If the injury was career ending then he could have retired with a lump sum and been a full-time pundit etc. without the damage to his reputation i.e. being a waster. That means I can only conclude he didn't have appropriate insurance and had to sit out his contract until it expired because he had no choice.

I thought insurance was standard these days for footballers but I may be wrong.

I don't know exctly how insuring players works, but I would have thought that it would be the club who insured the player. Ultimately they have the most to lose. (Wages owed and fee paid)

Yeah, if he was done due to injury we could get back market value on his contract plus remaining wages. (which get paid to the player, but not out of our pocket)

I'd really like to believe that story, sounds similar to the one Nigel Clough had except he wanted to play but successive mangers didn't rate him . . . weird shit

The abuse of Danny Mills started long before he ever went to Derby and got injured.

If he had gotten better he would almost certainly not have played for the club anyway.

I'm sure he's a decent guy and in some ways he was just unfortunate that things worked out that way for him (financialy he did well though).

Part of it is natural and we, as fans, resented that he was paid so well at a time when the club were struggling for cash. It's happened with other players like Robbie Fowler. He was indifferent to our plight, as he was indifferent to the difficulties at Leeds. Why should we feel a attachment to him when it's not reciprocal.

It's easy to point the blame at Keegan for signing him but that doesn't mean we have to like or respect the player who's not giving us anything for his money. If your working like was made harder because of less resources while you had a very highly paid colleague who didn't really contribute then you wouldn't be too happy about it. If he/she turned around and said "it's not my fault I'm overpaid, don't blame me", would that be sufficient for you?

He did also go to Hull for a while.
And I should also point out that I fucked my knee playing football. After an ACL reconstruction I never really had the strength back in it to play Sunday football, let alone the professional game. However I too took my CBT and have ridden a motorcycle for nine years (not in one go) without causing further knee related problems. I think it's a bit thin, having a pop at him for daring to learn to ride a motorbike!