{{Short description|Irish footballer}} {{similar names|Billy McMillan (disambiguation)}} {{Use British English|date=October 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Billy McMillan | image = | fullname = | birth_date = | birth_place = Carrickfergus, County Antrim, Ireland | death_date = 1991 | death_place = Carrickfergus, County Antrim, Ireland | position = Right-back | years1 = 1932–1949 | clubs1 = Belfast Celtic | caps1 = | goals1 = | years2 = 1949–1951 | clubs2 = Ballymena United | caps2 = | goals2 = | years3 = 1951–1952 | clubs3 = Crusaders | caps3 = | goals3 = | nationalyears1 = 1940–1947 | nationalteam1 = Northern Regional League XI | nationalcaps1 = 9 | nationalgoals1 = | nationalyears2 = 1944–1946 | nationalteam2 = Ireland (IFA, wartime) | nationalcaps2 = 4 | nationalgoals2 = 0 | nationalyears3 = 1946 | nationalteam3 = Ireland (FAI) | nationalcaps3 = 2 | nationalgoals3 = 0 | manageryears1 = 1949–1951 | managerclubs1 = Ballymena United }}
'''William McMillan''' (died 1991) was an Irish footballer who played for Belfast Celtic, Ballymena United and Crusaders. McMillan played for an IFA selection and the senior team of the FAI.
==Club career== McMillan joined Belfast Celtic in 1932 and remained with the club until they withdrew from the Irish League in 1949. In 1936 he was a member of the Celtic reserve team that reached the final of the County Antrim Shield, only to lose 1–0 to the senior Celtic team. He subsequently established himself as a regular member of the senior team, playing alongside the likes of Jimmy McAlinden, Jackie Vernon, Charlie Tully, Tom Aherne, Robin Lawler, Jimmy Jones and Johnny Campbell. During the 1930s and 1940s this Celtic team dominated Northern Irish football. During the summer of 1949 McMillan also played with Celtic on their tour of North America. Other members of the touring party included Aherne, Lawler, Campbell, guest player Mick O'Flanagan and manager Elisha Scott. These were the last games Belfast Celtic played before the club disbanded. The highlight of the 10 game tour came on 29 May when Celtic beat Scotland 2–0 at Triborough Stadium. On returning from the tour, McMillan joined Ballymena United as a player manager.<ref>''Paradise Lost and Found: The Story of Belfast Celtic'' (1999):Padraig Coyle [https://www.amazon.com/dp/1840181362]</ref><ref name="amazon.co.uk">''The Complete Who's Who of Irish International Football, 1945–96'' (1996):Stephen McGarrigle [https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1851588949]</ref><ref>[https://www.rsssf.org/tablesb/bceltic-usa49.html Belfast Celtic North America tour results]</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1949.html |title=The Year in American Soccer – 1949 |access-date=13 March 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080302234909/http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1949.html |archive-date=2 March 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 1951, McMillan signed for Crusaders where he stayed for one season.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001542/19510911/019/0002|title=Distillery just got there against "Crus" 3-2|publisher=Northern Whig|page=2|date=11 September 1951}}</ref>
==Irish international== When McMillan played as an international in 1945 and 1946 there were, in effect, two Ireland teams, chosen by two rival associations. Both associations, the Northern Ireland-based IFA and the Ireland-based FAI selected players from all 32 counties. As a result, several notable Irish players from this era, including McMillan, played for both teams.
===IFA XI=== Between 1944 and 1946, McMillan made at least four appearances for the IFA XI. On 9 September 1944 he played in the 8–4 defeat against a ''Combined Services XI'' at Windsor Park. This team was basically a Great Britain XI and featured, among others, Matt Busby, Stanley Matthews, Tommy Lawton and Stan Mortensen.<ref>[https://www.rsssf.org/tablese/eng-warvic-intres.html Wartime internationals] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080922180926/http://www.rsssf.com/tablese/eng-warvic-intres.html |date=22 September 2008 }}</ref> McMillan also played in three Victory internationals. On 15 September 1945 he played against England in a 1–0 defeat at Windsor Park. Then on 2 February 1946 he also played in the 3–2 defeat to Scotland, once again at Windsor Park. On 4 May 1946 he made his fourth appearance for the IFA XI in a 1–0 win against Wales at Ninian Park.<ref>[https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/075531431X ''Soccer at War – 1939 – 45'' (2005): Jack Rollin]</ref> However, none of the matches he appeared in were considered full internationals.
===FAI XI=== In 1946 McMillan also made two appearances for the senior team of the FAI. He was one of several players born in Northern Ireland who benefited from the FAI's attempts to establish an all-Ireland influence. In June 1946 when the FAI organised an Iberian tour, McMillan, together with Jackie Vernon, Jimmy McAlinden and Paddy Sloan, was one of four Northern Irish players called up. McMillan was originally a reserve but replaced the injured Bill Hayes and subsequently played in the 3–1 defeat to Portugal on 16 June and in the 1–0 win against Spain on 23 June.<ref name="amazon.co.uk" /><ref>[https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1851589392 ''The Boys In Green – The FAI International Story'' (1997): Sean Ryan]</ref><ref>[http://www.soccerscene.ie/sssenior/player.php?id=402 Ireland (FAI) stats]</ref>
==Honours==
'''Belfast Celtic'''
*'''Irish League''' **''Winners'' 1936–37, 1937–38, 1938–39, 1939–40, 1947–48: '''5''' *'''Northern Regional League''' **''Winners'' 1940–41, 1941–42, 1943–44, 1946–47: '''4''' **''Runners-up'' 1942–43: '''1''' *'''Irish Cup''' **''Winners'' 1936–37, 1937–38, 1940–41, 1942–43, 1943–44, 1946–47: '''6''' *'''City Cup Winners Cup''' **''Winners'' 1939–40, 1947–48, 1948–49: '''3''' *'''Gold Cup''' **''Winners'' 1938–39, 1939–40, 1940–41, 1943–44, 1944–45, 1945–46, 1946–47: '''7''' *'''County Antrim Shield''' **''Winners'' 1936–37, 1938–39, 1942–43, 1944–45: '''4'''
'''Belfast Celtic Reserves''' *'''County Antrim Shield''' **''Runners-up'' 1935–36: '''1'''
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Ballymena United F.C. managers}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mcmillan, Billy}} Category:Ballymena United F.C. managers Category:Ballymena United F.C. players Category:Belfast Celtic F.C. players Category:Dual Irish men's international footballers Category:Men's association football full-backs Category:Ireland (FAI) men's international footballers Category:NIFL Premiership players Category:Association footballers from County Antrim Category:Men's association footballers from Northern Ireland Category:Republic of Ireland men's international footballers from Northern Ireland Category:Association football managers from Northern Ireland Category:Sportspeople from Carrickfergus Category:Ireland (IFA) men's wartime international footballers Category:Ulster Scots people Category:1991 deaths Category:Year of birth missing Category:Crusaders F.C. players