Joe Miller (footballer, born 1967)

Last updated

Joe Miller
Joemiller.jpg
Personal information
Full name Joseph Miller
Date of birth (1967-12-08) 8 December 1967 (age 57)
Place of birth Glasgow, Scotland
Position(s) Winger / Striker
Youth career
St Marys Boys Club
Celtic Boys Club
1983–1985 Aberdeen
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1984–1987 Aberdeen 62 (13)
1987–1993 Celtic 151 (27)
1993–1998 Aberdeen 145 (19)
1998–2000 Dundee United 24 (2)
2000–2001 Parramatta Power 24 (9)
2001 Raith Rovers 5 (1)
2002 Clydebank 3 (0)
2005–2007 Clyde 16 (2)
Total430(73)
International career
1987–1988 Scotland U21 5 (1)
Managerial career
2006–2007 Clyde
2009 Dundalk (assistant)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Joseph Miller (born 8 December 1967 in Glasgow) is a Scottish retired footballer and a former manager of Scottish Football League club Clyde.

Contents

He began his playing career as a teenage striker at Aberdeen, featuring in their 1985–86 Scottish Cup success, before moving to Celtic in 1987 for £650,000, a Scottish record transfer fee. Mainly used as a winger from then on, Miller won the 'double' of Scottish League and Scottish Cup with Celtic in 1988, and scored the winning goal for the club in the 1989 Scottish Cup Final. In 1993 he returned to Aberdeen, collecting another winner's medal in the 1995 Scottish League Cup Final to complete a domestic set.

In his later career he had shorter spells with Dundee United, in Australia (spending a season with Parramatta Power in the NSL), Raith Rovers, Clydebank and Clyde, moving into coaching with the latter.

Playing career

Aberdeen

Miller was raised in the East End of Glasgow, attended St Mungo's Academy [1] and grew up supporting Celtic; [2] his father (also Joseph) had been a professional footballer with Hamilton Academical and Swindon Town. [3] [4] He was a 12-year-old playing for St Marys Boys Club in the Calton (the same team which produced Tommy Burns) when Alex Ferguson, the manager of Aberdeen, was alerted to his talents through Miller's uncle who had previously worked as a scout for Ferguson. [5] [2] He signed provisionally for Aberdeen while continuing to play in Glasgow for Celtic Boys Club, a team with close ties to the professional club and coached by legendary player Jimmy Johnstone, but not formally connected to them. [3] [1] The Celtic manager Billy McNeill did make approaches to sign Miller, but on the advice of his father and due to the keenness of Ferguson he chose to stick with Aberdeen [1] who had a good track record of developing young players, including many from Glasgow such as Willie Miller (no relation) who had grown up in the same area. [3] [1]

After moving to Pittodrie Stadium in summer 1983, Miller made his Aberdeen debut just after his 17th birthday, coming on as a substitute in a league fixture against Dundee United in December 1984. [6] [7] That was his only appearance of the season, which ended with the club retaining the league title. Miller remained with the youth team and was in the side which won the Scottish Youth Cup in 1985 [8] alongside Stevie Gray, David Robertson and Paul Wright. The final was against Celtic at Pittodrie. After trailing 3–0, Miller netted a 35-yard lob to tie the match at 3–3. The comeback was complete in extra-time to secure the trophy with a 5–3 win. [9]

Around a year after he made his debut, Miller became a regular in the Aberdeen team, finishing with 19 league games and three goals during 1985–86; he also featured in the quarter-final of the European Cup against IFK Gothenburg and came off the bench in the 1986 Scottish Cup Final victory over Hearts. [7] [10] At that time he was usually playing as a striker. [3]

He played one more full season for the Dons with his form attracting attention from around Europe – Miller has stated teams from Spain and Italy showed an interest in signing him, [3] along with Liverpool who were coached by his childhood hero Kenny Dalglish, [1] and Manchester United where Alex Ferguson was now the manager. [11] [2] However it was Celtic and Billy McNeill, who had just returned to the club, who would secure the 19-year-old's signature in November 1987 (a few weeks after he appeared in the League Cup final, lost on penalties) [12] for a fee of £650,000, which at that time was a Scottish record as well as the highest fee paid for a teenager. [11] [6] Miller left Aberdeen having played 81 times and scored 21 goals in all competitions, with his last appearance a UEFA Cup defeat to Feyenoord.

Celtic

Miller immediately became an important player for Celtic after making his debut against Dundee, scoring the third goal of a 5–0 victory. [11] Playing as a right winger providing chances for forwards such as Mark McGhee and fellow new signings Andy Walker and Frank McAvennie, [13] the side won the league and Scottish Cup double in 1987–88, their centenary season; [11] [6] Miller has described this as his "best memory". [2]

Celtic failed to keep their grip on the league title in 1989, dropping to 3rd place as Old Firm rivals Rangers began what would be a period of dominance, and were also eliminated from the European Cup by Werder Bremen. Miller missed much of the season with a virus. [2] However the Hoops were able to retain the Scottish Cup, with Miller scoring the winning goal in the final against Rangers at Hampden Park to end their hopes of a treble. [14] That match was the third in a row in which he had been used as a striker and scored the only goal of the game, but with new strikers Coyne and Dziekanowski arriving, 'Super Joe' as he had become known, returned to his previous wing role. [3]

The following campaign began badly as Miller, having come on as a substitute for his first appearance of the season during the 1989–90 Scottish League Cup semi-final – a loss to former club Aberdeen – was himself substituted, prompting a furious reaction as he returned to the bench. Miller was "devastated" and submitted a transfer request, but this was rejected by the club. [15] He retained his place in the side, although the season finished without a trophy after Aberdeen again prevailed in the 1990 Scottish Cup Final (albeit Miller was named man of the match ), [16] while in the league they could only finish 5th.

By this point, Celtic were experiencing one of the most difficult spells in their history, [3] and 1990–91 brought further disappointment, with no trophies and a League Cup Final defeat to Rangers. [17] In 1991–92, new manager Liam Brady continued to select Miller but results deteriorated further, with defeats to Airdrie in the League Cup, Neuchâtel Xamax in the UEFA Cup and Rangers in the Scottish Cup (despite David Robertson having been sent off in the opening minutes for a challenge on Miller, breaking two of his ribs). [18]

By 1992–93, another campaign which would bring not even as much as a final for Celtic, [2] Miller was often only being selected as a substitute with Brady's own signing Stuart Slater being preferred. At the end of the season he returned to Aberdeen, having made a total of 199 appearances in his spell at Celtic Park, scoring 32 goals. [19]

Return to Aberdeen

Although Aberdeen were no longer the dominant force in Scotland as when he first joined in 1983, when Miller returned a decade later they were at least as strong a team as Celtic, having finished runners-up behind Rangers in three of the last four seasons. In 1993–94, with Miller a regular starter under manager and former teammate Willie Miller, another second-place finish was achieved. However the next season was a different matter, with the club losing to Stenhousemuir in the Scottish Cup [11] and only escaping relegation thanks to four wins in the last five matches and a play-off win against Dunfermline. [20] [21]

In 1995–96 they regrouped under new manager Roy Aitken, Miller's former captain at Celtic, and finished third while also winning the 1995 Scottish League Cup Final with victory over Dundee. [22] Miller returned what would be the best personal figures in his career, playing in 40 matches (all starts) and scoring 10 goals. He played with Aberdeen for two more unexceptional seasons, posting 70 further appearances. Coincidentally his final goal for the club came in a 3–0 win against a Hibernian team led by Billy McNeill, who was acting as caretaker manager for that match alone. [23] His combined Aberdeen totals of 264 matches and 47 goals are both within the top 50 in the club's all-time list. [24]

Later years

In summer 1998, 30-year-old Miller moved to Dundee United. [2] He contributed 33 appearances – many from the bench – and two goals in his single season at Tannadice Park in which the team finished in mid-table and reached the Scottish Cup semi-final, being beaten by Celtic. [25]

After being released from his contract, he then spent a season in Australia's National Soccer League, joining newly formed Parramatta Power for their inaugural season, before returning to Scotland for short spells with Raith Rovers (under another former teammate, Peter Hetherston, where he mentored a young Nacho Novo) [26] and Clydebank, prior to retiring from the professional game in 2002 to train as a coach. [2] He went back to Australia for a period, winning the amateur KDSA Cup with North Sydney in 2003.

Having been appointed assistant manager of Clyde in 2005, Miller re-registered as a player and made just over a dozen league appearances for the club in his late 30s.

International

Miller was selected five times for the Scotland under-21 team, [27] by which time he was already an experienced player at club level. He never received a full cap for Scotland, with the tactics of the time under coach Andy Roxburgh rarely utilising wingers, plus a direct rival in Pat Nevin and several competitors for a place as a striker.

Coaching and management

Miller joined Clyde in June 2005, initially as assistant to Graham Roberts, during which time they surprisingly defeated Celtic in the 2005–06 Scottish Cup. [28] He was appointed manager in August 2006 following the departure of Roberts following a feud between the pair; [29] Roberts later won a claim for unfair dismissal against the club. [28]

He guided Clyde to the 2006 Scottish Challenge Cup Final, the club's first national final in nearly 40 years. [30] Miller ended speculation about his future at Clyde in May 2007 by refusing to sign a new contract as manager, thus leaving the club. [31] [2]

In January 2009 Miller was signed up by Irish club Dundalk's manager Sean Connor as an assistant manager. [2]

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club [32] [33] [34] SeasonLeagueScottish CupLeague CupEuropeTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Aberdeen 1984-85 Scottish Premier Division 1000000010
1985-86 193320010235
1986-87 286303200348
1987-88 144005341238
Total62136285518121
Celtic 1987-88 Scottish Premier Division 273600000333
1988-89 218313030309
1989-90 245611010326
1990-91 308504100399
1991-92 262403131364
1992-93 231202020291
Total151272621329119932
Aberdeen 1993-94 Scottish Premier Division 274613231398
1994-95 291202010341
1995-96 3194051004010
1996-97 304202050394
1997-98 281004200323
Total145191411659118426
Dundee United 1998-99 SPL 242702000332
Total242702000332
Parramatta Power 2000-01 National Soccer League 249------24+9+
Total249------24+9+
Raith Rovers 2001-02 Scottish First Division 51------5+1+
Total51------5+1+
Clydebank 2001-02 Scottish Second Division 30------3+0+
Total30------3+0+
Clyde 2005-06 Scottish First Division ----------
2006-07 ----------
Total162------16+2+
Career total4307353+5+39+12+233545+93+

Honours

Aberdeen

Celtic

Clyde

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy McNeill</span> Scottish footballer and manager (1940–2019)

William McNeill was a Scottish football player and manager. He had a long association with Celtic, spanning more than sixty years as a player, manager and club ambassador. McNeill captained Celtic's 'Lisbon Lions' to their European Cup victory in 1967 and later spent two spells as the club's manager. As a player and manager, he won 31 major trophies with Celtic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barry Ferguson</span> Scottish footballer (born 1978)

Barry Ferguson is a Scottish football coach, former player and pundit who was most recently the manager of Alloa Athletic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walter Smith</span> Scottish football player and manager (1948–2021)

Walter Ferguson Smith was a Scottish football player, manager and director, primarily associated with his two spells as manager of Glasgow club Rangers.

Eoin Jess is a Scottish football coach and former player.

James Yuille McLean 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, winning three major honours. He was also part-time assistant manager to Jock Stein with the Scotland national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ian Durrant</span> Scottish professional football coach and former player

Ian Durrant is a Scottish professional football coach and former player who was last a first team coach at Kilwinning Rangers until the end of the 23-24 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Brown (footballer, born 1962)</span> Scottish footballer and manager

John Brown is a Scottish former professional footballer who also worked as a manager. Brown played for Hamilton Academical, Dundee and Rangers, primarily as a central defender but also as a left full-back or defensive midfielder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ian Ferguson (footballer, born 1967)</span> Scottish footballer (born 1967)

Ian Ferguson is a Scottish football coach and retired professional player.

James Bett is a Scottish former professional association footballer who played in central or left midfield. He played with Aberdeen for nine seasons and had shorter spells at other clubs in Belgium, Iceland and Scotland. He earned 26 caps for the Scotland national team over eight years.

Patrick Travers was a Scottish football player and manager in the first half of the 20th century. He played for many clubs in his native Scotland and for Barnsley in England, before becoming involved in coaching, and later, management, winning the Scottish Cup with Clyde on two occasions either side of World War II.

Derek Ferguson is a Scottish former professional footballer and manager. A creative midfield player, Ferguson is best remembered for his time with Rangers and Heart of Midlothian.

William Henry Falconer is a Scottish former professional footballer and coach.

Aberdeen Football Club are one of Scotland's most successful football teams, with 17 major domestic trophy wins: four League titles with 17 runners-up finishes, seven Scottish Cups with nine final defeats, and six Scottish League Cups with nine final defeats. They are the only Scottish team to have won two European trophies – the European Cup Winners' Cup against Real Madrid on 11 May 1983 and the European Super Cup against the European Cup holders Hamburger SV in December 1983.

Celtic competed for five trophies in the 1966–67 season and the club won all of them: the Scottish League, the Scottish Cup, the Scottish League Cup, the Glasgow Cup, and the European Cup, and completed the only ever European Quintuple. However, their European Cup victory from this season qualified them for the World Championship the following season, which they went on to lose in a playoff to Racing. Over the course of this season, Celtic scored a world record 196 goals in the major competitions they took part in.

The 1987–88 Scottish Football League was Celtic's 94th season of competitive football, and it marked the club's centenary. Davie Hay was dismissed as manager during the close season following a disappointing 1986-87 campaign, in which the team, despite holding a 9-point lead at the turn of the year, lost the league title to a resurgent Rangers F.C. under Graeme Souness and failed to win any trophies.

The 1978–79 Celtic F.C. season began with a significant change. Former club captain Billy McNeill took over from Jock Stein. Stein stepped down after 13 incredibly successful years, during which he led the club to numerous triumphs. His final season, however, was disappointing, with Celtic finishing fifth in the league, missing out on European football qualification, and failing to secure any silverware in the domestic cups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017–18 in Scottish football</span>

The 2017–18 season was the 121st season of competitive football in Scotland. The domestic season began on 15 July 2017, with the first round of matches in the 2017–18 Scottish League Cup. The 2017–18 Scottish Professional Football League season commenced on 5 August.

The Aberdeen–Rangers rivalry refers to football matches and related activity involving the Scottish football clubs Aberdeen and Rangers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018–19 in Scottish football</span> 122nd season of competitive football in Scotland

The 2018–19 season was the 122nd season of competitive football in Scotland. The domestic season began on 14 July 2018, with the first round of matches in the 2018–19 Scottish League Cup. The 2018–19 Scottish Professional Football League season commenced on 4 August.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Clark, Graham (30 July 1987). "One that got away". Evening Times. p. 2. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Joe Miller interview: March 2009". Dundalk F.C. 1 March 2009. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Dykes, Paul John (2015). Celtic's Smiler - The Neilly Mochan Story. Read Books Ltd. ISBN   9781473365100.
  4. ↑ "Joseph Miller profile". Swindon Town F.C. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  5. ↑ Ferguson, Alex (2011). Managing My Life: My Autobiography. Hachette UK. ISBN   9781444709100.
  6. 1 2 3 "Miller calls for managers to follow Ferguson's example and blood teenagers". The Herald. 6 July 2015. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  7. 1 2 Miller, Willie (2011). Willie Miller's Aberdeen Dream Team. Black & White Publishing. ISBN   9781845024031.
  8. ↑ "Famous Faces – Youth Cup Final". Scottish Football Association. 19 May 2015. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  9. ↑ "Scottish Youth Cup". Aberdeen F.C. 31 March 2006. Archived from the original on 16 August 2017. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
    "Aberdeen and SFA Youth Cup". Aberdeen FC . 28 April 2018. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
  10. ↑ "Scottish Cup: 1986 revisited". Aberdeen F.C. 6 January 2016. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 "Joe Miller: Moussa Dembele is in best place at Celtic". The Scotsman. 22 November 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  12. ↑ Reynolds, Jim (26 October 1987). "Spot-on Rangers earn the cheers". The Glasgow Herald. p. 9. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  13. ↑ "McAvennie and Miller fully enjoyed their Celtic heyday". BBC Sport. 14 January 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  14. ↑ Traynor, James (22 May 1989). "Tension and fear spoil show-piece". The Glasgow Herald. p. 22. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  15. ↑ "Pat Bonner: I was there when Joe Miller threw a strop in '89 but Kris Commons showed a lack of respect for Ronny Deila". Daily Record. 24 October 2015. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  16. ↑ Traynor, James (14 May 1990). "Stagnant Celtic pay ultimate penalty. Snelders saves Rogan's kick and Irvine secures cup for Aberdeen". Herald Scotland. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  17. ↑ "1990/91 - Rangers 2-1 Celtic (aet)". BBC Sport. 14 March 2009. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  18. ↑ "Former Rangers star David Robertson: I was meant to make Joe Miller's hands go up his sleeves but I went too far and broke his ribs". Daily Record. 19 April 2017. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  19. ↑ "Celtic player Joe Miller". Fitbastats.com. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  20. ↑ "Dunfermline Athletic 1–3 Aberdeen". Aberdeen FC Heritage Trust. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  21. ↑ Haggerty, Tony (6 May 2015). "In pictures: The agony and ecstasy of Scottish football play-off drama". Daily Record . Retrieved 8 November 2017.
  22. ↑ "Dodds and Shearer end Aberdeen's wait" . The Independent . 27 November 2015. Archived from the original on 9 June 2022. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  23. ↑ "Miller helps Miller to wind up Hibernian" . The Independent. 8 February 1998. Archived from the original on 9 June 2022. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  24. ↑ "All time statistics". Aberdeen FC Heritage Trust. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  25. ↑ "Celtic 2–0 Dundee Utd". Dundee United Historical Archive. Archived from the original on 19 October 2017. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  26. ↑ "Hetherston looks back as Raith chase Clyde". Fife Today. 22 November 2001. Archived from the original on 19 October 2017. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  27. ↑ "Scotland U21 profile". Fitbastats.com. Retrieved 19 April 2014.
  28. 1 2 "Ex-Clyde boss wins dismissal case". BBC Sport. 29 June 2007.
  29. ↑ "Clyde's Miller moves to add trio". BBC Sport. 29 August 2006.
  30. ↑ "Miller celebrates manager award". BBC Sport. 12 October 2006.
  31. ↑ "Club Statement". Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 1 September 2007.
  32. ↑ "Aberdeen Football Club Heritage Trust - Player Profile". afcheritage.org. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  33. ↑ "Celtic Player Joe Miller Details". www.fitbastats.com. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  34. ↑ www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/player7/joemiller.html . Retrieved 18 March 2023.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  35. 1 2 "Joe has six appeal" . Daily Record. 24 January 1992. Retrieved 9 April 2023– via British Newspaper Archive.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.