Trelford Mills, the Barnsley-based official who disallowed two Newcastle United goals in the 1983 FA Cup third round replay at St James’ Park, has died aged 77.
Mr Mills ruled that fouls had occurred before, first, Imrie Varadi and then Kevin Keegan had equalised Peter Ward’s eventual winner for Albion. Clearly mouthing to Varadi, that he had spotted a push.
Back in 2012 Brighton and Hove News caught up with the man we described “as once the bravest on Tyneside”, a phrase latterly coined by the Barnsley Chronicle.
Mills told us how, several years later, Arthur Cox as manager of Derby County, who had been the Magpies boss on that infamous night, refused to meet with him after a match in which Mills officiated as Derby won promotion. The assistant manager sent along instead, referring to that night in January 1983.
Trelford Mills 1942-2019.
