News reaches us of the death of Stan Milburn, who made 179 Football League appearances for Chesterfield between 1947 and 1952.
Born in Ashington in October 1926, Stan began with his local side and was brought to the Recreation Ground by his brother George in January 1947, pinched from under the noses of Newcastle United. He repaid George's faith in him by taking his first-team place. The Spireites had to pay Ashington £1000 for him, but he became a key member of what was often rated as the finest defence in the Second Division at the time and was rewarded with a place on the 1950 FA tour of Canada and two England 'B' caps, enjoying an almost unbroken run in the Chesterfield team until being displaced by Tommy Flockett halfway through the club's first season back in the Third (North).
His football family was one of the game's most famous. His cousin Jackie was the noted Newcastle centre-forward, while nephews Bobby and Jack Charlton won the World Cup with England. Stan was the youngest of the four Milburn brothers, all of whom played professional football, and was the most outwardly stylish of the two on Chesterfield's books. He still had a lot to offer the game when Leicester reacted to Stan's dropping and subsequent transfer request by shelling out £10,000 for him in March 1952. Having earned a benefit at Saltergate, he was given another at Filbert Street, and a third at Spotland, where his Rochdale career began in January 1959 and continued almost until his fortieth year, including an appearance in the Football League Cup final.
Stan has a unique place in football history, in that he and Leicester's Jack Froggatt are officially recorded as 'sharing one own goal'. They became involved in a misunderstanding while defending a Chelsea attack in December '54, and simultaneously booted the ball into their own net.
After football, he became a warehouseman for and settled in the Rochdale area, continuing to play for his company's team until 1984! In 2002 Stan happily accepted an invitation to the opening of the Chesterfield Museum exhibition on Chesterfield's history, taking the opportunity to reminisce with old friends at the club for whom he clearly felt a great deal of affection.
Everyone at Chesterfield FC would like to pass on their sincere condolences to Stan's family and friends at this sad time.
