Mick Mellows

Mick Mellows

Personal information
Full name	Michael Anthony Mellows
Date of birth	14 November 1947
Place of birth	Woking, England
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Playing position	Winger
Youth career
1964–65	King Alfred College
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps^†	(Gls)^†
1965–70	Sutton United	?	(?)
1970–71	Reading	16	(2)
1971	Winchester City	?	(?)
1971–72	Wycombe Wanderers	8	(1)
1973–78	Portsmouth	181	(16)
1978–82	Waterlooville	153	(33)
National team
1969–71	England Amateur	15
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (goals)

Michael Anthony "Mick" Mellows is a former England Amateur International^[1] footballer, who later played professionally for Reading and Portsmouth.^[2] Born in Woking, Mellows attended Sutton Grammar School for Boys and played firstly for Sutton United before going to train as a teacher at King Alfred College, Winchester. During this time he played in the 1969 FA Amateur Cup Final and made 15 international appearances for the England national amateur football team.^[3] While playing for the college he came to the notice of many league scouts^[4] and eventually signed for Reading in September 1970, for whom he played 17 games (scoring twice),.^[5] After his time with the "Biscuitmen", he had spells with Winchester City and Wycombe Wanderers, before signing for Portsmouth in September 1973 as one of new chairman John Deacon’s promised additions to what had been the previous season a very threadbare squad.^[6] He came on to make his debut as a substitute in an away victory versus Sheffield Wednesday in October that year^[7] and was to remain a regular for the next five years, even winning the clubs coveted "Player of the Year" trophy in 1975.^[8] Somewhat a conundrum to the Fratton Faithful^[9] his last appearance was at Rotherham on the last day of the 1977/78 season.^[10] Mellows then joined Waterlooville and played for them in the Southern League until retiring from football in 1982. A devout Christian, Mellows now runs (with Linvoy Primus) "Faith and Football"- a community initiative which reaches out through sport to the city’s youth and disadvantaged.^[11]

Notes

1. "Rothmans Football Year Book,1970–71" Peskett,R/Williams,T: Harpenden, QAP,1970 ISBN 0-362-00071-9
2. "The PFA Premier League and Football League Players’ Records 1946–98" Hugman,B: Harpenden, Queen Anne Press, 1998 ISBN 1-85291-585-4
3. He also made one appearance for the British Olympic Football Team in a qualifying game versus Bulgaria in May 1971– accessed via AFS Database, 24 December 2007 13:28
4. Interview with Mark Storey in "The News Sports Mail", 6 June 2007
5. Mellows time with Reading
6. "Portsmouth, from Tindall to Ball" Farmery, C: Southend-on-Sea, Desert Island Books, 1999 ISBN 1-874287-25-2
7. Farmery(Ibid)
8. Programme Notes Portsmouth v Norwich, 28 April 1975
9. Favourite with fan
10. A match in which long serving goal-keeper Alan Knight also made the first of his 683 league appearances-"Legend" Knight,A: Fareham, Legendary, 2003 ISBN 0-9526760-1-X
11. BBC Radio Solent Profile