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Reuben James Mileman

Reuben James Mileman

Born in 1866 in Luton.  In 1881 he was a 14 year old office boy living with his parents at 16 Adelaide Street.  

Reuben played in goal for Luton Albany with Bert Sanders and Walter Miller and impressed in their games.  He was invited to play in a Luton Town practice game at the start of the the 1887/88 season and made his debut in the first game of the season away to Hitchin.  He kept a clean sheet in a 0 0 draw. Played in the F.A. cup first round at Chatham where –

“Mileman’s play in goal being all that could be desired, the shots that did go through being quite impossible to stop.  The home team won the match by 5 goals to 1”.

He kept his place in the team and impressed in a Christmas game against Unity at Wimbledon.

“Both goalkeepers played a remarkably good game, Mileman in particular on one occasion.  Five of the Unity forwards had the ball in front of the goal, when Mileman made a dash and seized the ball from their foot, and all three went sprawling through the goal, and Mileman coolly threw the ball out of danger.” At this time keepers could handle the ball anywhere in their own half.  

Reuben kept his place in goal for the whole of the 1887/88 season.  His last game was in the F.A. Cup against the Old Brightonians on the 17th November 1888.  The Town lost 3 1 but no blame was attached to Reuben in the reports so we do not know why he never played again.  He was the first permanent keeper the club had enjoying a long spell in the team.  

He married Emma Pratt on Christmas Day 1890 in Rotherhithe.  

In 1891 he was living with his wife Emma in Deptford and working as a packing case maker.  Emma was a hat Finisher.  Emma died two days after the birth of their son Frederick Holdstock Mileman.  Reuben married Annie in 1897 and they lived in Deptford.  

Reuben died in Islington on the 11th December 1935.  He left £622 2s to Annie in his will.