Idolised in Whitehawk, adored in Dulwich; Danny Mills’ prosperous football career has taken him from Crawley to Carshalton, Torquay to Tamworth. Now the 30-year-old forward has settled in south London, steadily etching his name onto the bricks of Champion Hill - a vibrant, social venue that stands for progressiveness, laughs and football. Sound familiar? The resemblance between The Hawks and The Hamlet is ubiquitous on the terraces, up the stairs, in the voices. No surprise, then, that it suits Mills down to an absolute tee.
There are few footballers as influential on the field as they are off it: an advocate for mental health awareness, Mills set up the ‘Shout Out for Mental Health Campaign’ that has helped focus attention on the damaging effects mental ill-health has on so many people, encouraging those who are feeling anxious or alone to talk to someone, and to reassure them that they are not alone in their experience. Last February saw the dawn of the campaign: a series of joint online initiatives that housed ‘The Big Virtual Match’, a fans quiz night and an evening with Mills and guests on zoom, with donations for Mind in Brighton and Hove and Lambeth and Southwark raised via a JustGiving page.
But first, the big question: what prompted him to set up the campaign? “I suppose the campaign came out of the pandemic really. I think, like all of us, we all had the rug pulled from under us and I think particularly for non-league football it had a detrimental effect on our game. I saw the effects that it was happening just in general with everyone around the nation. It was a big struggle mentally for everyone.”
“The campaign started off as a conversation really, or an idea that I had, and originally it was just going to be an open forum on zoom with the fans just to have a chat and, before I knew it, it had manifested into this campaign with the help of some great people at Dulwich Hamlet and Whitehawk, and all of a sudden it sort of just happened.” It’s laudable stuff and, when combined with the forward’s separate campaign that strives to eradicate racism from the game, the spotlight shines brightly on the former Hawk.
It is a playing career that spans three decades. Showing a wealth of potential with Crawley Town’s youth team in 2008, Peterborough United swooped in for the then-18-year-old's signature in a £15,000 move. Following loans west and north of the country, Mills resided in Whitehawk for a five-year period, registering 88 goals in a spell that earned him legendary status. With the Hawks’ fall from National League South it marked a move to Ebbsfleet United for Mills, spawning more loans and more movement before finding a permanent home with Dulwich Hamlet in 2019.
14 years, 14 clubs; Mills has established himself as a sparkling symbol of the non-league scene, and his legacy is still very much in progress. “Over the course of my career playing the game, mental health in football is something which I’ve always known was there but I certainly didn't really have an avenue or a place to talk about it. Not being able to go to games on a Saturday was horrible and I wanted to create the campaign to lift the spirit of the fans and also give them an opportunity to understand the effects that football has on the mental health of players.”
Mills speaks from the heart, and he uses his distinguished voice to elevate issues that deserve to be spoken about more. Rates of mental health problems have risen sharply since the start of the pandemic, and it is campaigns like this and charities such as Mind which help increase public awareness. “Mental health doesn't discriminate against anyone in particular, it affects all of us. I think one thing that I have learnt since doing the campaign is that we’re all on a mental health spectrum. We all have good days and we all have bad days, and I think it’s how we manage those worse days and what works for us and how we can navigate the world”.
“You’ve seen players at the highest level in the Premier League talk about the effects that media and social media in particular has had on the effects of their own mental health and as you come down the pyramid that’s no different in terms of how the game can affect you.”
Now entering his fourth season with Dulwich Hamlet, Mills returns to the club where he enjoyed the most success. When asked about his feelings on returning to The Enclosed Ground, he speedily pounced. “I can’t wait! I haven’t been back since I left - I’m really looking forward to seeing some of the people and the staff members that are still there. I’m a little bit older than when I left but I’m certainly looking forward to being in and around it and just being back in Brighton. It’s a great club, great place.”
“Whitehawk is the reason why I’m in football. I grew up and probably turned into a man at Whitehawk if I’m being honest. I spent a big chunk of my career there and it was certainly a club I’ll always hold dear to my heart and I’ll always have time for the people at the football club.”
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