Scoring Goals with a Smile

Lewis Milne was chatting to Louise Taylor for the match day programme v Elgin City on 11 February 2017.

It seems longer than seven months since the bright smile and even more dazzling shooting boots of Lewis Milne first graced the Station Park pitch, such is the ease with which he has settled into the Forfar squad. The Edinburgh born midfielder, who was the Loons’ joint top league goal scorer prior to the Elgin match, is loving every minute of his time at the Angus club.  With nine goals to his name, including one in cup competitions and many of them stunning long range strikes, Lewis is making excellent progress in his quest to lead the scoring charts at the end of the season. He admits that the friendly rivalry for this accolade keeps him and the other lads on their toes. “They say competition brings out the best in you – that’s certainly the case here with me vying for top spot along with David (Cox) and Josh (Peters). It’s great to have goals coming from so many of the lads especially Coxy who works his socks off in every game and gives everything. He’s such an inspiration to all the lads.”

  Lewis has already scored more this season than in any previous campaign and is well on his way to beating his entire senior goal tally of 12. What does he put this rich vein of form down to? “After last season when I was out injured for a few months, I knew I needed to stay fit and prove myself to my new gaffer so I would get a start in every game.  The gaffer likes me to be a more advanced midfielder and that has given me more goal scoring opportunities. I feel sharper around the box and I had scored a few far out goals at Cowdenbeath so it is something I’ve always had in my game. I’m not afraid to take a shot.”  Lewis also credits this confidence to shoot when there is only the smallest route to goal to someone with a similar reputation for scoring stunning long range goals. “I’ve always got Martyn (Fotheringham) behind me in my ear – even if he is not playing I can hear him telling me to ‘please shoot – you can score from far out so don’t even bother passing. Frank Lampard never scored all his goals by not shooting.’  So if it opens up I feel confident to have a shot. I believe that I can beat the goalie from that distance. It doesn’t always work out but when it does it feels wonderful. It’s an amazing feeling.” 

Paying further tribute to Foxy, Lewis believes it’s an unbelievable achievement for him to get his testimonial. “I’ve joked with him that I hope I’m still able to move about like he is when I get to his age! He laughs it off and he’s great speaking with all the lads about their game. I always listen to him because I know it’s going to make me a better player. The same with Stuart (Malcolm) and Gavin (Swankie) - even if they are not in the starting line-up it’s like they are the way they are with the boys in the dressing room. The gaffer mentioned it last week following the Arbroath victory that it’s not just down to the guys on the pitch but the full squad and we are all there to support each other.”

Signed in June 2016, Lewis owes much to his good friend and teammate Tam O’Brien. Tam and Lewis go way back to their days at Cowdenbeath and more recently Lewis’ mum Angela was excited, as a Dunfermline Registrar, to be the person to register the birth of Jude, Tam and his partner Jordan’s son, who was born in January.  Lewis knows that Tam will have put a good word in for him with Gary Bollan believing he will have said something like ‘He’s like my wee brother and he’s a great player and will do well for us.’ Another friendly face already at Station Park was Grant Adam who also played at Cowdenbeath.  

Although he didn’t know Gary when he got the call from his agent to sign for Forfar Lewis didn’t hesitate and was training in St Andrews a few days later.  Lewis might have been forgiven for regretting the decision to move north when he turned up at his first training session. “Tam had warned me about the type of pre-season it was going to be. The lads nicknamed it The Forfar Running Club with the gaffer putting the emphasis on fitness and so there was, and still is, a lot of running and I mean a lot! If I’m honest it was exactly what I needed because I hadn’t done a proper pre-season in 2015-16. The lads are reaping the benefits now with our fitness levels – I think you can see that when we’ve been behind in a few games and have come out strongly in the second half to get a win. But even though you know it’s going to benefit you and the team in the long run it’s still not much fun at the time!”

What is clearly fun for Lewis is the strength of the relationships he has developed with his teammates and he is keen to stress how friendly everyone has been from the very start. Having been at Cowdenbeath for eight years it was a bit of a shock to the football system entering a new club set-up and he admits to some nerves. “I remember travelling up to training the first night with Tam and Danny was also in the car. Danny seemed like a good guy and made me feel really welcome. I knew Tam was going to look after me and I wouldn’t be on my own but I never expected how welcome I would be made to feel. Honestly it is an unbelievable dressing room – there is a great balance with the experienced guys like Malks, Swanks and Foxy helping the younger players. Everyone gets on well and even away from the field the banter never stops on our group Messenger chat and on nights out.”

Quick to point out the part Gary and his management team play in the success of the squad, Lewis admires what the manager is able to get out of the players in only four hours a week of training. “Up until last season I was full-time so I don’t have a lot of experience of part-time managers but the league table doesn’t lie and it’s obvious that Gary is a top manager as well as having a lot of experience as a player. He’s got the lads fit and playing for each other and he, Stuart and Flats also look after and motivate the boys. They believe in everyone in the squad even if coming in to cover an injury.”

Someone who has had to deal with injury is his car share buddie Michael Travis who Lewis is delighted to have back in the team. “I couldn’t remember playing against Trav much before so I wasn’t sure what to expect but there was a lot of banter about his best foot being his head! I go to the same gym as him and he’s constantly there. I remember a running session during one of his first times back and he was one of the fittest putting the rest of us to shame. I know the club looked after him well and that everyone is delighted to him back.”  Joining Lewis and Michael in the car share is Andy (Munro), Tam and Danny. The self-titled ‘elite car’ certainly lived up to that name during the first part of the season when, other than Josh, all the goals were coming from its occupants. They certainly were not shy about shouting this out to the rest of the lads.  “We kept telling them that the team would be lost without our elite car load!”

Indeed there was something to shout about in last week’s performance against Arbroath. “The gaffer played down the importance of the match saying that the pressure was on them but we all knew ourselves that it was really important. Every single player was fired up and the plan was to make sure we were first to every ball and to take care of our own men which we did. It was great to get the win for the fans. We knew it was not good enough to be top of the league but to have such a poor record in the derbies and we were determined to set that straight.”

Since joining the Station Park set-up Lewis has been impressed not only with his teammates and the support from the fans but with the dedication of the people behind the scenes. “Martin is a one of a kind. What a guy – he does anything he can for the players – he’s always around the club working hard and the players cannot thank him enough. Also hats off to Craig and Lara who never have any free time as they are always dealing with someone, helping us to keep in good condition. I really believe it is one of the best if not the best part-time club around.”

 While Lewis feels at home at Station Park his real family and home life have provided him with a solid foundation for his career. From his earliest days of kicking a ball about his dad, Scott, has encouraged Lewis at every stage. Mum, Angela, is equally supportive “My mum and dad have always done everything they can for me – sacrificed so much for my football career and I cannot put into words how much I appreciate them being there for me every step of the way. They never missed a game back when I was young nor do they now. They are also always keen to chat to me about my games – when I was younger I’d pretend I wasn’t listening but I’d take it all in. My brother Josh and sister Kate are supportive although I think they were a bit sickened by being dragged to all my games when they were little so they only come along sometimes now!”

Although Lewis was born in Edinburgh and has strong roots in Leith, including supporting Hibs, his family moved over the Forth to Rosyth where he still lives.  “Football was all I ever wanted to do and my mum tried to get me into a local boys club, Leith Athletic. My age group was oversubscribed so I used to go along with my cousin Danny to watch him play for the younger age group. I was bored and kicking a ball into an empty net one day and a coach saw me and was quite impressed. So I was asked to join in the training session and then invited to join them so that was the start of my football career.” One person that deserves credit is Lewis’ Auntie Kath (Danny’s mum). Without her taking him along to his cousin’s training he might not have been spotted and Lewis confesses to being reprimanded for forgetting to thank her in interviews. “I need to mention my Auntie Kath who took me along to training with Danny where it all started! So this is a huge thank you from me to Auntie Kath – I owe you a lot.”

From struggling to find a club Lewis went onto play for four teams at the same time after he moved to Rosyth. He continued at Leith Athletic and joined Civil Service while also training with Hibs and Dunfermline Athletic youths. “I was about 10 and although I loved it at Leith Athletic it was too much to juggle so gave that up. Hibs then moved training to Penicuik so it was difficult for my mum and dad who were both working to fit everything in and get me across Edinburgh so I dropped that too. I then reached the age where you can’t play for a boys’ club and a professional club so I signed with Dunfermline.”

Lewis remained at Dunfermline for a couple of years before signing for Hearts around the age of 12. He laughs that his Dad thought the approach from Hearts was a joke. “I remember we were playing against Dundee and this guy asked if the number eight was his laddie. He introduced himself as a Hearts scout and that he had been watching me for a few games and liked what he saw. My Dad thought it was a wind up – but then realised it was serious and the guy was really enthusiastic about me. I loved my football at Dunfermline and as a Hibs fan I really didn’t want to play for Hearts but I went along to Heriot Watt University at Riccarton where Hearts trained. I was glad I did because it was out of this world. I had never seen anything like the facilities there and didn’t need to think twice about joining them after that training session.”  

Although it was frowned upon by the senior teams he played with in case of injury Lewis did play for his schools - St John’s in Rosyth and St Columba’s in Dunfermline. “As a young boy all you want to do is to play and you think the more you play the better you will get so you don’t really understand why you can’t play for all teams. There was a stage between leaving Dunfermline and signing for Hearts when I played for the Civil Service team again in a one-off tournament. There was a Hearts scout there and in one game I scored five and then for my sixth goal I chipped it up and scored an overhead kick. I looked over and saw the Hearts scout shaking his head and basically telling the coach ‘can you please just take him off before he gets injured’!”

During his time with the Tynecastle club Lewis gained invaluable experience playing against a number of European youth sides including Werder Bremen and Montpellier. This was a real eye–opener for the young lad from Rosyth. “For me to be playing against the boys clubs of these top European Teams was brilliant. Although it wasn’t always easy pulling on a maroon top. I used to close my eyes when I pulled it over my head but being serious it was a great experience at least in the beginning”. Things changed when the youth coach started to play Lewis out of position at right back rather than further up the pitch. It became clear that the coach thought Lewis had a future in that position but Lewis was no longer enjoying his football.  Displaying a strength of character rare in someone so young Lewis explained he did not feel that was his best position. Agreement could not be reached and the contract was terminated.

Lewis moved back to Dunfermline where he benefitted from the coaching of former Loon, David Bingham, a favourite with the fans at Station Park playing almost 100 times in the early 1990s. “I really enjoyed my football there and had a couple of great seasons. David was the U’14 coach – he was brilliant.”   Then, as at Hearts, Lewis’ enjoyment was curtailed by the arrival of a new coach from Hutchison Vale who favoured the boys he brought in from Hutchie. This led to some of the established players, including Lewis, getting less game time. This was particularly disappointing given that Lewis had had a great season the year before. The tipping point came following a six-hour round trip to Elgin which saw Lewis getting only 15 minutes game time. Again Lewis knew his own mind and wanted to deal with the situation with the help of his parents. “I remember being quite upset on the way home and my parents met me off the mini-bus. My dad spoke to the coach and they basically agreed to disagree - it was clear I wasn’t going to get a lot of game time so they let me go. It wasn’t about me going in the huff but at that age the most important thing was to be enjoying my football so it was the right thing to move on.”

Move he did but not far. Lewis joined Cowdenbeath a mere 15 miles away. With the assistance of his school friend Liam Callaghan who was playing at Cowdenbeath (he is currently playing for Montrose); Lewis was spotted by Central Park side and joined their youth set up. He went on to sign a senior contract and then made his debut in 2011 against Ross County shortly before his 17^th birthday. “At that age it is a dream come true – obviously the money wasn’t great but being able to play football full-time – training through the week was a brilliant opportunity.  My mum and dad were supportive as they knew this is what I had wanted do from a wee boy.”

Lewis would go on to make almost 120 appearances for the Blue Brazil with all but his last season on a full-time basis. Over his years at Central Park he formed many happy memories including his first goal, a header, against Livingston in 2012 and scoring on his 21^st birthday against Raith Rovers when, in Gazza fashion, he chipped it over an opponent’s head and hit it on the half-volley into the back of the net. This sounding like the special type of goal Forfar fans are getting used to from Lewis.   Another highlight for Lewis was being part of the Cowdenbeath squad which won the Scottish Second Division title (now League One) in 2012 the season after being relegated and beating Arbroath to the top spot. Sound familiar? One disappointment was that he never received league winning medal having only played eight times, two short of the requisite minimum.  Something that, then and now teammate, Tam O’Brien is not slow to remind Lewis as he cherishes his own winner’s medal from that campaign. Although Lewis had fond memories of his earlier times at Dunfermline the only red card of his career came in a game against the East End Park side. 

Lewis spent a frustrating last season at Cowdenbeath with injury ruling him out for a few months prior to Christmas.  A long standing injury was finally diagnosed as torn cartilage in the early autumn of 2015. It was a relief for Lewis to finally know the problem and that it could be fixed and he could be back in training by the end of December. Unfortunately Cowdenbeath were not able to cover the cost of a private operation. This was a disappointment given the loyalty Lewis felt he had given the Fife side and all that he had done for them in supporting youth and community events. “I did feel a wee bit let down although I know that money is tight but I wanted to get back playing as quickly as I could. I was in the last year of my contract and was worried that if I wasn’t playing I’d not get the opportunity to prove to other teams that I could play at a higher level.” It was nanna Kathleen to the rescue when she and Lewis’ grandad, Alex, offered to fund the operation with Lewis ever grateful for their support. “We didn’t have that kind of money put away and then my nanna said she would pay for it which was amazing of her. I said straight away that it was a lot of money and I would pay her back something every month. Honestly I cannot thank my nanna and grandad enough for what they did for me.” 

Following the operation Lewis was back playing in the New Year derby match against Dunfermline and then in  a cup tie against Rangers at Ibrox the following week although he admits there was no real rehabilitation and he did come back too soon. The rest of the season was not great with Cowdenbeath beaten in the play-offs and suffering back to back relegations. “I can easily say it was the worst year of my football career. In the summer Liam Fox was keen for me to sign on again at Cowdenbeath but the issue with the operation still rankled a bit and I felt I needed a fresh start. So when the call came from my agent that Gary Bollan was keen to take me to Forfar I was really excited and got on Face Time to speak to Tam to ask what the club was like. He said it was a great club – really well run and although relegated Gary was making good signings and the team would be challenging for the league.”

As much as he is very happy at Forfar he still has a lot of friends at Central Park and is sorry to see the future of his former club in the senior league set-up in danger. He admits that while it was a bit strange to play against them he was delighted to score in the famous 4-3 Forfar victory prior to Christmas and then again in January. “It was a bit odd but at the end of the day you are working hard for your current team and so when you score you don’t want to hold in the celebrations and I don’t think the fans want you to hold back either.  Football is my life and I am l really enjoying being at Forfar and trying to do my best. It’s brilliant and I want to show much I love it.”   

Away from football Lewis enjoys spending time with girlfriend Nicole although she is not always impressed that his obsession with the game extends not only to playing and watching but to perfecting his skills through playing FIFA on the PlayStation in a bid to keep ahead of fellow keen gamers Danny and Malks. 

So with around a third of the season to go how does Lewis feel about the run-in? For one thing he is keen for the fans to keep up their support and to also encourage friends and family to come along to get behind the lads. “We all really appreciate the backing from the fans both home and away.  It really helps to get us over the line in games such as the home game v Clyde and then again last week at Arbroath. You feel the fans are kicking are every ball with you and they have been brilliant so we are desperate to repay their support with more victories in the coming months.”   

Even in a short time speaking to Lewis it is easy to appreciate that he is a warm and friendly person with a love for those around him and of course for the game that has played such an important part in his life. You just want all things good to happen for this young man and with his skills that is undoubtedly going to be the case.  So as well as Lewis, the Forfar fans owe a huge thanks to Auntie Kath and the rest of the family for making sure Lewis took the football path which has led from Fife to Forfar and to some amazing and much needed goals this season. With his eye for the target it is bound to be a path paved with success, special goals, silverware and all brightened up with many more of his infectious smiles.