Looked back at my old progs many years back, saw this name in the team lists, must have watched him play several times - must be the most boring anonymous striker or player we've ever had - read Big Mal got him cheap from Ipswich, but I have no personal recollection of him whatsoever despite being notoriously anal retentive and having 'watched' him several times. Am I being paranoid thinking there may be something a bit X-Files about this. Can someone please put my mind at rest and provide me with substantive proof of Mick Hill's existence, apart from the link below which is a google image of him (apparently).

[Link]

hang on I was at that the bloody game, it was one of the first Sunday games, Paul Hammond in goal, Sir Bob was manager not playing, imagine Nobby was asst mgr - he'd hung up his shin kickers by then - you sure it wasn't Dave Swindlehurst or Jeff Johnson who both look similar or maybe the man from Del Monte or the Sandeman's port advert, Milk Tray, the phantom rasperry blower, one of the Mysterons ... was it really the man they call simply ... Mick Hill? I'm still not totally convinced.

Further research tells me that he made 49 appearances ( 49? really?) between 1973 and 1976. He scored a grand total of 6 goals. It seems that having ineffective strikers playing for the Palace is nothing new!

I saw him play.... can't remember who against but probably towards the end of his stay with us - 75/76 maybe?

He was a lean lanky streak of p1ss that was clumsy and never looked like scoring even though he wore the number 9 shirt.

I can only think that Swindlehurst was injured and no one else was available.

Comparisons with Tom Soares are valid as both were as much use as a chocolate teapot or balls on the Pope.

Mick Hill was a big, tall striker in the Chris Jones mould (occasional skill, occasional goals and a lot of hustle and bustle) and signed from Ipswich, though he had been ill and hadn't played for about a year. He played 43 times for us and scored 6 times. I recall the papers suggesting that the then Palace secretary Alan Leather made a crazy plane dash to secure his signature for £40k just before Christmas 1973 - with the club languishing at the foot of (in old money) Division 2. He was a Welsh international and, said Palace at the time, it would be his goals that would save us from Div 3. Or not. In this case, not.
He was spotted playing for a part time team called Bethesda in North Wales by scouts from Sheffield United. He played 35 times for the Blades (scoring 9 goals) before Bobby Robson paid £33k to take him to Portman Road (where he played 63 games and scored a tidy 18 goals). By mid 73/74 season he had become surplus to requirements at Ipswich (though he was their top scorer in the 70/71 season).
He was a trier and although he didn't score many I remember, aside from his lankiness, straggly hair and big moustache, he scored a couple when we battered Bournemouth 4-1 at home in April 1975 (pics of his 1st goal attached).
In the relegation season of 73/74 he often played in a front 3 with Rogers and Possee - but didn't score a single goal. In the 74/75 season he was fighting for a place with Wyn Davies (!), Rogers, Whittle, et al and did ok.
Ultimately early on in the 75/76 season, he was pushed out of a regular first team place by both Dave Kemp and young Dave Swindelhurst. Although in those mad Allison/Venables days sometimes all 3 played! The rest, as they say....

Attachment: MICKHILL.jpeg (53.85Kb)

I too witnessed Mick Hill play for us and he ranks in the category of strikers who didn't cut it for us along with Marco Gabbiadini, Ade Akinbadbuy and Paul Hinshelwood. The latter going on to be the famous right back "Doris"!

Thank you CPFC2010 for keeping me interested in football, for me no Palace no football either. Come on you Eagles.