Death of Alfred Mills’ grandson

Alfred Mills (Cornwall, United Kingdom, 15 December 1874 – Get, 15 October 1929) was the only foreigner between the 33 founders of the Club. Moreover, he was part of the first line-up of the Biscay (coalition of players from Athletic Club and Bilbao FC) that faced a foreign team, Burdigala (Bordeaux), which ended with a favorable 0-2.

It was his phrase “losing or winning is not important, what is important is to play strong, clean and have fun”. He worked in a telegraph company in Bilbao, and later it was his own son John, who took up his job, although he was transferred to Vigo and, later, to Peru.

Alfred’s grandson, John Robert Mills, Basque by birth ad English by heart and passport, left to Brazil in 1967, where he settled until his recent death at the age of 80. Although he became a supporter of the Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, and even published two books about Charles Miller, considered the father of the Brazilian football, Athletic “has been his first team at heart”, according to one of his sons.