WREXHAM goalkeeping legend Grenville Millington has been honoured by the FAW for his services to the non-professional game.
Millington, 52, received a special trophy at the 2004 Welsh Football Awards after dedicating more than 30 years to raising the standard of the sport. The Welsh amateur and youth international has coached at all levels, including a spell at the Racecourse.
Millington said: 'I was pleased but shocked to win the award. It was fantastic to be recognised.'
Millington, whose brother Tony played 21 times for Wales, said: 'They invited me about a month before, but when they called at first I thought they were after my brother because he played inter-nationally.
'But they said they wanted me to be there to represent the non-professionals, so I was delighted.
'What I didn't know was that they had already spoken to my wife so it was a bit of a set-up!
'When I got my award, there was my wife on the main table with Mark Hughes and Robert Earnshaw, who won the player-of-the-year award. '
The shot-stopper's career took in a number of clubs, yet it is his time with Chester for which he will be most remembered. Millington played for the Blues between 1968-69 and 1973-83.
In 1974-75, he enjoyed eight straight clean sheets, still a club record. Millington's form meant Chester conceded only nine league goals at home as they won promotion from Division Four and went on an incredible League Cup run that saw them beat champions Leeds United on the way to the semi-finals, where they were halted by Aston Villa.
Millington said: 'It was amazing because Leeds were at their best. But what I thought was equally a great achievement was that we managed to get a 0-0 draw against Newcastle after that, before taking them back to Sealand Road and beating them. It was some team.'
