The man who led boys of '37 to semi

Dave Mangnall was a cigarette-card hero in football's boiled beef and carrot days and such was his goalscoring reputation at Millwall that, even now, he brings a tear to the eye of some of south London's old folks.

A former coal miner from Wigan, it was Mangnall's goals - 10 of them - that propelled Millwall, of the old Third Division South, to the FA Cup semi-final in 1937.

He played just 72 games for Millwall but the 49 goals he scored earned him a place in the club's hall of fame.

"My father watched all those Cup matches as a teenager and used to tell me about Dave Mangnall," said Jeff Burnige, who has been a Millwall director for 18 years. "There's a well-known photograph of the quarter-final when the great Manchester City goalkeeper Frank Swift missed a cross and Dave headed it in."

Mangnall had already played for Leeds, Huddersfield and Birmingham when he joined Millwall's great rivals West Ham. He had only one full season at Upton Park, scoring 22 goals in 25 Second Division matches, before moving to Millwall for £1,000 in 1936.

He made a goalscoring debut in a pre-season friendly at the old Den watched by Sophie Tucker, the American singer and film star. She later befriended Mangnall and was godmother to his son.

Just as today, the dockland fans loved players who defied the odds and refused to be intimidated by bigger and better opponents. Mangnall, prickly and pugnacious, quickly became their hero. He was particularly brave in the air and benefited enormously from the service of winger Reg Smith, the last player to have worn an England shirt while with Millwall. Sadly, he died earlier this year.

Together they steered Millwall past Aldershot - Mangnall scored four - Gateshead, Fulham and three First Division opponents: Derby, Chelsea and Manchester City.

Mangnall nearly missed the semi-final against First Division champions Sunderland but a Peckham herbalist helped him recover from a thigh strain. Ten-thousand Millwall fans travelled to Huddersfield for the semi-final and, although Mangnall scored, Raich Carter's team triumphed 2-1.

Mangnall, who earned the maximum £6 a week at Millwall, fell out with manager Charlie Hewitt and did not play for the club again after their FA Cup adventure. He had a spell running a cafe and grocery business in Sutton Coldfield and then joined QPR in 1939. When he finished playing, he managed Rangers from 1945-52.

The last years of his life were spent as a publican in Penzance, Cornwall where he died, aged 54, after an illness in 1962.