George was told to drink to forget by his manager!
Every football team suffers a bit of bad luck now and again.
The important thing is bouncing back after suffering disappointment.
It’s even better if you get the chance to seek redemption against the same opponent that took advantage of the misfortune.
St Johnstone are a team looking for revenge when they next play Celtic.
The Perth men have conceded 30 goals without reply in their last nine matches against the Hoops.
Former Saints favourite George Miller had to overcome a personal hiccup in 1967, and went on to be part of a team that achieved the club’s highest league finish.
George and his team-mates had reached the League Cup semi-final in 1967.
They met Dundee at Tannadice and were ahead, thanks to a goal from Gordon Whitelaw, at half-time.
The Dark Blues hit back after the break and took the lead – with two own goals from George.
He was thumped in the penalty area and managed to slice the ball into his own net.
That was followed up by deflecting a Billy Campbell cross past his goalie, Jim Donaldson.
Jim McLean later converted a penalty to give the Dens Parkers a 3-1 victory.
George recalled: “Those goals still get mentioned when I meet up with people at St Johnstone.
“To score one is an accident, getting two is starting to look more than a coincidence.
“I was unlucky, but these things happen. “It did used to worry me a bit but I realise that playing in a national semi-final was something of an achievement.
“The last thing the manager, Willie Ormond, said to me when we got off the bus after the game was: ‘Just go and get drunk’. I did.”
The chance for George to restore his reputation against Dundee came just three days later.
He went on: “We played them again on the Saturday and won 4-1.
“Willie Ormond asked the lads what the difference was between this performance and the semi-final.
“My team-mate Ian McPhee said: ‘We marked George out of the game!”
George had joined St Johnstone in 1965 from Dalry Thistle.
He said: “I was brought up in Greenock and played in the Western League for a couple of seasons.
“I was quite surprised to be scouted by St Johnstone. They tended to go for players from the east at the time.
“I was part-time at first, and then moved up to a club house in Perth.
“It was quite a change of lifestyle. When my neighbours referred to me as Mr Miller, I expected my father to be following behind.
“That wasn’t something that happened in Greenock.
“I played under Bobby Brown for about a year-and-half, and then Willie Ormond took over when he became Scotland manager.
“Willie was a gentleman, although he came under a lot of pressure from the directors and that grated on him.
“He build a really good team at Muirton Park, and bringing in forward players like Henry Hall, Fred Aitken, Kenny Aird and John Connolly made a huge difference.
“Before that, we really struggled to score and you felt that if you went one down, the game was over.
“We played three games in four days at the start of 1968 and then went on a great run. “That saw us finish sixth in the First Division. “I was what you might describe as a utility player. I turned out wherever the boss wanted.”
George, now 75, later had two seasons with Brechin City, then joined junior outfit, Jeanfield Swifts, where he had a spell as manager.
He settled in Perthshire and was a partner in a coachbuilding firm.