Any Cheltenham Town fan not yet old enough to vote has missed out.

Not because they couldn’t have their say on Brexit in 2016, or have the chance to choose between Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn a year later, or even vote on Scottish independence in 2014; no, they have missed out because they never got to see one of the club’s most cultured footballers pull on the red and white shirt of Cheltenham Town.

The man in question is Russell Milton, of course, the classy midfielder who patrolled Cheltenham’s left flank for six years in the late 90s and early noughties.

It was that sweet left foot that set him apart from pretty much anyone he played with or against in those glory days from 1997 to 2003. No pass – short or long – was too difficult, and a succession of strikers from Jimmy Smith and Jason Eaton in the early days, through to Neil Grayson and then Julian Alsop and Tony Naylor profited from his ability to play a ball on a sixpence.

If they didn’t treat him to one or two nights out over the festive period during those years they certainly should have, because he was the man who very often was providing the bullets that allowed them to hit the target time after time.

And although Milton was clearly a creative midfielder, he didn’t shirk his defensive duties either, working hard in tandem with the club’s long-time left-back Jamie Victory to snuff out many a potential threat, whether it be against non-league opposition or in the Football League.

In short, Milton, now nearly 49 and the club’s current assistant manager, was a good footballer, very good in fact.

Good enough to play alongside the great Brazilian midfielder Socrates, good enough to be on Arsenal’s books for four years in the late 80s and good enough to play against some of the biggest clubs in the world when he was plying his trade in Hong Kong and Japan in the early 90s.

Born in Folkestone in Kent, Milton didn’t start playing football until he was “nine or 10”.

“I was quite a late starter,” he said. “I think I first started playing for the under-10s. It’s not like today when they start at five or six.

“I just played locally and in those days I played as a sweeper.”

The young Milton may have been a late starter but he was soon earning rave reviews, and at the age of 13 he went along to trials for Kent under-14s.

Even in those days, there were almost as many scouts as there were supporters at those type of games and once the match had kicked off they all had eyes for the young Milton.

“There were about 10 clubs interested in me,” said Milton, who despite living in and around Gloucestershire for the past 20 years or so has not lost his London/south east accent.

“Arsenal, West Ham, Villa, Southampton… life changed from that day. I was captain of Kent and all I wanted to do was play football.”

He soon got his wish. He signed schoolboy forms with Arsenal and within two years had left the education system and was one of 15 youngsters taken on as an apprentice by the North London club.

And while one door was certainly opening for the young Milton, the by now 16-year-old was closing the door on another career option.

“I was also offered a contract by Kent County Cricket Club,” said Milton. “I was a left-arm over first-change bowler, a right-handed batsman and I could also keep wicket.

“I’d open or bat at three for my school and I’d bat four or five for the county. My PE teacher said I was a better cricketer than footballer but I didn’t agree and I gave up cricket at 16.

“I played at Kent with Mark Ealham and Nigel Llong and they were both jealous because I was becoming an apprentice at Arsenal.”

And becoming an apprentice at Arsenal meant upping sticks, leaving the family home and moving to the bright lights of London.

“I loved it,” said Milton. “It was my cousin’s wedding the day before I left and I was given a bit of a send-off. I remember being on the doorstep at Highbury on the Sunday and being picked up by the chief scout and taken to my digs. I thought this is great.”

And it got even better for Milton once he got down to work with the club, a club that boasted the likes of Charlie Nicholas, John Hollins, Brian Talbot, Paul Mariner, Tony Woodcock and Viv Anderson in their first-team squad.

“George Graham was the manager and it was the time when a lot of youngsters were coming through,” said Milton. “Paul Merson was a year ahead of me and I got the furthest in my age group.

“Michael Thomas, Martin Hayes, Martin Keown, Tony Adams and David Rocastle were two years ahead of me and Kevin Campbell, David Hillier and Alex Miller were a year below me.

“Andy Cole was two years below me and both him and Kevin Campbell used to clean my boots!”

And while they were two shoe shiners who went on to dazzle at some of the biggest clubs in English football, the polished Milton was also making impressive strides at this stage of his Arsenal career.

“After 18 months I signed a two-and-a-half year contract,” he said. “I was always in the first-team squad, training with them and playing in lots of friendlies and testimonials.

“But in those days it was much harder to break into the first-team because there were only one or two subs.

“I’d often travel to games and be the 14th or 15th man.”

That was no mean feat in itself, of course, because during his time at Arsenal he was competing with some pretty decent players – Graham Rix, Paul Davis, Steve Williams and Brian Marwood.

And he was still very much in the mix, so much so that he was at Anfield on that never to be forgotten night in May 1989 when Michael Thomas’ last-gasp goal snatched what was then the Division One title from under the noses of serial winners Liverpool.

As a true team man Milton was as happy as anyone, but like any footballer he wanted to be playing and he was still waiting patiently for that first-team debut.

Less than a year later he thought his chance was about to come.

“George Graham put me in the first team for a training game against the reserves and I had a stormer,” recalls Milton.

“Paul Davis was injured and everyone was saying it looked like I’d be playing the next game.”

And it wasn’t any game either – it was against Manchester United live on TV on a Monday night.

“I was telling people that I thought I might be playing,” said Milton, “but then – and this shows how cruel football can be – two days before the game I got called in and I was told I was being released!

“That was a bit of a bombshell to say the least and it was tough to take.”

It was even tougher considering Milton was still a very young man. Fortunately his friends in the footballing family rallied round to help. Pat Rice, Brian Marwood, Steve Bould and Terry Burton were all supportive and opened doors that may otherwise have remained shut.

“I had offers from Bury, Stoke and Wimbledon,” Milton said, “although Terry Burton said that Wimbledon’s style of football may not suit me!

“Brian Marwood had contacts in Hong Kong and Japan and I thought it was a great chance to see a different part of the world.

“I’d had enough of English football and this was a chance to get away from it.”

So he headed off to the Far East where he spent three years in Hong Kong and a fourth in Japan, playing initially for a team called Instant-Dict and then Hitachi when he crossed the South China Sea to Japan.

And it will come as no surprise to anyone who knows him that the easy-going Milton, who has a ready laugh, had few problems settling into his new surroundings.

“I tripled my money,” he laughed. “It was a great time. The football was a bit slower and suited my style of play. The top division in Hong Kong which I was playing in was professional and the next two divisions were semi-professional.

“We played all round Asia in the Asia Champions League – in Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia.”

It was during this time that Milton also got to play alongside the great Socrates, the midfielder who captained that wonderful Brazil side that somehow failed to reach the last four in the 1982 World Cup.

“I played alongside him for four or five months,” said Milton. “I also played with the Brazil striker Serginho. They were playing for Santos and we played a benefit game against them before they joined us. Eder was also playing for Santos.

“They were both great lads. Socrates only had limited English but he was great fun. He was 38 but he could still play football.

“He used to smoke and drink but was still as fit as a fiddle. I remember he used to have a fag at half time of every game and then be sick. It was a ritual and I used to think, ‘What’s going on here?’”

Players like Socrates lit up any game they played in, of course, and these were certainly boom times for football in this part of the world.

“We used to play in front of crowds of 40,000 to 50,000,” recalled Milton. “We were a good team. We used to finish second or third in the league and we won a couple of cups.”

Milton also got to play for the Hong Kong Select XI and featured in exhibition games against the like of Partizan Belgrade, Manchester City, Milan and Everton.

His year in Japan was to prove just as enjoyable but after four years away, Milton wanted to return home to England.

“I wanted to do something that would give me longevity,” he explained.

So what did he do?

“I did a teaching degree in Canterbury,” he chuckled, “and yes, I did question my sanity. I’d been playing in front of crowds of 50,000 and here I was studying and back playing non-league football.”

It wasn’t all bad though. Milton was enjoying living in close proximity to his family and on the football field success was continuing to follow him around.

“I joined Dover Athletic and we won the Southern League Premier Division title,” he said, “which took us up into the Conference. We beat Cheltenham to the title that season. Chris Kinnear was the manager and we had a couple of good years.

“I remember we drew 1-1 at Cheltenham and when we scored the wall in front of the away fans collapsed as they celebrated.”

And that wasn’t the only drama.

“It was a midweek game and after the match our bus wouldn’t start,” Milton chuckled. “We were all in the bar until 2am, didn’t get home until 6am and then pretty much went straight to work!”

It wouldn’t be long of course before Milton was able to have a beer in the Robins Nest after a midweek game at Whaddon Road and still be safely tucked up in bed by midnight.

That was in 1997 when he decided that the time was right to leave Dover after four successful years and try something new.

“I spoke to Kidderminster – Peter Taylor put me in touch with them – and I went to Kettering but I liked it at Cheltenham,” he said.

“I had a month training with them before Steve Cotterill said he wanted to sign me and I thought, ‘Let’s go for it’.

“I liked Steve and there were a good set of lads at the club. They’d just got promoted so I’d be staying in the Conference.”

And that’s the level at which Milton thought he’d see out his playing days.

“I was 28 and I was winding down or so I thought,” he chuckled. “At my age I never thought that I’d get to play in the Football League.”

Mind you, he didn’t get off to the best of starts with his new club.

“My first game for Cheltenham was away to Dover and we lost 3-0,” he laughed. “I thought, ‘What have I done here?’ But within two or three weeks we were up and running.”

They certainly were, so much so that they went on to finish second behind Halifax Town in the Conference before enjoying that memorable day out at Wembley when they beat Southport 1-0 in the final.

A hamstring injury reduced Milton to a bit-part role at the home of English football on that baking hot day in May 1998, but whenever fans reflect on the game that provided the springboard for the best part of two decades of remarkable achievement by the club, the name Russell Milton always crops up.

“I was fit enough to play the last 15 or 20 minutes if needed,” said Milton. “We weren’t very good on the day and I think that Southport were the better side. I was sat next to Jimmy Smith on the substitutes’ bench and we kept badgering Steve Cotterill to get us on. We were saying, ‘Come on, we need to get some quality on the pitch!’”

Eventually Cotterill agreed and within minutes the two super-subs had fashioned the chance for Jason Eaton to head home the only goal of the game.

“Jimmy won the free-kick which I took and Jason scored,” Milton said, before adding, laughing, “I think Jimmy fell over a blade of grass and made out he’d been tackled!”

The celebrations carried on long into the night, of course, and there were still quite a few sore heads when the players headed for the open-top bus tour around the town the following day.

“We couldn’t believe the amount of people who came out to see us,” said Milton. “There have been quite a few open-top bus tours since then but that was the best. The place was swarming.

“When we went on to the town hall balcony you couldn’t see the road there were that many people.”

Those fans could have been forgiven for thinking that Wembley was the pinnacle for the club but with a manager like Cotterill that was never going to be enough.

He firmly believed that they could go one better in the league than the previous season and backed by chairman Paul Baker – the club brought in players of the calibre of Dave Norton, Richard Walker, Neil Grayson and John Brough – they were soon putting down a marker to every other team in the division.

They led the table for much of the season, although a slight wobble in March meant they headed to nearest rivals Rushden and Diamonds at the beginning of April in danger of being caught in the race for a place in the Football League.

Milton takes up the story: “I remember looking at the scoreboard and we were losing 1-0 after 90 minutes… then we scored two goals in a minute.

“It was one of those fantastic, surreal moments. The enormity of what we’d done didn’t really sink in but there was a big swing after that game.

“It killed them off and gave us the belief that we could go on and win the title.”

And that was confirmed a few weeks later with a 3-2 win over Yeovil Town. It also meant that Milton would be making his Football League debut in a few short months at the grand old age – in footballing terms – of 30.

Not that that caused him too many sleepless nights.

“I had no problem adapting to the Football League,” he said. “It did make me think what might have happened if I’d made my debut at 19, 20, 21.

“But it certainly helped that I was back in full-time football. It gave me the time to look after my body.”

And while Milton had few problems adjusting to the higher level – he’d go on to play well over 100 Football League games – he was not alone as Cheltenham also soon found their feet.

Top half finishes for the first couple of seasons were just appetisers for Cheltenham fans hungry for even more success, because in their third season in the big-time Milton and his pals served up a feast of winning football.

It was to be Cotterill’s final campaign in charge of his home-town club, and with Milton helping to pull the strings they reached the fifth round of the FA Cup – beating Burnley along the way – before reaching the end-of-season play-offs.

And such was the journey that Cheltenham were on at the time that the story almost inevitably had a happy ending, as they defeated old rivals Rushden 3-1 in the final in Cardiff.

Unfortunately for Milton, he had a watching brief on that wonderful day in the Welsh capital in May 2002.

“I tore my hamstring late on in extra time of the semi-final second leg against Hartlepool,” he recalled. “I knew I’d got no chance of playing in the final. It was a shame because I’d played 48 or 49 games that season.

“Martin Devaney took my place and scored and got man of the match! It was a great day and I was really pleased for everyone at the club. I’d have loved to have played but they were a great set of lads and you didn’t begrudge anyone their moment of glory.”

That was to be the last game of Cotterill’s reign and, whoever took over, life in what was then Division Two was always going to be tough.

It proved a step too far for the club although they put up a brave fight before dropping back to the level below.

“If we’d kept Graham Allner and Mike Davis I think we might have stayed up,” said Milton. “They got sacked when we didn’t even have a game and we did wonder what that was all about.”

That was to be Milton’s last season as player with Cheltenham. Two seasons with Bath followed before, at the age of 36, he called time on his career.

Football was to remain very much part of his life, however, and as well as some work in the media, he set up a number of soccer schools in and around the area with links to his old club Arsenal.

But while Arsenal were his first love, Cheltenham had been the club closest to his heart in more recent times and he couldn’t resist when the club came calling once again.

“Initially I worked part-time with the under-15s,” said Milton. “Then I went full-time in 2010 when I headed up the club’s centre of excellence.”

And while many ex-footballers say there’s nothing to beat playing the beautiful game, Milton says he gets just as much joy working on the other side of the white line.

“I loved working with the younger players,” he said. “I enjoyed seeing players develop and we were always trying to get the youngsters to a position where they could challenge for a place in the first team.”

Cheltenham’s first team is now the focus of much of Milton’s working life, of course, and in recent times he has had two spells as caretaker-manager.

Gary Johnson is very much the main man these days but the top job is a role that interests Milton somewhere down the line.

“I’m open to it,” he admitted. “It’s something I would do and I’ve done it before. I must have been in charge for 20 games. I’ve been involved with Gary for two or so years and I’ve seen a lot of things, although there’s always something new that comes along to test you.

“I’d never say that I want to do it because someone’s got to offer it to you first. But I’m qualified to do it and ready to step up if needed.”

For now he’s more than happy to operate as Johnson’s right-hand man. It’s not easy working in football management these days – the recent spate of high-profile sackings merely confirming the trigger-happy nature of too many owners.

Fans, too, can play their part in helping to bring down an unpopular management team and at least Milton has some eyes and ears on the terraces at Whaddon Road and when the club are on their travels.

“My daughter Abbie is Cheltenham’s number one fan,” laughed Milton, who lives with his wife Natalie in Abbeymead in Gloucester. “She’s 16 and goes home and away with them.

“She got hooked after we won the Conference a couple of years ago. She travels away on the supporters’ bus and she lets me know what the fans are thinking, good or bad.

“The fans are so passionate and it’s their prerogative to be up and down. But from our point of view we have to take the middle ground and not get too high or too low.”

It’s that same attitude that Milton has as he watches his son Freddie take his first steps on his footballing journey.

The nine-year-old Heron School pupil is part of the Cheltenham Town academy and, surprisingly, favours his right foot over his left.

“Mind you,” laughed Milton, “his left foot swinger is better than my right foot was.”

And there’s another young Milton kicking a ball around the fields in Gloucestershire – three-year-old Stanley. “And he’s left-footed,” laughed his proud dad.