Albert Mullard

Albert Thomas Mullard (22 November 1920 – 27 May 1984) was an English footballer who played at right-half and inside forward.

Albert Mullard
Personal information
Full name Albert Thomas Mullard[1]
Date of birth (1920-11-22)22 November 1920
Place of birth Tamworth, England[1]
Date of death 27 May 1984(1984-05-27) (aged 63)[1]
Place of death Bilston, England[1]
Position(s) Right-half / Inside forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Hinckley United ? (?)
1946–1949 Walsall 61 (13)
1949–1950 Crewe Alexandra 44 (14)
1950–1951 Stoke City 21 (3)
1951–1956 Port Vale 163 (22)
Northwich Victoria ? (?)
Total 289+ (52+)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

After spending most of World War II in a Prisoner-of-war camp he turned to professional football. He plied his trade in the Midlands with Walsall, Crewe Alexandra, and Stoke City, though his most successful time was with Port Vale, with whom he won the Third Division North title and reached the FA Cup semi-finals in 1953–54. He also turned out for non-league sides Hinckley United and Northwich Victoria.

World War II

Mullard worked as a labourer at a brickworks, but enlisted in the Royal Marines on 24 September 1940. He was posted to North Africa and was eventually sent to Crete as part of MNDBO1 (Marine Naval Base Defence Organisation). He participated in the Battle of Crete in May 1941 and was captured by German Mountain Troops on 31 May 1941 while fighting in the rearguard action to defend the British evacuation at Sfakia.

He was moved to mainland Europe after his capture, spending time at Stalag III-D at Steglitz (suburb of Berlin)[2] then transferred to Stalag IV-D at Torgau, before being liberated by US troops in April 1945. During his captivity in Germany he regularly corresponded via letter with his future wife, née Mary Rickuss who he had met briefly at a family function prior to his enlistment. Whilst a POW he played football for a Royal Marine side after his mother sent him his football boots in a Red Cross parcel. On his return to the United Kingdom he contemplated staying in the Marines, but married Mary Rickuss and embarked on a career as a professional footballer.

Career

Early career

Mullard, a "good all-round player",[3] played for Hinckley United, before entering the English Football League with Harry Hibbs's Walsall in the 1946–47 season. The "Saddlers" finished fifth in the Third Division South in 1946–47, third in 1947–48, and 14th in 1948–49. In his three years at Fellows Park, he scored 13 goals in 61 league games. In June 1949 he joined Arthur Turner's Crewe Alexandra,[4] but left Gresty Road after the "Railwaymen" posted a seventh-place finish in the Third Division North in 1949–50 season.

Stoke City

Stoke City manager Bob McGrory paid £8,000 to bring Mullard to the Victoria Ground in August 1950. He scored four goals in 16 games in 1950–51, one each against Manchester United and Aston Villa, and two against rivals Port Vale in the FA Cup. He scored once in seven First Division games in 1951–52, before he and £10,000 were traded to Third Division South side Port Vale in September 1951, in exchange for Alan Martin.[1]

Port Vale

Mullard was the "Valiants" leading scorer in the 1951–52 campaign with 13 goals in 35 games.[1] Though signed by Ivor Powell, he remained a consistent first team player under new boss Freddie Steele.[1] He scored seven goals in 43 appearances in 1952–53, as Vale finished second in the Third Division North.[1] He was an ever-present during the 1953–54 campaign, as the club won the league title and reached the FA Cup semi-finals.[1] He played at right-half throughout the campaign, and so only found the net once in 54 games.[1] He scored once in 37 Second Division games in 1954–55, but only featured seven times in 1955–56 as he tore a groin muscle.[1] He was transferred to Cheshire County League side Northwich Victoria in the summer of 1956.[1]

Personal life

Albert Mullard was born to Albert Ernest Mullard and Sarah Mullard (who outlived all three of her sons, Albert, Eric and Arthur) on 22 November 1920. His father died whilst Mullard was in his teens, which was possibly due to wounds sustained during the First World War, having been wounded three times during his service in the South Wales Borderers and then the Machine Gun Corps.

He died from advanced cancer on 27 May 1984. He was survived by his wife Mary Mullard. They had two daughters, Mary and Janet.

Career statistics

Source:[5]

Club Season Division League FA Cup Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Walsall 1945–46 Third Division South 001111
1946–47 Third Division South 27910289
1947–48 Third Division South 200020
1948–49 Third Division South 33340373
Total 6212616813
Crewe Alexandra 1949–50 Third Division North 4215514713
1950–51 Third Division North 200020
Total 4415514916
Stoke City 1950–51 First Division 14222164
1951–52 First Division 710071
Total 21322235
Port Vale 1951–52 Third Division South 3413103513
1952–53 Third Division North 40621427
1953–54 Third Division North 46180541
1954–55 Second Division 37130401
1955–56 Second Division 611071
Total 1632215117823
Career total 2905228531857

Honours

Port Vale

References
  1. Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 209. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
  2. "Items belonging to Marine Albert Mullard". pegasusarchive.org. Retrieved 12 July 2009.
  3. Port Vale FC. The Valiants in the 50s & 60s. The Sentinel. December 2004. p. 54. ISBN 1-84547-090-7.
  4. Edwards, Leigh. "Ultimate Saddlers A–Z 12". saddlers.co.uk. Retrieved 12 July 2009.
  5. Albert Mullard at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  6. Sherwin, Phil; Askey, Steve (2013), Men of Steele: The story of Port Vale's stunning 1953/54 season, Pass Publishing, ISBN 978-0-9926579-1-8
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