George Mulholland (footballer)

George Rush Mulholland (4 August 1928 – December 2001) was a Scottish professional footballer who played more than 400 games for league clubs Stoke City, Bradford City and Darlington.

George Mulholland
Personal information
Date of birth (1928-08-04)4 August 1928
Place of birth Ayr, Scotland
Date of death December 2001(2001-12-00) (aged 73)
Place of death Stockton-on-Tees, England
Position(s) Full back
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1950–1953 Stoke City 3 (0)
1953–1960 Bradford City 277 (0)
1960–1963 Darlington 106 (0)
1963–1966 Billingham Synthonia
Total 386 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Early life

Mulholland was born in Ayr, Scotland on 4 August 1928.[1] He moved to the Potteries with his family when he was aged two-years-old.[2] Mulholland served in the Royal Navy during the Second World War before he returned to the Stoke area.[2]

Football career

Mulholland signed for Stoke City as an amateur during the 1949–50 season initially as a forward. He became a full-time professional in July 1950 but made only three league appearances in three years and was signed by Bradford City manager Ivor Powell on a free transfer in July 1953.[1]

Mulholland was turned into a full back by Powell and handed his debut on 29 August 1953 against Chesterfield.[1] He played the remaining 43 games of the 1953–54 season as Bradford finished fifth in Division Three (North).[3] He was then an ever-present in the City side for the following four seasons, failing to miss a league or cup game for the club until he fractured his leg 12 minutes from the end of a game against Mansfield Town on 1 September 1958.[1] His run of 237 league games, and 246 in total, broke the club's record of consecutive appearances held by another full back Charlie Bicknell.[2] The run coincided with goalkeeper Geoff Smith, who played 200 consecutive league games between 1954 and 1958.[1] Mulholland returned to the side in November 1958, playing 22 during the 1958–59 season and a further 28 the following season.[2] During his stay at Bradford, he had just two partners at full back—Jock Whyte and Tommy Flockett.[1] He was renowned for his pace, and functions to defend and mark the opposition winger, and has been inaugurated into the club's hall of fame.[1]

In July 1960, Mulholland was given a free transfer to Darlington where he played another 106 league games, finishing his professional career with 386 league games but without scoring.[2] His time at Darlington also included a game in front of a club record crowd of 21,023 in a 2–1 defeat to Bolton Wanderers on 14 November 1960.[4] He retired from the professional ranks in 1963, and played for non-league side Billingham Synthonia before he retired three years later.[1]

Post-football career

Mulholland retired to Billingham, where he held a number of jobs, including at ICI, as a school teacher and an insurance agent. He died in Stockton-on-Tees in December 2001 at the age of 73, after a four-year battle with cancer.[1][5]

Career statistics
  • Sourced from George Mulholland at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Stoke City 1950–51 First Division 3000–30
1951–52 First Division 0000–00
1952–53 First Division 0000–00
Total 3000–30
Bradford City 1953–54 Third Division North 43020–450
1954–55 Third Division North 46050–510
1955–56 Third Division North 46030–490
1956–57 Third Division North 46010–470
1957–58 Third Division North 46040–500
1958–59 Third Division 22040–260
1959–60 Third Division 28080–360
Total 2770270–3040
Darlington 1960–61 Fourth Division 4506030540
1961–62 Fourth Division 4100020430
1962–63 Fourth Division 2000010210
Total 106060601180
Career Total 3860330604250

References
  1. Markham, David (2007). The legends of Bradford City. Breedon Books Sport. pp. 136–137. ISBN 978-1-85983-572-2.
  2. Frost, Terry (1988). Bradford City A Complete Record 1903–1988. Breedon Books Sport. p. 125. ISBN 0-907969-38-0.
  3. Frost. Bradford City A Complete Record 1903–1988. p. 249.
  4. "Can we afford to lose 120 years of history?". Darlington & Stockton Times. 27 January 2004. Retrieved 1 May 2008.
  5. "George Mulholland". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
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