 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1895-03-26)26 March 1895 | ||
| Place of birth | Denny,Stirlingshire, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 28 November 1964(1964-11-28) (aged 69) | ||
| Place of death | Sheffield, England | ||
| Position | Left half | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| Denny Hibernian | |||
| 1912–1913 | Third Lanark | ||
| 1913–1921 | Partick Thistle | 217 | (8) |
| 1921–1923 | Maidstone United | ||
| 1923–1926 | Partick Thistle | 78 | (3) |
| 1926–1933 | Manchester City | 220 | (10) |
| 1933–1934 | Oldham Athletic | ||
| International career | |||
| 1918[1][2] | England (wartime) | 1 | (0) |
| 1919[3] | Scotland (wartime) | 4 | (0) |
| 1919–1921[4] | Scottish League XI | 4 | (0) |
| 1920–1929 | Scotland | 16 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1921–1923 | Maidstone United | ||
| 1933–1934 | Oldham Athletic | ||
| 1934–1936 | Aston Villa | ||
| 1936–1937 | Notts County | ||
| 1937–1942 | Sheffield Wednesday | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
James McMullan (26 March 1895 – 28 November 1964) was a Scottishfootball player and manager. He won 16Scotland caps as a player at half-back and was part of the famous"Wembley Wizards" side of 1928.
McMullan was born inDenny,Stirlingshire in 1895. He began his football career withjunior sideDenny Hibernian in 1911 before graduating to theScottish League withThird Lanark the next year. Initially considered an inside left,[5] by the time he left in 1913 he was playing predominantly as a left half.
He joinedThirds'Glasgow rivalsPartick Thistle in 1913.[6] He stayed eight seasons with Thistle but missed out on participating in theirScottish Cup-winning side of1921 through injury.[5][7]
In the close season of 1921 McMullan became embroiled in controversy. Partick turned down a £5,000 offer fromNewcastle United for his signature and the player, determined to play in English football, signed for non-leagueMaidstone United as player-manager.[5][8] He returned to the Glasgow club in the summer of 1923.[9] In February 1926 he eventually earned his long-desired move to theFootball League aged 30, whenManchester City signed him for £4,700.
McMullan made his debut for his new team in a 1–1 draw withLiverpool on 27 February 1926.Tommy Browell scored the goal for City in that game. Despite containing a number ofEngland players such asFrank Roberts,Billy Austin,Sam Cowan andTommy Johnson, City finished in twenty-first place in the First Division that season and were relegated into the second division. McMullan played in the1926 FA Cup Final defeat toBolton Wanderers. McMullan scored his first goal for Manchester City in a 3–4 defeat toSouthampton in the 1926–27 football season. City came third in the second division and were unable to earn promotion. In the 1927–28 football season McMullan helped City into first place in the second division, earning the team promotion. The team had been strengthened by the acquisition of bothEric Brook andFred Tilson fromBarnsley.
McMullan reached an FA Cup final with City again in1933 but the team were defeated byEverton 3–0. Many of his teammates would be part of the City team which won the FA Cup the following year. However, after 242 League and Cup appearances, McMullan departed Manchester City in May 1933.
In 1920 he won the first of his sixteen caps forScotland againstWales in a 1–1 draw in the1920 British Home Championship, having made unofficial appearances in the years prior during wartime. McMullan is considered to have been the greatest Scottish half-back of his day;[5] he was an ever-present in the1921 British Home Championship which was won by Scotland.
McMullan helped Scotland to victory in the1925 British Home Championship and was part of the Scotland team which defeatedEngland 2–0. He was also part of the team which won the1926 British Home Championship appearing in the 1–0 victory against England atOld Trafford and in the 3–0 victory against Wales atNinian Park. In the1927 British Home Championship, McMullan featured twice for Scotland in a 3–0 victory against Wales and a 2–1 defeat to England atHampden Park. Despite this defeat, Scotland won the championship again that season.
In the1928 British Home Championship, McMullan captained Scotland as they defeated England 5–1 atWembley Stadium with a hat-trick fromAlex Jackson and a brace fromAlex James. As a result of the resounding victory, the Scotland team were dubbed the"Wembley Wizards". Despite this victory Wales won the championship that season. McMullan captained Scotland to victory the following season in the1929 British Home Championship.
McMullan joinedOldham Athletic as a player-manager in 1933.
After a brief spell there, he was appointed the first-ever manager ofAston Villa in 1934 (before his appointment, the team was selected by a committee). However, the move proved disastrous, resulting in Villa's first ever relegation in1935–36 after 61 years in the top flight.
McMullan later managedNotts County (1936–37) andSheffield Wednesday (1937–1939). He died on 28 November 1964 in Sheffield[10] (the same day as another former Sheffield Wednesday manager,Billy Walker).[11]
McMullan is regarded as one ofManchester City's best ever players. In 1977,Manchester City Council named eleven streets in a new estate inMoss Side after famous City players including McMullan,Frank Swift, Fred Tilson, Sam Cowan,Horace Barnes,Max Woosnam, Tommy Browell, Eric Brook,Sam Cookson,Billy Meredith and Tommy Johnson.[12]