Alan Mullery

Alan Mullery

Personal information
Full name	Alan Patrick Mullery
Position(s)	Midfielder

Alan Patrick Mullery MBE (born 23 November 1941, Notting Hill, London) is a former English football player and manager. After enjoying a successful career with Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur in the 1960s and 1970s, he became a manager working with several different clubs. He is now employed as a television pundit. He is also famous for being the first ever England player to be sent off in an international match.

Playing career

Mullery was a tough but quick central midfield player who came through the ranks at Fulham as a youngster, making his debut in 1958. Within a year he was made captain after an injury to Johnny Haynes, though the special day turned into a nightmare when he scored an own goal.

After one game short of 200 for the Cottagers, Mullery joined Tottenham in March 1964 for £72,500 and settled quickly into the team. He was awarded his first England cap in Amsterdam as England drew 1-1 with Holland in December of that year.

Mullery was an experimental choice by manager Alf Ramsey and didn't feature in subsequent England squads, nor was he selected for the final 22 who competed at the 1966 World Cup. But at Tottenham, his reputation as a strong midfield general and natural leader was beginning to emerge.

Tottenham won the FA Cup in 1967 after beating Chelsea 2-1, with Mullery's penetrating run from deep and blocked shot setting up the opening goal for Jimmy Robertson. In the same month, Mullery got his second England cap in an 2-0 victory against Spain at Wembley and stayed in the team ahead of his main rival, World Cup winner Nobby Stiles, as England progressed through the 1968 European Championship, reaching the last four.

Disaster and ignominy then struck Mullery, as he lashed out in retaliation at some constant fouling from England's opponents from Yugoslavia and became the first player ever to be sent off in a full England international match. England lost the semi-final 1-0. Stiles played in the third place play-off victory over USSR as Mullery served his suspension, but Ramsey kept faith with Mullery afterwards and had him back in the side for most of the friendly matches which would prepare England for their defence of the World Cup in Mexico.

Mullery, now Tottenham captain following the departure of Dave Mackay, won his 28th England cap when the tournament kicked off with a straightforward 1-0 win over Romania in Guadalajara. He stayed in the side for the remaining group games - a defeat against Brazil and a win over Czechoslovakia, which took England into the quarter finals, where they would meet the side they beat in the 1966 final, West Germany.

Mullery was involved quickly, scoring his first England goal with a powerful near-post shot in the first half which put his side ahead, but England ultimately lost 3-2 (this despite going 2-0 up) and went out of the competition.

Ramsey continued to select Mullery after the tournament, but with the likes of Colin Bell and Peter Storey coming through, Mullery played what turned out to be his 35th and final England game in 1971, just a month short of his 30th birthday, in a 3-2 victory over Switzerland as England began their qualification campaign for the 1972 European Championships. Earlier in 1971, Mullery lifted the League Cup as Tottenham captain after a 2-0 win over Aston Villa at Wembley. A year later, Mullery proudly held aloft the UEFA Cup after a 3-2 aggregate win over Wolverhampton Wanderers. Mullery scored the crucial Spurs goal in the second leg which separated the teams.

Mullery moved back to Fulham afterwards and scored what was later voted the BBC's Goal of the Season with an arching, swiping volley from 25 yards (23 m) during an FA Cup tie against Leicester City in January 1974. A year later, Fulham reached the final (despite being out of the First Division) with Mullery and his old England skipper Bobby Moore in the side, but they lost 2-0 to Moore's old club West Ham United. Mullery was subsequently awarded the MBE.

Managerial career

In 1976, Mullery retired from playing and had a successful spell as manager of Brighton and Hove Albion, taking them to two promotion campaigns and then keeping them in the First Division. He also managed Charlton Athletic (1981-1982), Crystal Palace, QPR, before returning for a second spell at Brighton, before giving up day-to-day involvement in the game. He later served Barnet as Director of Football during 1996-1997.

During his first spell at Brighton, he stoked the fire on an already-brewing rivalry between Albion and Crystal Palace. After some controversy involving a Brighton penalty being forced to be re-taken (the re-take was missed, the original kick was scored), Mullery publicly blasted the Palace management.

When he was appointed Palace manager, in 1982, many fans were angered, and attendances massively decreased at Palace games.

He once coached ATM FA in the Malaysian Premier League.

He now works as a pundit for Sky Sports, and in September 2005 also took a role with Conference club Crawley Town as a 'football consultant'.

Today, Mullery is a match day host at White Hart Lane

His brother in law is the cricketer John Murray.

He once went to Rome in an attempt to sign the Parma striker Gattuso Pope.

Honours

Tottenham Hotspur

• F.A. Cup winner - 1967
• League Cup winner - 1971
• UEFA Cup winner - 1972
• C U N T OF THE YEAR

{{Queens Park Rangers F.C. man agers}}

External links

• Alan Mullery (playing career) at Soccerbase
• Alan Mullery (managerial career) at Soccerbase