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Mick Cullerton

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Mick Cullerton
Personal information
Full name Michael Joseph Cullerton
Date of birth (1948-11-25) 25 November 1948 (age 75)
Place of birth Edinburgh, Scotland
Position(s) Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1965–1969 Port Vale 97 (22)
1969 → Chester (loan) 7 (0)
1969 Chester 0 (0)
1969–1971 Derby County 0 (0)
Eastwood
Stafford Rangers
1975–1978 Port Vale 83 (28)
Northwich Victoria
Stafford Rangers
Total 187+ (50+)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Michael Joseph "Mick" Cullerton (born 25 November 1948) is a former Scottish footballer. He is noted for his two spells with Port Vale, as well as for being Stafford Rangers' star forward as they were one of the elite non-league clubs in the 1970s. He later worked behind the scenes at Port Vale and Stoke City, and commentated for BBC Radio Stoke.

Playing style

Cullerton was a goalscorer with excellent finishing skills, able to curve the ball past goalkeepers with ease.[1] He was notorious for refusing to help out in defence though, and gave very little effort in training, which led to him being criticized for being 'idle'.[1] He was also an extremely reliable penalty taker.[1]

"People looked at me and thought, he can't run, he's not very quick and he's not very good in the air, so how can he score goals? My answer to that was: 'Just add them up at the end of the season!"

— Cullerton answers his critics.[1]

Playing career

Cullerton played for Scotland under-16s, where he impressed Jock Stein, and won a trial at Chelsea.[2] However he joined Stanley Matthews' Port Vale in October 1965, with the promise of first team football.[2] He made his debut on 12 January 1966, playing in a front-line of five teenagers (the others being Alex Donald, Roddy Georgeson, Paul Bannister, and Paul Ogden). By November 1966 he had become a regular in the first team and was the 1966–67 season as the club's top scorer with 12 goals. Of an outspoken nature, he lost his first team place after vocally criticizing manager Gordon Lee in the dressing room.[1] He was loaned out to Chester in March 1969, moving there for free in May of that year.

He signed with Brian Clough's Derby County, though never made an appearance for the club despite hitting more than eighty goals for the reserve team.[2] He went into the non-leagues with Eastwood and Stafford Rangers. With Rangers he lifted the FA Trophy in 1972, after he scored one of the goals in a 3–0 win over Barnet at Wembley Stadium. He returned to Vale Park for a £5,000 fee in June 1975, having impressed manager Roy Sproson with his tally of 40 goals for Rangers in the 1974–75 campaign.[3] The money went towards a new toilet block at Marston Road.[4]

He marked the home debut of his second spell by scoring a hat-trick past Hereford United in the League Cup.[5] With 21 goals he became the club's top scorer of the 1975–76 season, but severed a cartilage in September 1976, an injury which put him out of action for five months.[6] He was given a free transfer to Northwich Victoria in May 1978 and later re-signed with Stafford Rangers.[3] He again helped Rangers to FA Trophy success in 1979, when Stafford beat Kettering Town 2–0. He also helped the club to the Northern Premier League title, the Bob Lord Trophy, and numerous lengthy FA Cup runs.

Post retirement

After working as the commercial manager for Vale between 1982 and 1985, he took up the same post at Stoke City and then Stafford Rangers.[7] He later worked as a commentator for BBC Radio Stoke.[8]

Personal life

He has two children: Jamie, a former captain of Leek Cricket Club and vice chairman/assistant manager of Leek CSOB; and Anna, a teacher.[2]

Statistics

  • Sourced from Mick Cullerton at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
Club Season Division League FA Cup Other[A] Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Chester (loan) 1968–69 Fourth Division 7 0 0 0 0 0 7 0
Port Vale 1965–66 Fourth Division 5 0 0 0 0 0 5 0
1966–67 Fourth Division 28 12 3 0 0 0 31 12
1967–68 Fourth Division 41 9 1 0 2 3 44 12
1968–69 Fourth Division 23 0 5 0 0 0 28 0
1975–76 Third Division 41 17 3 1 3 3 47 21
1976–77 Third Division 25 9 0 0 3 1 28 10
1977–78 Third Division 17 2 0 0 0 0 17 2
Total 180 50 12 1 8 7 200 58
Career total 187 50 12 1 8 7 207 58
A. ^ The "Other" column constitutes appearances and goals in the Football League Cup, Football League Trophy, Football League play-offs and Full Members Cup.

Honours

with Stafford Rangers

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Kent, Jeff (December 1991). Port Vale Tales: A Collection Of Stories, Anecdotes And Memories. Witan Books. p. 49. ISBN 0-9508981-6-3.
  2. ^ a b c d "Mick's journey to the microphone took in biggest voices in football". The Sentinel. 6 March 2009. Retrieved 4 March 2011.
  3. ^ a b "Backdate: Cullerton joins Rangers". The Sentinel. 13 September 2008. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
  4. ^ Baggaley, Michael (12 November 2011). "What's in a name? Well plenty if you get caught short at Stafford Rangers". The Sentinel. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
  5. ^ Sherwin, Phil (6 November 2010). "Cullerton bags hat-trick but Vale suffer cup woe". Retrieved 7 November 2010.
  6. ^ Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 72. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0. ASIN 0952915200.
  7. ^ "Mick to visit village event". The Sentinel. 18 November 2009. Retrieved 16 December 2009.
  8. ^ Baggaley, Mike (30 September 2016). "Port Vale: Coventry conqueror Mick Cullerton is on the mend". The Sentinel. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
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