McCulloch Mick Image 3 Heart of Midlothian 1921

Description

Denny, Stirlingshire born inside forward Mick McCulloch began his career with Denny Hibernian in 1912 before joining local professional Scottish League club Falkirk in July 1913. In eight years with the club, he was made club captain and scored 22 goals in 161 matches for The Bairns. He also made appearances for the Scottish Junior International team during his time with Falkirk.

In the summer of 1921, McCulloch moved to Heart of Midlothian on a free transfer. He spent one season with Hearts making 10 appearances between August 1921 and April 1922 before joining Football League Third Division (North) side Nelson for a fee of £150 in June 1922.

McCulloch made his Football League debut in the first match of the 1922-23 season, a 2-6 loss at Bradford Park Avenue on 26th August 1922. He scored his first goal for the club the following week in the return match at Seedhill. After appearing in all of the first 23 matches of the campaign, he spent a spell out of the side following the signing of Dick Crawshaw. McCulloch returned to the first team towards the end of the season, playing the final four games of the season at the unfamiliar position of right half back. During the campaign he played 30 matches and scored 6 goals as Nelson finished Champions of the Third Division (North), thereby gaining promotion to the Football League Second Division for the first time in their history.

It was McCulloch who scored Nelson’s first ever goal in the Second Division, in the 1-1 draw with Clapton Orient on 25th August 1923. After three matches of the season, he was again moved to right half back, a position which he kept for the rest of the first half of the campaign. Following the 1-1 draw with Fulham on 22nd December 1923, McCulloch was dropped from the team and spent a long period in the reserves. Nelson supporters made clear their disappointment at the omission of McCulloch, with several letters being written to the Nelson Leader questioning the team selection. He was briefly reinstated to the team at the end of the season, scoring in the 1-3 defeat to Leicester City before playing his final match for Nelson on 26th April 1924 in the 0-1 loss to Leeds United, however Nelson were relegated at the end of the season.

McCulloch joined Third Division (North) side Chesterfield on a free transfer in June 1924. However, he found it difficult to break into the first team, playing only three matches for the club before leaving to join Football League Third Division (South) outfit Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic in March 1925. He scored one goal in 10 League appearances for Bournemouth before being released at the end of the season. McCulloch returned to his native Scotland and had a short spell with Scottish Football League Second Division club St Bernard’s from the summer of 1925 before retiring from football.