Mulholland Tom Image 1 Leeds City 1910

Description

Larne, County Antrim born inside right Tom Mulholland (nicknamed “Steve”) began his football career with Irish junior club Western, from where he joined Belfast Celtic in August 1905, being an Irish Cup runner up in 1906 with Celtic defeated 2-0 by Shelbourne in Dublin. Such was his impact that he was twice selected for Ireland, although not yet 18 years old, being capped against England and Scotland in February and March 1906, although these would prove his only internationals. After three seasons with Celtic he joined Belfast Distillery in July 1908 and played a season before a move to Second Division club Leeds City along with teammate Willie Halligan in May 1909, making his Football League debut against Lincoln City that September.

He had three seasons at Elland Road and missed only 3 matches in their 1911-12 campaign when he scored 11 goals as The Peacocks struggled towards the foot of the table, and the arrival of Herbert Chapman as manager saw him briefly return to Distillery in the 1912 close season after 22 goals in 81 matches for Leeds City, before he returned to Football League action with Wolverhampton Wanderers that November, scoring once in 6 matches for Wolves before the year end.

Mulholland joined Midland League club Scunthorpe & Lindsey United in June 1913 and North Eastern League club West Stanley exactly a year later, and played for Halifax Town in February 1915 before returning to Belfast with Glentoran that August with the First World War putting an end to peacetime football in England. He joined Belfast United in the summer of 1918 and returned to Belfast Celtic a year later. He finally headed back to England, playing for Hartlepools United in 1920. Thirteen goals in the North Eastern League was enough to take the club to seventh place, and earn them a place in the newly formed Division Three (North) for the 1921-22 season. Mulholland scored The Monkeyhangers’ first ever Football League goal, in a 2-0 opening day victory over Wrexham, but his League return lasted just five matches that autumn before his retirement in 1922.