Jimmy Mullen (footballer born 1952)

Football manager infobox
playername = Jimmy Mullen
fullname = James Mullen


dateofbirth = birth date and age|1952|11|8|df=y
dateofdeath =
cityofbirth = Jarrow
countryofbirth = England
height =
currentclub = Walsall (manager)
position =
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1970-1980
1980-1982
1981-1982
1981-1986
1986-1987
clubs = Sheffield Wednesday
Rotherham
→ Preston (loan)
Cardiff City
Newport County
Career
caps(goals) = 229 (10)
049 0(1)
001 0(0)
133 (12)
019 0(0)
431 (23)
nationalyears =
nationalteam =
nationalcaps(goals)
manageryears = 1984
1986
1986-1987
1989-1990
1991-1996
1996-1997
2003-2004
2008
managerclubs = Cardiff City
Cardiff City
Newport County
Blackpool
Burnley
Sligo Rovers
Colwyn Bay
Telford United
Bromsgrove Rovers
Walsall

James "Jimmy" Mullen (born November 8, 1952 in Jarrow, County Durham) is an English football manager. He was appointed manager of Walsall as on May 22, 2008 after Richard Money's resignation. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/walsall/7415105.stm|title=Mullen named new Walsall manager|accessdate=2008-05-22|date=2008-05-22|publisher=BBC]

Playing career

In his playing days, Mullen spent most of his career at Sheffield Wednesday, and was their captain when they won promotion from Division Three in 1979/80. The following season, however, he went one better with Rotherham, captaining the Millers to the Division Three title.

After a short loan spell at Preston, he moved to Cardiff, where he again won promotion in 1982/83. Following the resignation of Cardiff manager Len Ashurst in March 1984, Mullen and Assistant Manager Jimmy Goodfellow were appointed joint Caretaker Managers until the end of the 1983/84 season. At the end of the season, Goodfellow was appointed as sole manager of the club, and Mullen continued as a player under Goodfellow and Alan Durban upon Goodfellow's sacking. After Durban led the club to two successive relegations, leaving them in the old Fourth Division, he was sacked and Mullen was appointed caretaker manager until the end of the season. Mullen was replaced by Frank Burrows in the summer of 1986 and he then moved on to near-neighbours Newport County, where he would end his playing days.

Management

After being assistant manager to Ian Porterfield at Aberdeen from 1986 to 1988, in April 1989 Mullen was asked to take charge of Blackpool for the last five games of the season after the departure of Sam Ellis. With the help of Len Ashurst, he guided the Seasiders to four victories and avoided relegation. Soon afterwards, Mullen was given the job on a full-time basis.

In light of Ellis' success and popularity at Bloomfield Road, Mullen only lasted eleven months before being replaced by Graham Carr. One notable signing made by Mullen in his short stay at the seaside was David Eyres from non-league Rhyl.

In 1990/91, Mullen was offered and accepted the assistant-manager role at Burnley by manager Frank Casper. Casper resigned eight games into the 1991/92 season, and Mullen was put in temporary charge of team affairs.

Mullen managed to guide the Clarets to promotion to the new Division Two as the old Fourth Division champions.

His success continued in 1993/94. Burnley won promotion to the First Division via the play-offs, and Mullen's hero-like status was confirmed.

His fourth season at the Turf would prove a difficult one. Mullen survived eight consecutive defeats in the New Year of 1995, but it resulted in the Clarets returning to Division Two.

After another unsuccessful 1995/96 season, Mullen was given the sack by the Burnley board and subsequently had short spells scouting for the likes of Bolton Wanderers and Wrexham.

He then took over at Irish side Sligo Rovers during the 1996-1997 campaign and stayed until the end of the season before departing for family reasons and began to work for the Welsh FA while assisting Neville Southall with the Welsh under-19s.

Mullen later managed Welsh outfit Colwyn Bay [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/league_of_wales/2940086.stm Mullen takes charge at Colwyn] - BBC Sport] but resigned after only one season in charge. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/league_of_wales/3659423.stm Mullen quits Colwyn] - BBC Sport] He also managed Market Drayton and Telford United.

His most recent managerial position was at Bromsgrove Rovers, until his resignation in 2006.

In May 2007, Mullen was appointed the assistant manager of Hednesford Town. [ [http://www.hednesfordtown.com/index.php?categoryid=11&p2_articleid=23 Hednesford Town official website] ]

On 28 September 2007, it was announced that Mullen had joined the backroom staff at Walsall. [ [http://www.hednesfordtown.com/index.php?categoryid=11&p2_articleid=127 Hednesford Town official website] ] In April, 2008, he was appointed caretaker manager of Walsall following Richard Money's resignation.

ee also

*Blackpool F.C. season 1989-90

Notes

References

*cite book | first=Roy | last=Calley| coauthors= | title=Blackpool: A Complete Record 1887-1992 | publisher=Breedon Books Sport | location= | year=1992 | editor= | id=ISBN 1-873626-07-X

External links

* [http://www.claretsmad.co.uk/news/loadsngl.asp?cid=ED95&id=122716 Clarets MAD Hall of Fame]
* [http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/player1/jimmymullen1.htm Independent site profile]