1. Early life and background
Alan Patrick Mullery was born on November 23, 1941, in Notting Hill, a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England.
2. Playing career
Mullery's playing career spanned from 1958 to 1976, primarily as a deep or central midfielder. He made significant contributions to the clubs he played for and represented his country at the highest level. Throughout his career, he appeared in 364 games for Fulham, scoring 37 goals; 312 games for Tottenham Hotspur, scoring 25 goals; and 35 games for England, where he scored one goal. His combined club career statistics show a total of 676 appearances and 62 goals.
2.1. Club career
Alan Mullery's club career was marked by two significant spells at Fulham and a highly successful period at Tottenham Hotspur, culminating in several major trophies.
2.1.1. Fulham (first spell)
Mullery began his professional career with Fulham in 1958. During his initial period with the club until 1964, he established himself as a key player. He played in 199 league matches for Fulham during this spell, scoring 13 goals.
2.1.2. Tottenham Hotspur
In 1964, Mullery transferred to Tottenham Hotspur, where he played under the legendary manager Bill Nicholson. His time at Tottenham was highly successful, as he became a pivotal figure in the team's achievements. He contributed to Tottenham's victory in the FA Cup during the 1966-67 season, where they defeated Chelsea F.C. in the final. Mullery further showcased his leadership by captaining the team to triumph in the 1971 Football League Cup Final and the 1972 UEFA Cup Final. In the 1972 UEFA Cup Final, his header in the second leg against Wolverhampton Wanderers proved to be the decisive goal in a 3-2 aggregate victory. During his tenure at Tottenham, he made 312 appearances and scored 25 goals.
2.1.3. Fulham (second spell) and later clubs
Mullery returned to Fulham in 1972 for a second spell with the club, where he continued to be a productive player until 1976. In this period, he made 165 league appearances, scoring 24 goals. He was also part of the Fulham team that reached the 1975 FA Cup Final, though they ultimately lost to West Ham United. Towards the end of his playing career, in 1976, Mullery had a brief stint with Durban City before his retirement from professional football.
2.2. International career
Alan Mullery's international career with the England national football team saw him participate in major tournaments, albeit with both significant achievements and a notable controversy.
2.2.1. National team debut and early matches
Mullery received his first call-up to the England national football team in 1964, under manager Alf Ramsey. Despite his growing influence at club level, he was not selected for England's squad for the 1966 FIFA World Cup, which England famously won.
2.2.2. UEFA Euro 1968 and 1970 FIFA World Cup
Mullery was included in the squad for UEFA Euro 1968. In the semi-final match against Yugoslavia, he committed a foul against Dobrivoje Trivić, resulting in his expulsion from the game. This incident marked him as the first England player ever to be sent off in a full international match.
He was an integral member of England's squad for the 1970 FIFA World Cup. Despite England being the defending champions, their campaign ended in disappointment as they were defeated 3-2 by West Germany in the quarter-finals, having initially held a 2-0 lead. Mullery scored England's first goal in that match, which was his sole goal for his country. He played in all four of England's games in the tournament. Throughout his international career, Mullery earned 35 caps for England.
As a deep midfielder, Mullery did not score many goals. However, his 1970 World Cup strike against West Germany and a volley from outside the penalty area against Leicester City during the 1973-74 season, which was voted the BBC's goal of the season, remain well-known and are still discussed decades later.
3. Managerial career
After concluding his playing career, Alan Mullery transitioned into football management, leading several clubs and facing various challenges and successes during his tenure.
3.1. Brighton & Hove Albion (first spell)
Mullery began his managerial career at Brighton & Hove Albion, taking the helm in 1976. During his first spell, which lasted until 1981, he achieved remarkable success by guiding the club from the third tier of English football all the way to the top flight, a historic achievement for Brighton.
3.2. Charlton Athletic and Crystal Palace
Following his time at Brighton, Mullery managed Charlton Athletic from 1981 to 1982. In 1982, he took over as manager of Crystal Palace, a move that stirred considerable controversy and prompted a short-lived boycott from some Palace fans. This animosity stemmed from a previous incident during his first managerial spell at Brighton, where he was involved in a heated derby match against Crystal Palace in the FA Cup. After Brighton's defeat, Mullery allegedly made abusive remarks towards Palace supporters and their then-manager, Terry Venables, who had been his teammate at Tottenham. Despite this initial animosity, Mullery remained manager of Crystal Palace for two years.
3.3. Queens Park Rangers
In 1984, Mullery was appointed manager of QPR, succeeding his former teammate Terry Venables. His tenure at QPR began with success in the 1984-85 UEFA Cup, where he guided the club to a dominant 7-0 aggregate victory over KR Reykjavik in the first round. However, the second round saw QPR involved in an extraordinary tie against Partizan. In the first leg, played at Highbury due to UEFA's ban on the artificial pitch at Loftus Road, QPR secured a 6-2 victory, despite being 2-1 down at one point and having defender Warren Neill sent off. In the second leg in Belgrade, Partizan remarkably won 4-0, clinching the tie on away goals. This represented only the second time in the history of European competition that a team had overturned a four-goal first-leg deficit.
Mullery's QPR side was also involved in a memorable home league match in September 1984 against Newcastle United. After trailing 4-0 at half-time, including a hat-trick from Chris Waddle, QPR mounted an incredible comeback in the second half to draw the match 5-5. Despite such dramatic moments, Mullery was sacked after just six months in charge at Loftus Road, an announcement made hours after QPR had defeated Stoke City. Reflecting on this challenging period in 1985, Mullery famously stated that his time at QPR "turned me into a monster." He attributed his disillusionment and the loss of his love for football to what he described as "the moaning, groaning bunch of players who treated me, themselves and their profession with contempt," suggesting they were unable to overcome their disappointment following Terry Venables' departure from the club.
3.4. Later coaching and management roles
After his departure from QPR, Mullery took an 18-month break from football management. In the summer of 1986, he returned for a second spell as manager of Brighton. However, this period was short-lived, as he was sacked in January 1987 after just seven months. Mullery commented on this dismissal, stating, "You love the game, then it kicks you in the guts."
In the early 1990s, from 1990 to 1993, Mullery coached ATM FA in the Malaysian Premier League. He later served as Barnet's Director of Football from 1996 to 1997. Additionally, he had a brief managerial stint with the Sussex non-league side Southwick F.C..
4. Post-retirement activities
After retiring from active coaching and management, Alan Mullery has remained involved in football through various media and consultancy roles. For a number of years, he worked as a pundit for Sky Sports, offering his expert analysis on matches and football-related topics. In September 2005, he also briefly took on a role as a 'football consultant' for the Conference club Crawley Town.
5. Personal life
Publicly known aspects of Alan Mullery's personal life reveal his resilience in overcoming significant challenges and his personal convictions.
5.1. Personal challenges and recovery
Following his difficult period as manager of QPR, Alan Mullery entered a period of deep depression. This challenging time was further exacerbated by an unsuccessful business venture. During this period of personal turmoil, Mullery converted to Christianity. His financial and emotional struggles gradually eased, and he found stability when he began working in the media in the mid-1990s.
5.2. Political views
In 1972, Alan Mullery publicly stated his support for the Conservative Party (UK).
6. Honours
Alan Mullery's career as both a player and a manager is marked by several significant team and individual honours.
6.1. Player honours
- Tottenham Hotspur
- FA Cup: 1966-67
- FA Charity Shield: 1967
- League Cup: 1970-71
- UEFA Cup: 1971-72
- Fulham
- FA Cup runner-up: 1974-75
6.2. Individual accolades
- FWA Footballer of the Year: 1975
- Appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1976 New Year Honours.
- Inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2015.
7. Legacy
Alan Mullery's legacy in English football is multifaceted, encompassing his contributions as a pioneering player and a determined manager. As a player, he was a key figure in the successful Tottenham Hotspur teams of the late 1960s and early 1970s, captaining them to major cup victories, including the UEFA Cup. His distinction as the first England international to be sent off in a full match also highlights his tenacious, sometimes fiery, playing style. As a manager, his most notable achievement was guiding Brighton & Hove Albion from the lower divisions to the top flight, a testament to his strategic capabilities and leadership. Despite later challenges in management, including intense self-reflection on his time at QPR, Mullery's career reflects the demanding nature of professional football. His transition into media work after retirement has allowed him to continue contributing to the sport as an expert pundit. Overall, Mullery is remembered as a resilient figure who navigated the highs and lows of a lengthy career in football, leaving a significant mark on the clubs he served and the English game.