Ken Mulhearn

Infobox Football biography
playername = Ken Mulhearn


fullname = Kenneth John Mulhearn
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1945|10|16
cityofbirth = Liverpool
countryofbirth = England
dateofdeath =
cityofdeath =
countryofdeath =
height =
position = Goalkeeper
youthyears =
youthclubs = Everton
years = 1964–1967
1967–1971
1971–1980
1980–1982
clubs = Stockport County
Manchester City
Shrewsbury Town
Crewe Alexandra
caps(goals) = 100 (0)
050 (0)
370 (0)
088 (0)

Kenneth John Mulhearn (born 16 October, 1945 in Liverpool) is an English former football goalkeeper who played for Stockport County, Manchester City, Shrewsbury Town and Crewe Alexandra.

Mulhearn started his career as an apprentice at Everton but did not make the first team, and moved into the lower divisions with Stockport County, where he made 100 appearances. He was signed by First Division Manchester City on 21 September, 1967, a transfer which Stockport great Len Allchurch later reflected on by saying "...a great 'keeper. We never thought we'd replace him when he went to City". [cite web | url=http://www.stockportcounty.premiumtv.co.uk/page/PastPlayers/0,,10419~397780,00.html |title=Len Allchurch |work=Stockport County FC |accessdate=2007-12-24 ] Two days later Manchester City's first choice goalkeeper Harry Dowd sustained an injury, and Mulhearn took his place in the team, his debut coming in a Manchester derby. [cite news| title=Ken Mulhearn |date=2007-12-15 |work=Manchester City FC vs Bolton Wanderers match programme |pages=51 ] He kept his place for the remainder of the season, gaining a League Championship medal as part of Manchester City's 1967–68 title-winning side.

Mulhearn started the following season as first choice, but was dropped following a European Cup defeat to Fenerbahçe, in which his failure to claim a cross resulted in a winning goal for the Turkish side, leading Malcolm Allison to blame him for the defeat.cite book | author=Penney, Ian | title=Manchester City: The Mercer-Allison Years | publisher=Breedon Books | year=2008 | id=ISBN 978-1-85983-608-8 p65] He did not feature again that season, and dropped to third choice behind Dowd and Joe Corrigan. He returned to the first team for brief periods in the 1969–70 season, but by this time Corrigan had become established as a senior player and opportunities were limited. He made his final Manchester City appearance in a 1–1 draw against Arsenal on February 18, 1970.] He now works as a porter in shelton hospital, shrewsbury.

References