Skip to main content

Thomas "Steve" Mulholland

Name: Thomas Mulholland
Born: 13 April 1888, Belfast
Died: 
Height: 5.08 ft
Weight: 11.00 st
Position: Inside-Right

Representative Honours: Ireland: 2 Full Caps (1906).
Club Honours: (with Belfast Celtic) Irish Cup Runner-Up 1905/06.

Club Career:
Teams
Seasons
Signed
Fee
League
FA Cup
Other
Western
-
-
-
-
-
-
Belfast Celtic
05/06-07/08
Aug-05
-
-
-
-
Distillery
08/09
Jul-08
-
-
-
-
Leeds City
09/10-11/12
May-09
-
78/21
3/0
-
Wolverhampton Wanderers
12/13
Nov-12
-
6/ 1
-
-
Scunthorpe & Lindsay Utd
13/14
Jun-13
-
-
(Midland League)
West Stanley
-
Jun-14
-
-
-
-
Halifax Town
-
Feb-15
-
-
(Midland League)
Glentoran
-
Aug-15
-
0/ 0
-
-
Belfast United
-
c/s-18
-
-
-
-
Belfast Celtic
19/20
c/s-19
-
-
-
-
Hartlepools United
20/21-21/22
Oct-20
-
5/ 1
6/2
*/13
TOTALS
-
£-
89/22
9/2
-
*North-Eastern League Goals 
May also have played for Distillery early in the 1912/13 season before joining Wolves.

Biography:
Tommy ‘Steve’ Mulholland’s career got off to a blistering start. In 1906 he became just one of a handful of players awarded international recognition by the Irish FA prior to their eighteenth birthday, and earned rave reviews from those watching, despite a 5-0 defeat. A month later he won a second cap that, amazingly given his long career, was to be his last. 1906 also brought an Irish Cup Final appearance, with Celtic defeated 2-0 by Shelbourne in Dublin.

In 1907 Mulholland aided Belfast Celtic to a City Cup success, his driven goal in what was essentially the decider against Distillery helping the Stripes to a 4-0 win. Mulholland moved across to Belfast to sign for Distillery prior to the 1908/09 season. It was a to be a barren season for the Whites, one of the few highlights coming with a 2-0 victory over eventual League champions Linfield, Mulholland claiming both goals.

After a year with Distillery, Mulholland, accompanied by teammate Willie Halligan, moved to Leeds City. At the time, Leeds were struggling both on and off the pitch, and cut-price moves for Irish League talent were common place. Both Mulholland and Halligan made their debuts in the opening day of the season 5-0 defeat of Lincoln City. It was to be a rare highlight, Mulholland scoring just once all season, in a 5-3 reverse against Oldham, as he largely played second fiddle to Halligan, and Leeds finishing just above the re-election spots at the bottom of Division Two.

The following campaign, 1910/11, was slightly more positive. Halligan was Leeds’ second-top goalscorer with nine strikes, as mid-table respectability was attained. 1911/12 brought Mulholland his best run in the first eleven, he played 35 games in all, but Leeds struggled badly, finishing in 19th spot, forcing the club to apply for re-election to the Football League. At the end of the 1911/12 season Mulholland was part of Herbert Chapman’s clear-out at Elland Road.

Mulholland had brief spells with Wolves, then played non-League football with Scunthorpe and Halifax before returning to Belfast. He was back in 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 ’Pool’s first ever Football League goal, in a 2-0 opening day victory over Wrexham, but his League return lasted just five games.

Ireland Cap Details:

17-02-1906 England. H L 0-5 BC
17-03-1906 Scotland H L 0-1 BC

Summary: 2/0. Won 0, Drew 0, Lost 2.


With thanks to Martin O'Connor, George Glass and Cris Freddi for their contributions.

Initially Mulholland played with Belfast Blues (a short-lived team formed around Linfield Swifts and affiliated to the New Irish FA), before signing with Distillery for the 1912/13 campaign. 

Comments