David McMullan

McMullan made his debut in a home match against Manchester City on 17 October 1925. He made ten first division appearances that season as the club finished in seventh place and also made the team for the three FA Cup ties Liverpool were involved in that year. He was only called on twice the following season, both times to cover for left-half Tom Bromilow. Although McMullan had a decent run of 14 consecutive league games in 1927/28, his place in the side was eventually taken by Tom Morrison. The Belfast boy made an audacious move to New York in the summer of 1928. Bee, the Liverpool Echo reporter, contacted an American agent and told him McMullan could prove a useful forward: "McMullan consulted me about a football job. He could get none. No one wanted him, apparently. Here was a man out of work; a married man with a family. He could get no situation in England. I worked to give him a berth of some kind." On 28 July McMullan left Liverpool on the White Star liner Celtic heading for New York accompanied by George Moorhouse, the manager of the New York Giants and former Everton player C. E. Glover and former Liverpool forward Chris Harrington who had also signed for the Giants. McMullan wrote to Bee in October very pleased with his new adventure in New York: "Just a line about the football over here. You would be surprised if you saw the game they play over here. It is good and fast, but I think it is the small grounds that make it so fast, and, of course, they have as much grass as one of my old chums at Anfield has hair!"

His American adventure proved brief. By January 1929 he had returned, and the Northern Whig reported that Liverpool, who still had his name on their transfer list, had agreed to let him join an Irish club without a fee. The arrangement reportedly included a provision that Liverpool would receive a share of any subsequent transfer payment. On 9 May 1929, he signed for Exeter City, returning to English league football in the Third Division South. Exeter’s contemporary season preview presented him as a stocky, methodical wing-half, and he went on to make 19 league appearances during his single season with the club.

By January 1931, McMullan was playing and coaching at Lawnview, a local junior club. His participation attracted comment because an Irish international and cup winner was now appearing at such a modest level at only 29. McMullan explained that no Irish League club had offered him a place and that he wanted to remain involved, keep fit and help the team near his home. He paid his weekly subscription like the other members and said he enjoyed playing every Saturday. In October that year, Carrickfergus secured his signature, extending a career that had taken him from Belfast to Anfield, across the Atlantic and back to local football in Ireland.