Ken Mulhearn RIP

RIP. I started going to City in the mid-seventies so never saw him for us, but I remember him playing for Shrewsbury because they were featured occasionally on Granada's Kick Off Match. By that point, he'd gone completely grey. Was a bit of a legend at Shrewsbury because he played there for a long time and helped them get promoted to the old Second Division, the highest they've ever been. I may be wrong, but I think he also played for Shrewsbury against City in their 2-0 FA Cup win over us in 1978/9, which was considered a major giantkilling act at the time.

There's a moving chapter about him in Forever Boys, James Lawton's excellent book about City's Mercer/Allison team. Mulhearn talks wistfully about being dropped the next season after being blamed for the Fenerbahce debacle and suggests that if he'd knuckled down a little more rather than being, as he acknowledges himself, a bit of a Jack the Lad, he might have prospered for longer at the top level. Genuinely moving stuff.

Still, not many win a league championship medal and his achievements at Shrewsbury aren't to be sniffed at, either. Can be proud of what he achieved.
 
Sad news. He was the keeper for most of the 1967/8 title winning season but he would probably never have been at City if Joe Mercer hadn't been a skinflint.

Harry Dowd was first choice keeper - solid if unspectacular - and I suspect Joe & Mal thought they could do better. Harry, famously, much preferred his chosen trade of plumbing to playing football but the money was better at City. So we were on the lookout for a new goalkeeper and Gordon Banks, having just passed 30, was told that Leicester thought he was past his best & that saw the young Peter Shiton as their long-term keeper. So the word went out that he was available and City were very interested. Joe & Mal agreed that he'd be an asset, that the £50k price Leicester were asking was reasonable & the board were also happy. Mal then went away, leaving Mercer to do the deal.

Joe however, always liked to save a bit of money if he could and offered Leicester £45k, which they rejected. Banks was also talking to Stoke, who didn't quibble and paid the full amount so he went to the Potteries. Malcolm was furious when he heard that Joe had screwed up the chance to sign one of the world's best keepers and they had to look elsewhere. Ken had done well enough at Stockport but he was no Gordon Banks and it's not clear that he would have been first choice at City, at least not in the short term, as he was only in his early 20's.

However just after we signed him, Harry got injured and wasn't available for the start of the season. Despite having signed Ken, Alan Ogley went in nets for the first couple of games then Harry took over again. I'm not sure whether it was injury or that Joe & Mal weren't happy but Harry lost his place and Ken then went in nets after we lost to Arsenal. His first game was the derby at Maine Road, which we lost 2-1. However Ken stayed as first choice keeper for the rest of the season and we won the title but the following season he was the scapegoat for our loss at Fenerbache, after he dropped a cross he should have caught and which led to a goal. He didn't play again for the rest of that season, with Joe Corrigan making his first appearances. He played a few more games in the 1969/70 season, none of which we won or even kept a clean sheet in but that was the end. He went to Shrewsbury, who he served with great distinction, making 370 league apearance in the 9 seasons he was there.

He was one of the surviving members of the 1968 title winning team, along with Tony Book, Mike Summerbee, Franny Lee & Glyn Pardoe, who were present in 2012 to see us lift the PL trophy.

RIP Ken.
 
However just after we signed him, Harry got injured and wasn't available for the start of the season. Despite having signed Ken, Alan Ogley went in nets for the first couple of games then Harry took over again. I'm not sure whether it was injury or that Joe & Mal weren't happy but Harry lost his place and Ken then went in nets after we lost to Arsenal. His first game was the derby at Maine Road, which we lost 2-1.

IIRC, in Lawton's book, Ken states that he was signed in the week before the derby in which he made his debut, with Ogley going the other way in a swap deal. The intention was that Ken would start off in the reserves with Dowd in the first team, but Harry promptly broke a finger in training meaning that Ken had to be thrown in at the deep end against United. But he did OK, despite the defeat, and kept his place even when Dowd returned after injury.

In 'George Best and 21 Others', which recounts the stories of the City and United players that locked horns in the FA Youth Cup semi-final in 1963/64, Ogley said that he was blamed by Mercer and Allison for Jack Charlton's winner for Leeds in the FA Cup quarter final in March 1967, and that he knew from then on that it was only a matter of time before Joe and Mal ditched him.
 
Sad news. He was the keeper for most of the 1967/8 title winning season but he would probably never have been at City if Joe Mercer hadn't been a skinflint.

Harry Dowd was first choice keeper - solid if unspectacular - and I suspect Joe & Mal thought they could do better. Harry, famously, much preferred his chosen trade of plumbing to playing football but the money was better at City. So we were on the lookout for a new goalkeeper and Gordon Banks, having just passed 30, was told that Leicester thought he was past his best & that saw the young Peter Shiton as their long-term keeper. So the word went out that he was available and City were very interested. Joe & Mal agreed that he'd be an asset, that the £50k price Leicester were asking was reasonable & the board were also happy. Mal then went away, leaving Mercer to do the deal.

Joe however, always liked to save a bit of money if he could and offered Leicester £45k, which they rejected. Banks was also talking to Stoke, who didn't quibble and paid the full amount so he went to the Potteries. Malcolm was furious when he heard that Joe had screwed up the chance to sign one of the world's best keepers and they had to look elsewhere. Ken had done well enough at Stockport but he was no Gordon Banks and it's not clear that he would have been first choice at City, at least not in the short term, as he was only in his early 20's.

However just after we signed him, Harry got injured and wasn't available for the start of the season. Despite having signed Ken, Alan Ogley went in nets for the first couple of games then Harry took over again. I'm not sure whether it was injury or that Joe & Mal weren't happy but Harry lost his place and Ken then went in nets after we lost to Arsenal. His first game was the derby at Maine Road, which we lost 2-1. However Ken stayed as first choice keeper for the rest of the season and we won the title but the following season he was the scapegoat for our loss at Fenerbache, after he dropped a cross he should have caught and which led to a goal. He didn't play again for the rest of that season, with Joe Corrigan making his first appearances. He played a few more games in the 1969/70 season, none of which we won or even kept a clean sheet in but that was the end. He went to Shrewsbury, who he served with great distinction, making 370 league apearance in the 9 seasons he was there.

He was one of the surviving members of the 1968 title winning team, along with Tony Book, Mike Summerbee, Franny Lee & Glyn Pardoe, who were present in 2012 to see us lift the PL trophy.

RIP Ken.
Great read that
 
IIRC, in Lawton's book, Ken states that he was signed in the week before the derby in which he made his debut, with Ogley going the other way in a swap deal. The intention was that Ken would start off in the reserves with Dowd in the first team, but Harry promptly broke a finger in training meaning that Ken had to be thrown in at the deep end against United. But he did OK, despite the defeat, and kept his place even when Dowd returned after injury.

In 'George Best and 21 Others', which recounts the stories of the City and United players that locked horns in the FA Youth Cup semi-final in 1963/64, Ogley said that he was blamed by Mercer and Allison for Jack Charlton's winner for Leeds in the FA Cup quarter final in March 1967, and that he knew from then on that it was only a matter of time before Joe and Mal ditched him.
You're right. Just checked and Ken was signed on Sept 21st, just before the Arsenal game that preceded the derby. Must read Lawton's book.
 
I think that Harry Dowd was a great goalkeeper. Unfortunately he was rather too short to cut it as a top line goalkeeper. I can recall when Harry was battling with the emerging Joe Corrigan for the gloves, it would appear that Harry was having a blinder but conceded two or three goals. Joe appeared to be having a ‘mare conceding one goal.

Alan Ogley had some heat games for City including one away to Southampton in a 1-0 defeat. The Saints fans were so impressed by his performance that a picture of him was put up in the supporters club. I suspect that the club thought they could do better as backup for Dowd and arranged a straight swap deal with Stockport County for Ken. I don’t think any fee was involved and the two players were of similar ages.

I recall Ken being fairly solid in goals but with Tony Book sweeping and Heslop and Oakes in central defence, maybe he had an easy time that season. When Book had a bad injury in the subsequent season, City struggled in the League at least. I didn’t see the Fenerbahçe match in question so I can’t comment on the perceived mistake by Ken. I suspect that City lost the tie by failing to win the home leg.
 
great keeper. took over from the popular Harry Dowd. not an easy thing to do.
I remember one guy, we were in the scoreboard end back then, all he ever did as our goalie caught the ball was shout "Harry's got it" nobody had the heart to tell him his man was not in the side :)
 

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