Steve Bull
Encyclopedia
Stephen George "Steve" Bull, MBE
, (born 28 March 1965 in Tipton
, Staffordshire
) is an English
former footballer who is best remembered for his 13-year spell at Wolverhampton Wanderers
. He played there from 1986 until his retirement from playing in 1999, and holds the club's goalscoring record with 306 goals, which included 18 hatricks for the club.
He was capped 13 times for the England team
between 1989 and 1990, scoring four goals.
's Moat Farm estate and started school in September 1969 at Wednesbury Oak Primary School and moved up to Willingsworth High School in September 1976, by which time he was excelling in school football teams. The junior teams he played for included Ocker Hill
infants, Red Lion and Newey Goodman. He left school in 1981 to join non-league Tipton Town
. During this time he also held down a succession of factory jobs in addition to playing local league games.
He began his professional career, aged 19, after being recommended to West Bromwich Albion
in 1984 by his Tipton Town
manager Sid Day, who also worked as a scout for the Baggies. After initially having to train with the club's youth ranks, he was quickly offered a pro contract and moved into first team contention. He made his senior debut on 23 October 1985, replacing Garth Crooks
in a 2–1 Full Members Cup
win against Crystal Palace
. He made his league debut as a substitute against QPR, away, on 12 April 1986 (lost 0-1), and his full debut at home to Sheffield Wednesday on 22 April (drew 1-1); they were his only league appearances that season and only appearances in top flight football. He played three Second Division
games for Albion after they were relegated in 1986, scoring twice, and also scored one goal in two League Cup appearances for the club. In November 1986, he was sold to local rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers
, along with Andy Thompson, for £65,000 where he remained until the end of his professional career in 1999.
.
He also scored a club record of 18 hat-tricks - the first of them against Hartlepool United
in a 4-1 Fourth Division home win on 9 May 1987,the last on 17 August 1996 in a 3-0 Division One away win over Grimsby Town
.
His debut for Wolves, then languishing in the Fourth Division, was against Wrexham on 22 November 1986. He went on to make 464 league appearances for the club, 561 appearances in total.
He is regarded as such a legend at the club that one of the main stands at their home ground, Molineux
, is named after him. This commemoration was made in June 2003, with the stand having previously being known as the John Ireland Stand.
His first season at the club, 1986-87
, saw him score a total of 19 goals for Wolves - 15 of them in the Fourth Division, in which they finished fourth - although they lost out on promotion after being beaten by Aldershot
in the playoffs.
Bull scored 52 goals in all competitions during the 1987-88 season as Wolves won the Fourth Division championship and became the first of only three teams (later matched by Burnley
and Preston North End
) to have been champions of all four divisions in the English league.
On 11 February 1989, after just over two years at the club, he surprassed the 100-goal margin for Wolves when scoring a hat-trick in a Third Division game against fellow promotion contenders Fulham
at the Molineux, which Wolves won 5-2.
In 1988-89
, he inspired Wolves to a second successive promotion, this time as Third Division champions, with 50 goals — marking a tally of 102 goals in two seasons. While still playing in the Third Division, he was selected for the England team
and scored on his debut against Scotland
at Hampden Park
.
Late in the 1991-92 season
, he scored his 195th competitive goal for Wolves after just over five years at the club, breaking the club's decade-old goalscoring record set by John Richards
. Early in the following season
he scored his 200th goal for the club.
Bull remained a prolific goalscorer second tier of the English league, and stayed loyal to his Midlands roots despite interest from the likes of Coventry City
and Newcastle United
. In fact, when former England manager Graham Taylor
was manager at Molineux
in 1995, he had agreed with then Coventry City boss, Ron Atkinson
the sale of Bull to the Highfield Road
club. The outcry from the gold and black sector of the Black Country
was prolific, the local Express and Star newspaper even launching a campaign to keep Bull at Wolves. Whether it was a prick of guilt, or a tug at the old heart-strings, no-one will ever know, but Bull backed out of the deal and his transfer to Coventry never happened.
Bull played only one game in the English top flight
— coming on as a substitute, replacing Andy Thompson, for West Bromwich Albion in 1986 — the rest of his career was spent in the lower divisions. He came close to achieving his ambition of reaching the Premier League in 1995 and 1997, but Wolves lost in the play-offs both times.
During his final two seasons at Molineux, his chances of first-team football were reduced by a series of knee injuries. He reached the 300-goal milestoneon 18 February 1998, scoring in a 2-0 home win over Bradford City in the league.
Bull's final goal for the club came against Bury
on 26 September 1998 and his final competitive appearance for the club came on the last day of the 1998-99 season against Bradford City
. In July 1999, the 34-year-old Bull finally gave in and announced his retirement. However, he soon returned to playing as player-coach of Hereford United
for a season in the Conference
, working with Graham Turner
, the manager who had signed him for Wolves.
Known by his fans as 'Bully' for his club loyalty, rapport with supporters and passion for the game and also known as the "Tipton Skin" for his trademark closely cropped haircut, he received an MBE
for services to Association Football in December 1999, shortly after retiring as a first class player.
In May 2003, Bull appeared in a testimonial game for West Bromwich Albion's Bob Taylor
at The Hawthorns
. He amused many of the Albion fans in attendance by dramatically falling to the ground when the chant went up, "Stand up if you hate the Wolves".
On 29 July 2006, Bull made one final appearance for Wolves in his 20th anniversary testimonial game against Aston Villa
at Molineux
, playing the first seven minutes of the match.
, and scored 4 goals, all coming in the build up to Italia 90
. He scored his first goal on his debut after replacing an injured John Fashanu against Scotland on 27 May 1989. Two more goals came in a friendly against Czechoslovakia
in 1989–90, one of which was voted number 37 of England's 50 Greatest Goals. His final England goal came against Tunisia
, which earned him a place in Bobby Robson's
World Cup squad.
Despite starting his international career well, he did not score another goal for England after this. He played four times during Italia 90
- three times as a substitute against Republic of Ireland
, Holland
and Belgium and once as a starter against Egypt. His final match for England was on 17 October 1990 against Poland
, but he was not picked again by his future Wolves manager, Graham Taylor.
Bull was still technically a Third Division
player when he won his first two caps, at the end of the 1988-89 season, as Wolves had not yet played in Division Two
after their promotion that season. He remains the last player to be capped by England from outside the top two tiers, and one of only five post-war
players so honoured.
In total he scored nine goals in 23 appearances for his country at full, U-21 and "B" team levels.
side Stafford Rangers
. He had previously worked as a coach at this level with Hereford United
in the 2000–01 season and had completed his UEFA
Pro B coaching licence in the years in between. The team were mired in the relegation zone at the time of his appointment and he was unable to prevent relegation.
However, he parted company with the club on 12 December 2008, as the club ran into financial difficulties.
born former footballer Gary Bull
, who played for clubs including Barnet
, Nottingham Forest
and Birmingham City
.
MBE
MBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...
, (born 28 March 1965 in Tipton
Tipton
Tipton is a town in the Sandwell borough of the West Midlands, England, with a population of around 47,000. Tipton is located about halfway between Birmingham and Wolverhampton. It is a part of the West Midlands conurbation and is a part of the Black Country....
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
) is an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
former footballer who is best remembered for his 13-year spell at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
. He played there from 1986 until his retirement from playing in 1999, and holds the club's goalscoring record with 306 goals, which included 18 hatricks for the club.
He was capped 13 times for the England team
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
between 1989 and 1990, scoring four goals.
Early years
Bull was born on TiptonTipton
Tipton is a town in the Sandwell borough of the West Midlands, England, with a population of around 47,000. Tipton is located about halfway between Birmingham and Wolverhampton. It is a part of the West Midlands conurbation and is a part of the Black Country....
's Moat Farm estate and started school in September 1969 at Wednesbury Oak Primary School and moved up to Willingsworth High School in September 1976, by which time he was excelling in school football teams. The junior teams he played for included Ocker Hill
Ocker Hill
Ocker Hill is a residential area of Tipton in the West Midlands of England.It is situated in the northern part of the town, on the main A461 road between Dudley and Wednesbury...
infants, Red Lion and Newey Goodman. He left school in 1981 to join non-league Tipton Town
Tipton Town F.C.
Tipton Town F.C. is a football club based in Tipton, West Midlands, England, currently playing in the Midland Football Alliance.-History:The club was originally formed in 1948 under the name of Ocker Hill United and played in the Wolverhampton and District Amateur League...
. During this time he also held down a succession of factory jobs in addition to playing local league games.
He began his professional career, aged 19, after being recommended to West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
in 1984 by his Tipton Town
Tipton Town F.C.
Tipton Town F.C. is a football club based in Tipton, West Midlands, England, currently playing in the Midland Football Alliance.-History:The club was originally formed in 1948 under the name of Ocker Hill United and played in the Wolverhampton and District Amateur League...
manager Sid Day, who also worked as a scout for the Baggies. After initially having to train with the club's youth ranks, he was quickly offered a pro contract and moved into first team contention. He made his senior debut on 23 October 1985, replacing Garth Crooks
Garth Crooks
Garth Anthony Crooks OBE is a retired English football player of Jamaican ancestry. He played principally for Stoke City and Tottenham, with whom he was a prolific goal scorer and an FA Cup winner at Wembley in 1981...
in a 2–1 Full Members Cup
Full Members Cup
The Full Members Cup was an association football cup competition held in English football from 1985 to 1992. It was also known under its sponsored names of the Simod Cup from 1987 to 1989 and the Zenith Data Systems Cup from 1989 to 1992....
win against Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
. He made his league debut as a substitute against QPR, away, on 12 April 1986 (lost 0-1), and his full debut at home to Sheffield Wednesday on 22 April (drew 1-1); they were his only league appearances that season and only appearances in top flight football. He played three Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
games for Albion after they were relegated in 1986, scoring twice, and also scored one goal in two League Cup appearances for the club. In November 1986, he was sold to local rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
, along with Andy Thompson, for £65,000 where he remained until the end of his professional career in 1999.
Wolverhampton Wanderers
In over 13 years at Wolves, Bull broke no less than four of the club's goalscoring records. He became their all-time leading goalscorer with 306 goals in competitive games (250 of them in the Football League, also a club record) and became their highest goalscorer in a single season when he scored 52 goals in competitive games during the 1987–88 season1987-88 in English football
The 1987–88 season was the 120th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Liverpool won the league title with a comfortable nine-point margin and just two defeats all season....
.
He also scored a club record of 18 hat-tricks - the first of them against Hartlepool United
Hartlepool United F.C.
Hartlepool United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Hartlepool that currently play in League One. The team won promotion to League One in the 2006–07 season...
in a 4-1 Fourth Division home win on 9 May 1987,the last on 17 August 1996 in a 3-0 Division One away win over Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
.
His debut for Wolves, then languishing in the Fourth Division, was against Wrexham on 22 November 1986. He went on to make 464 league appearances for the club, 561 appearances in total.
He is regarded as such a legend at the club that one of the main stands at their home ground, Molineux
Molineux stadium
Molineux Stadium is a Premier League football stadium situated in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, England. It has been the home ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club since 1889, and has a long and illustrious history as the first 'new build' stadium in Football League history, one of the...
, is named after him. This commemoration was made in June 2003, with the stand having previously being known as the John Ireland Stand.
His first season at the club, 1986-87
1986-87 in English football
The 1986–87 season was the 107th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :The First Division championship went to Everton in their final season under the management of Howard Kendall before his departure to Athletic Bilbao. His side overcame a spate of injuries to fight off...
, saw him score a total of 19 goals for Wolves - 15 of them in the Fourth Division, in which they finished fourth - although they lost out on promotion after being beaten by Aldershot
Aldershot F.C.
Aldershot Football Club was an English Football League club, which was wound up in the High Court in March 1992. They became the first Football League club since Accrington Stanley to resign from the League during the course of a season. The club was nicknamed the Shots for both the last syllable...
in the playoffs.
Bull scored 52 goals in all competitions during the 1987-88 season as Wolves won the Fourth Division championship and became the first of only three teams (later matched by Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
and Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
) to have been champions of all four divisions in the English league.
On 11 February 1989, after just over two years at the club, he surprassed the 100-goal margin for Wolves when scoring a hat-trick in a Third Division game against fellow promotion contenders Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
at the Molineux, which Wolves won 5-2.
In 1988-89
1988-89 in English football
The 1988–89 season was the 109th season of competitive football in England.-Hillsborough disaster:On 15 April, a crowd crush at the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough killed 94 people and injured more than 300. A 95th Liverpool supporter died in hospital...
, he inspired Wolves to a second successive promotion, this time as Third Division champions, with 50 goals — marking a tally of 102 goals in two seasons. While still playing in the Third Division, he was selected for the England team
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
and scored on his debut against Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
at Hampden Park
Hampden Park
Hampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland...
.
Late in the 1991-92 season
1991-92 in English football
- First Division :The last-ever league championship before the creation of the Premier League was won by Leeds United who overhauled Manchester United thanks to the efforts of, among others, Gordon Strachan, Lee Chapman, David Batty, Gary Speed and Gary McAllister...
, he scored his 195th competitive goal for Wolves after just over five years at the club, breaking the club's decade-old goalscoring record set by John Richards
John Richards (footballer)
John Peter Richards is a former English international footballer, most associated with Wolverhampton Wanderers.-Career:...
. Early in the following season
1992-93 in English football
The 1992–1993 season was the 113th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:This season saw the birth of the FA Premier League. This meant a break-up of the 104-year-old Football League that had operated until then with four divisions....
he scored his 200th goal for the club.
Bull remained a prolific goalscorer second tier of the English league, and stayed loyal to his Midlands roots despite interest from the likes of Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
and Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
. In fact, when former England manager Graham Taylor
Graham Taylor
Graham Taylor may refer to:* Graham Taylor , footballer and manager* Graham Taylor , British novelist and part-time priest* Graham Taylor , Major League Baseball player...
was manager at Molineux
Molineux
Molineux may refer to:*William Molineux, American, participant in the Boston Tea Party*Molineux Stadium, in Wolverhampton, England**by metonymy, Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C., the team that plays there...
in 1995, he had agreed with then Coventry City boss, Ron Atkinson
Ron Atkinson
Ronald Ernest Atkinson, commonly known as "Big Ron" and "Bojangles" is an English former football player and manager. In recent years he has become one of Britain's best-known football pundits...
the sale of Bull to the Highfield Road
Highfield Road
The Highfield Road Stadium was a football stadium in the city of Coventry, England. It was the home ground for Coventry City F.C. until the club moved to the new Ricoh Arena after the 2005-06 season...
club. The outcry from the gold and black sector of the Black Country
Black Country
The Black Country is a loosely defined area of the English West Midlands conurbation, to the north and west of Birmingham, and to the south and east of Wolverhampton. During the industrial revolution in the 19th century this area had become one of the most intensely industrialised in the nation...
was prolific, the local Express and Star newspaper even launching a campaign to keep Bull at Wolves. Whether it was a prick of guilt, or a tug at the old heart-strings, no-one will ever know, but Bull backed out of the deal and his transfer to Coventry never happened.
Bull played only one game in the English top flight
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
— coming on as a substitute, replacing Andy Thompson, for West Bromwich Albion in 1986 — the rest of his career was spent in the lower divisions. He came close to achieving his ambition of reaching the Premier League in 1995 and 1997, but Wolves lost in the play-offs both times.
During his final two seasons at Molineux, his chances of first-team football were reduced by a series of knee injuries. He reached the 300-goal milestoneon 18 February 1998, scoring in a 2-0 home win over Bradford City in the league.
Bull's final goal for the club came against Bury
Bury F.C.
Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...
on 26 September 1998 and his final competitive appearance for the club came on the last day of the 1998-99 season against Bradford City
Bradford City A.F.C.
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....
. In July 1999, the 34-year-old Bull finally gave in and announced his retirement. However, he soon returned to playing as player-coach of Hereford United
Hereford United F.C.
Hereford United Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Hereford. Founded in 1924, they are competing in Football League Two in the 2011–12 season. Hereford have played at Edgar Street for their entire history and are nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites',...
for a season in the Conference
Conference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
, working with Graham Turner
Graham Turner
Graham John Turner is an English former footballer who became a manager. He is currently manager of League Two club Shrewsbury Town. His son Mark was also a professional footballer....
, the manager who had signed him for Wolves.
Known by his fans as 'Bully' for his club loyalty, rapport with supporters and passion for the game and also known as the "Tipton Skin" for his trademark closely cropped haircut, he received an MBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
for services to Association Football in December 1999, shortly after retiring as a first class player.
In May 2003, Bull appeared in a testimonial game for West Bromwich Albion's Bob Taylor
Bob Taylor (footballer)
Robert Taylor , better known as Bob Taylor, is an English former footballer who played as a centre forward. Known by supporters as Super Bobby Taylor, Superbob or simply Super, Taylor scored more than 250 goals in a professional career that comprised almost 750 games in 20 years...
at The Hawthorns
The Hawthorns
The Hawthorns is an all-seater football stadium in West Bromwich, Sandwell, England, with a capacity of 26,484. It has been the home of West Bromwich Albion F.C. since 1900, when it became the sixth ground to be used by the club. The ground was the last Football League ground to be built in the...
. He amused many of the Albion fans in attendance by dramatically falling to the ground when the chant went up, "Stand up if you hate the Wolves".
On 29 July 2006, Bull made one final appearance for Wolves in his 20th anniversary testimonial game against Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
at Molineux
Molineux stadium
Molineux Stadium is a Premier League football stadium situated in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, England. It has been the home ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club since 1889, and has a long and illustrious history as the first 'new build' stadium in Football League history, one of the...
, playing the first seven minutes of the match.
International career
Bull was capped 13 times by EnglandEngland national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
, and scored 4 goals, all coming in the build up to Italia 90
1990 FIFA World Cup
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
. He scored his first goal on his debut after replacing an injured John Fashanu against Scotland on 27 May 1989. Two more goals came in a friendly against Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia national football team
The Czechoslovakia national football team was the national association football team of Czechoslovakia from 1922 to 1993. At the dissolution of Czechoslovakia at the end of 1992, the team was participating in UEFA qualifying Group 4 for the 1994 World Cup; it completed this campaign under the name...
in 1989–90, one of which was voted number 37 of England's 50 Greatest Goals. His final England goal came against Tunisia
Tunisia national football team
The Tunisia national football team , nicknamed Les Aigles de Carthage , is the national team of Tunisia and is controlled by the Fédération Tunisienne de Football. They have qualified for four FIFA World Cups, the first one in 1978, but have yet to make it out of the first round...
, which earned him a place in Bobby Robson's
Bobby Robson
Sir Robert William "Bobby" Robson, CBE was an English footballer and manager, who coached seven European clubs and the England national team during his career....
World Cup squad.
Despite starting his international career well, he did not score another goal for England after this. He played four times during Italia 90
1990 FIFA World Cup
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
- three times as a substitute against Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
, Holland
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
and Belgium and once as a starter against Egypt. His final match for England was on 17 October 1990 against Poland
Poland national football team
The Poland national football team represents Poland in association football and is controlled by the Polish Football Association, the governing body for football in Poland...
, but he was not picked again by his future Wolves manager, Graham Taylor.
Bull was still technically a Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
player when he won his first two caps, at the end of the 1988-89 season, as Wolves had not yet played in Division Two
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
after their promotion that season. He remains the last player to be capped by England from outside the top two tiers, and one of only five post-war
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
players so honoured.
In total he scored nine goals in 23 appearances for his country at full, U-21 and "B" team levels.
Management career
On February 21, 2008, Bull entered management with Conference NationalConference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
side Stafford Rangers
Stafford Rangers F.C.
Stafford Rangers Football Club is a semi-professional English football team from Stafford which plays in the Northern Premier League Premier Division.The team wear black and white stripes with black shorts...
. He had previously worked as a coach at this level with Hereford United
Hereford United F.C.
Hereford United Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Hereford. Founded in 1924, they are competing in Football League Two in the 2011–12 season. Hereford have played at Edgar Street for their entire history and are nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites',...
in the 2000–01 season and had completed his UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
Pro B coaching licence in the years in between. The team were mired in the relegation zone at the time of his appointment and he was unable to prevent relegation.
However, he parted company with the club on 12 December 2008, as the club ran into financial difficulties.
Personal life
He is the cousin of West BromwichWest Bromwich
West Bromwich is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, in the West Midlands, England. It is north west of Birmingham lying on the A41 London-to-Birkenhead road. West Bromwich is part of the Black Country...
born former footballer Gary Bull
Gary Bull
Gary William Bull is an English footballer currently playing for Boston Town.Having been a trainee at Southampton, Bull joined Cambridge United in March 1988. Bull first came to prominence at Barnet, scoring the goal that took them into the Football League for the first time...
, who played for clubs including Barnet
Barnet F.C.
Barnet Football Club is an English football team from High Barnet, London, England, currently playing in Football League Two. The ground is in the town of Barnet within the London Borough of Barnet....
, Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
and Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
.
Honours
- 1988 Fourth Division ChampionshipFootball League Fourth DivisionThe Fourth Division of The Football League was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season...
- 1988 Football League Trophy1988 Football League Trophy FinalThe 1988 Football League Trophy Final, known as the Sherpa Van Trophy Final for sponsorship reasons was the 5th final of the domestic football cup competition for teams from the Third and Fourth Divisions....
- 1989 Third Division ChampionshipFootball League Third DivisionThe Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion F.C. West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands... |
1985–86 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 1986–87 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 3 | |
| Total | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 3 | |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at... |
1986–87 | 30 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 37 | 19 |
| 1987–88 | 44 | 34 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 12 | 58 | 52 | |
| 1988–89 | 45 | 37 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 11 | 55 | 50 | |
| 1989–90 | 42 | 24 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 48 | 27 | |
| 1990–91 | 43 | 26 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 48 | 27 | |
| 1991–92 | 43 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 47 | 23 | |
| 1992–93 | 36 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 42 | 19 | |
| 1993–94 | 27 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 30 | 15 | |
| 1994–95 | 31 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 39 | 19 | |
| 1995–96 | 44 | 15 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 53 | 17 | |
| 1996–97 | 43 | 23 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 48 | 23 | |
| 1997–98 | 31 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 9 | |
| 1998–99 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 6 | |
| Total | 474 | 250 | 20 | 7 | 33 | 18 | 34 | 31 | 561 | 306 | |
| Hereford United Hereford United F.C. Hereford United Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Hereford. Founded in 1924, they are competing in Football League Two in the 2011–12 season. Hereford have played at Edgar Street for their entire history and are nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites',... |
2000–01 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2 |
| Career total | 484 | 254 | 20 | 7 | 35 | 19 | 38 | 31 | 577 | 311 | |
External links
- Official Site bullybully.net
- Profile at the Official Wolves site