Mick Sullivan

For the Australian rugby league footballer, see Michael Sullivan (rugby league).
Mick Sullivan
Personal information
Full name Michael Sullivan
Nickname Sully
Born (1934-01-12)12 January 1934
Pudsey, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
Died 5 April 2016(2016-04-05) (aged 82)
Playing information
Position Wing
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1952–57 Huddersfield 117 93
1957–61 Wigan 125 84 0 0 252
1961–63 St. Helens 82 31 0 0 93
1963–65 York 26
1965–66 Dewsbury 40
Total 390 208 0 0 345
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1954–63 Great Britain 48 41 0 0 123
1955–62 England 3 2 0 0 6
1957 Great Britain & France 1 1 0 0 3
Yorkshire 14
Source: [1]

Michael "Mick" Sullivan (12 January 1934 – 5 April 2016) was an English professional Rugby League World Cup winning footballer of the 1950s and 1960s. He set the record for the most appearances for the Great Britain Lions with 46. This record has been matched (by Garry Schofield) but never overtaken.

Career

Sullivan signed with Huddersfield in 1952 as an 18-year-old right-Wing. He made his début for Great Britain during the 1954 World Cup in France against the Australian team. Sullivan went on to appear in the final and help Great Britain to claim the first ever World Cup. He was selected to play for England while at Huddersfield in 1955 against Other Nationalities and in 1956 against France. Mick Sullivan also represented Great Britain while at Huddersfield between 1952 and 1956 against France (2 non-Test matches).[2]

Sullivan won caps for Great Britain while at Huddersfield in 1954 against France (2 matches), New Zealand, and Australia, in 1955 against New Zealand (3 matches), in 1956 against Australia (3 matches), in 1957 against France (3 matches), France, Australia, New Zealand, while at Wigan against France (2 matches), in 1958 against France, Australia (3 matches), and New Zealand (2 matches), in 1959 against France (2 matches), and Australia (3 matches), in 1960 against France (3 matches), France, New Zealand, and Australia, while at St. Helens in 1961 against France, and New Zealand (2 matches), in 1962 against France (3 matches), Australia (3 matches), and New Zealand, and while at York in 1963 against Australia (World Cup 1954 3-caps, 1-try, 1957 3-caps, 3-tries, 1960 3-caps, 1-try).

Sullivan was signed by Wigan for a record fee of £9,500 in 1957 (based on increases in average earnings, this would be approximately £480,900 in 2013).[3]

Mick Sullivan represented Great Britain & France in the 37–31 victory over New Zealand at Carlaw Park, Auckland on 3 July 1957.

Mick Sullivan played Left-Wing in Wigan's 13-9 victory over Workington Town in the 1957–58 Challenge Cup final at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 10 May 1958.[4]

He scored a try against Australia in 1960, when he became the only British player to win the World Cup twice.

He was later signed by St. Helens in 1961 for a new world record fee of £11,000. (based on increases in average earnings, this would be approximately £484,000 in 2013).[3] Sullivan played his first game for St. Helens in January 1961. While at St. Helens, Sullivan played for England in 1962 against France.

Sullivan moved to Australia and captain-coached the Junee team in the Group 9 competition in southern New South Wales for 3 years from 1966 until 1968.

County Cup final appearances

Mick Sullivan played Left-Wing, i.e. number 5, in Huddersfield's 15–8 victory over York in the 1957 Yorkshire Cup final during the 1957–58 season at Headingley Stadium, Leeds on Saturday 19 October 1957, played Left-Wing, and scored a try, in St. Helens' 25–9 victory over Swinton in the 1961 Lancashire Cup final during the 1961–62 season at Central Park, Wigan on Saturday 11 November 1961, and played Left-Wing in the 7–4 victory over Swinton in the 1962 Lancashire Cup final during the 1962–63 season at Central Park, Wigan on Saturday 27 October 1962.

Death

It was announced on 5 April 2016 that he had died in the previous week, aged 82.[5]

References

  1. ↑ Morris, Graham (2005). Wigan Rugby League Football Club: 100 Greats. Stroud: Tempus Publishing. pp. 118–9. ISBN 978-0-7524-3470-4.
  2. ↑ Edgar, Harry (2007). Rugby League Journal Annual 2008 Page-110. Rugby League Journal Publishing. ISBN 0-9548355-3-0
  3. 1 2 "Measuring Worth – Relative Value of UK Pounds". Measuring Wortht. 31 December 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  4. ↑ "1957–1958 Challenge Cup Final". wigan.rlfans.com. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  5. ↑ Martini, Peter (5 April 2016). "Rugby league legend and former York star Mick Sullivan dies, aged 82". York Press. Retrieved 16 April 2016.

External links

Achievements
Preceded by
Lewis Jones		 Rugby league transfer record
Huddersfield to Wigan
1957–1959 		Succeeded by
Ike Southward
Preceded by
Ike Southward		 Rugby league transfer record
Wigan to St Helens
1961 		Succeeded by
Ike Southward
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