MX23RW : Saturday, April 27 00:51:19| >> :120:27794:27794:

On this day: Jimmy Mullen becomes England's first ever substitute

Seventy years have passed.

Jimmy Mullen only made 12 appearances for England but his performance against Belgium at the Heysel Stadium in 1950 ensured he would still go down in the international history books.

Mullen would become England's first ever substitute, paving the way for many other cameos over the years. Here, the PA news agency looks at his career and the introduction of the rule.

YOUNG GUN

Jimmy Mullen
Wolves hero Jimmy Mullen remained a one-club man (Morgan Harlow/PA)

Born and raised in Newcastle, Mullen signed amateur forms for Wolves in 1937. Two years later Mullen made his debut in a 4-1 win over Leeds at the age of 16 years and 43 days, making him officially the club's youngest player, a record that endures to this day.

INTO THE HISTORY BOOKS

Soccer – Home International Championship and World Cup Qualifier – Wales v England – Ninian Park, Cardiff
Jimmy Mullen (front, right) made 12 appearances for England (PA Archive)

Mullen would go on to win 12 England caps, including becoming England's first substitute on this day in 1950. After Jackie Milburn suffered an early injury, Mullen was introduced by manager Walter Winterbottom, and went on to score England's first goal in a 4-1 win.

ONE-CLUB MAN

Soccer – League Division One – Wolverhampton Wanderers – Training Session
Jimmy Mullen (left, leaping) trains in the snow with Wolves team-mates (PA Archive)

Mullen remained a one-club man until his retirement in 1960. At that point the Football League was still five years away from its first substitution, when Keith Peacock replaced injured goalkeeper Mike Rose during a match between Charlton and Bolton. Substitutions would not be allowed at a World Cup finals until 1970.

SUPER SUBS

Substitutes
Rules on substitutions have continued to slacken since Mullen's era (Nick Potts/PA)

New rules introduced due to the coronavirus crisis allows clubs to make up to five substitutions per match, at the discretion of their respective league. Schalke made the full complement of five changes during their 4-0 behind-closed-doors defeat at Borussia Dortmund this weekend.

ID:399717: cacheID:399717:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:7453:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Celtic manager Neil Lennon reacts on February 27, 2020
Read Next:
Where Celtic won last eight titles ahead of expected record-equalling ninth
>
Read more about Jimmy Mullen Football
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
1pm
Bublik
Carballes Baena
10am
Auger-Aliassime
Mannarino
10am
Bautista Agut
Khachanov
10am
Cachin
Tiafoe
10am
De Minaur
Nadal
10am
Dimitrov
Mensik
10am
Jarry
Cobolli
10am
Kecmanovic
Ruud
10am
Kotov
Thompson
10am
Lehecka
Medjedovic
10am
Machac
Shelton
10am
Medvedev
Arnaldi
10am
Monteiro
Tsitsipas
10am
Norrie
Fonseca
10am
Purcell
Korda
10am
Sinner
Sonego
10am
Azarenka
Sorribes Tormo
10am
Annie Fernandez
Jabeur
10am
Gauff
Yastremska
10am
Haddad Maia
Navarro
10am
Keys
Samsonova
10am
Ostapenko
Lourdes Carle
10am
Stephens
Sakkari
10am
Swiatek
Cirstea
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal34245582265677
2Manchester CityMan City33237380324876
3Liverpool34228475344174
4Aston Villa34206871502166
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs32186865491660
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd33165125150153
7Newcastle UnitedNewcastle331551369541550
8West Ham UnitedWest Ham34139125463-948
9Chelsea32138116157447
10Bournemouth34129134960-1145
11Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton331111115254-244
12Wolverhampton WanderersWolves34127154654-843
13Fulham34126165054-442
14Crystal Palace34109154456-1239
15Brentford3498175259-735
16Everton34118153648-1233
17Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest3479184260-1826
18Luton TownLuton3467214775-2825
19Burnley3458213769-3223
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd3437243392-5916


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!