Johnny Fullam
Encyclopedia
Johnny Fullam is a former Irish
soccer player.
Johnny began his career at Home Farm
before signing for Preston North End in 1958. He scored 6 goals in 49 league appearances for Preston. In 1961 he was asked to guest on Shamrock Rovers tour of America on the understanding that he would sign for the club. He scored his first goal in a competitive match from the penalty spot against Transport in a League of Ireland Shield
game on the 20th of August 1961. He suffered a serious knee injury in February 1962 and missed Rovers FAI Cup
win that season.
He made his European debut in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
against PFC Botev Plovdiv
and won his first Shield medal in 1962/63. Johnny was a regular member of Rovers' all-conquering side of 1963/64 when the Hoops almost made a clean sweep of the domestic trophies. He was one of five Rovers' players who were on the League of Ireland side that beat the English Football League side 2-1 at Dalymount Park on the 2nd of October 1963. Just over a week later he played against Valencia CF
despite having gone down with food poisoning and Rovers drew 2-2 with the Spanish giants.
Johnny won the first of his six FAI Cup medals with Rovers in 1964 and in the replayed final the following year he scored the winner. He scored against Real Zaragoza
in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
in 1965. The following year he scored again in Europe in the 4-1 win over Spora Luxembourg and had two great games against FC Bayern Munich
where Rovers were seven minutes from putting the eventual winners of the competition.
He was on the mark in Europe again in 1968 against Randers FC
but a knee injury he received in March 1969 kept him out of Rovers' record making six-in-a-row FAI Cup Final win. He signed for Bohemians shortly after and won yet another FAI Cup in his first season at Dalymount Park. In 1975 he won the League with Bohs and picked up another FAI Cup in 1976. He made 8 appearances in European competition for Bohs. He signed back for Rovers in the 1976 close season and captained the Milltown
club to his eighth FAI Cup win in 1978. He was given a free transfer by Johnny Giles
at the end of the 1978/79 season.
Fullam finished his League of Ireland career at Athlone Town, signing for them with Mick Smyth
in August 1979. He played well over 400 League of Ireland games. He had played for Rovers for eleven seasons in two spells and he was a worthy recipient of the Shamrock Rovers Hall of Fame award in 1991.
He earned 11 caps playing for Republic of Ireland national football team
, 10 while with Rovers. He holds the Rovers record for the most European appearances with 19 scoring the aforementioned 3 goals.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
soccer player.
Johnny began his career at Home Farm
Home Farm F.C.
Home Farm Football Club is an Irish football club based in Whitehall, Dublin. Originally founded in 1928, the club joined the League of Ireland in 1972 after merging with Drumcondra. Following this merger they were briefly known as Home Farm Drumcondra...
before signing for Preston North End in 1958. He scored 6 goals in 49 league appearances for Preston. In 1961 he was asked to guest on Shamrock Rovers tour of America on the understanding that he would sign for the club. He scored his first goal in a competitive match from the penalty spot against Transport in a League of Ireland Shield
League of Ireland Shield
The League of Ireland Shield is a defunct Irish football tournament which was introduced when the League of Ireland started in 1921 and ran uninterrupted until 1972...
game on the 20th of August 1961. He suffered a serious knee injury in February 1962 and missed Rovers FAI Cup
FAI Cup
The Football Association of Ireland Challenge Cup, known as the FAI Ford Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland...
win that season.
He made his European debut in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
against PFC Botev Plovdiv
PFC Botev Plovdiv
PFC Botev Plovdiv , is the oldest Bulgarian football club from the city of Plovdiv, which currently competes in Bulgaria's second football league, the B PFG....
and won his first Shield medal in 1962/63. Johnny was a regular member of Rovers' all-conquering side of 1963/64 when the Hoops almost made a clean sweep of the domestic trophies. He was one of five Rovers' players who were on the League of Ireland side that beat the English Football League side 2-1 at Dalymount Park on the 2nd of October 1963. Just over a week later he played against Valencia CF
Valencia CF
Valencia Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Valencia, Spain. They play in La Liga and are one of the most successful and biggest clubs in Spanish Football and European Football. Valencia have won six La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey trophies, two Fairs Cups which was the...
despite having gone down with food poisoning and Rovers drew 2-2 with the Spanish giants.
Johnny won the first of his six FAI Cup medals with Rovers in 1964 and in the replayed final the following year he scored the winner. He scored against Real Zaragoza
Real Zaragoza
Real Zaragoza, S.A.D. is a Spanish association football team from Zaragoza in Spain. Founded on 18 March 1932, Real Zaragoza have spent the majority of their 78 year history in the Spanish top-flight. Real Zaragoza are Spain's 9th highest ranked team in overall league points...
in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
The Inter-Cities Fairs Cup was a European football competition played between 1955 and 1971. The competition was the idea of Swiss pools supremo Ernst Thommen, Ottorino Barassi from Italy, and the English Football Association general secretary Stanley Rous, all of whom later became senior officials...
in 1965. The following year he scored again in Europe in the 4-1 win over Spora Luxembourg and had two great games against FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
where Rovers were seven minutes from putting the eventual winners of the competition.
He was on the mark in Europe again in 1968 against Randers FC
Randers FC
Randers FC is a Danish professional football team based in Randers, which plays in the top-flight Danish Superliga championship. Founded as a merger on January 1, 2003, the club builds upon the license of Randers Freja, a former three-time Danish Cup winning team...
but a knee injury he received in March 1969 kept him out of Rovers' record making six-in-a-row FAI Cup Final win. He signed for Bohemians shortly after and won yet another FAI Cup in his first season at Dalymount Park. In 1975 he won the League with Bohs and picked up another FAI Cup in 1976. He made 8 appearances in European competition for Bohs. He signed back for Rovers in the 1976 close season and captained the Milltown
Glenmalure Park
Glenmalure Park, often simply known as "Milltown", was a football stadium on the Southside of Dublin city in Ireland. Located in the suburb of Milltown, it was home to Shamrock Rovers from 1926 to 1987, when it was sold to property developers by the club's directors...
club to his eighth FAI Cup win in 1978. He was given a free transfer by Johnny Giles
Johnny Giles
Michael John "Johnny" Giles is a former association footballer and manager best remembered for his time as a midfielder with Leeds United in the 1960s and 1970s...
at the end of the 1978/79 season.
Fullam finished his League of Ireland career at Athlone Town, signing for them with Mick Smyth
Mick Smyth
Mick Smyth was an Irish soccer player who played for Drumcondra, Shamrock Rovers, Bohemians and Athlone Town in the League of Ireland throughout the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s and had a short spell in England with Barrow in the early 1960s.Made his Rovers debut at Drogheda on the 27th of December 1964...
in August 1979. He played well over 400 League of Ireland games. He had played for Rovers for eleven seasons in two spells and he was a worthy recipient of the Shamrock Rovers Hall of Fame award in 1991.
He earned 11 caps playing for Republic of Ireland national football team
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....
, 10 while with Rovers. He holds the Rovers record for the most European appearances with 19 scoring the aforementioned 3 goals.
Honours
- League of IrelandLeague of IrelandThe League of Ireland is the national association football league of the Republic of Ireland. Founded in 1921, as a league of eight clubs, it has expanded over time into a two-tiered league of 22 clubs. It is currently split into the League of Ireland Premier Division and the League of Ireland...
: 2- Shamrock Rovers - 1964
- Bohemians - 1975
- FAI CupFAI CupThe Football Association of Ireland Challenge Cup, known as the FAI Ford Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland...
: 8- Shamrock Rovers - 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1978
- Bohemians - 1970, 1976
- League of Ireland ShieldLeague of Ireland ShieldThe League of Ireland Shield is a defunct Irish football tournament which was introduced when the League of Ireland started in 1921 and ran uninterrupted until 1972...
: 1- Shamrock Rovers - 1964
- League of Ireland Cup: 1
- Shamrock Rovers - 1976/77
- Leinster Senior Cup: 2
- Shamrock Rovers - 1964, 1968/69
- Dublin City CupDublin City CupThe Dublin City Cup is a defunct Irish football tournament which was played for by all League of Ireland sides . It ran from 1933 and ran uninterrupted until 1973. In season 1975/76 it was revived and played for by sides who did not reach the League of Ireland Cup quarter finals...
: 2- Shamrock Rovers - 1964, 1966/67
- Top Four CupTop Four CupTop Four Cup was a football competition played between the top four clubs in the League of Ireland from 1956 to 1974.-Final Results:1955/56 - Shamrock Rovers F.C. 1 - 0 Waterford F.C.1956/57 - Evergreen United 2 - 1 Drumcondra F.C....
: 1- Shamrock Rovers 1966
- Blaxnit CupBlaxnit CupThe Blaxnit Cup, is a defunct club football competition which featured teams from both football associations on the island of Ireland, in a similar format to the current Setanta Cup...
: 1- Shamrock Rovers 1967-68
- SWAI Personality of the Year: 2
- Shamrock Rovers - 1967/68
- Bohemians - 1974/75
- Hall of Fame: 1
- Shamrock Rovers - 1990/91