Mike Brolly - Career Profile

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Born Kilmarnock, October 6, 1954.

Mike Brolly came to prominence as a Scottish schoolboy international and he was signed by Chelsea as a junior in October 1971.

He was an old fashioned winger and, at that time, a typical product of his country. Brolly was on the small side, relying on trickery rather than sheer speed and was a very clever ball player.

The youngster looked a potential replacement for Charlie Cooke on his arrival at Stamford Bridge but he was never able to fulfil those kind of expectations.

In truth it was not the best time for a player like Brolly to be joining the club. While blue might have been the colour for the past decade or so it was in the process of fading pretty quickly after recent triumphs in the FA and Cup Winners Cup competitions.

Although the rapid break up of the great Chelsea side meant Brolly was given an early first team opportunity it also meant he was stepping into a struggling side.

Alan Hudson and Peter Osgood were the two most notable stars left at the Bridge and they appeared eager to join the exodus.

Mike Brolly got his chance at the end of the 1972-73 season as he featured in the clubs' last seven games. He made his debut coming on as a substitute for Steve Kember in a 1-0 home defeat against Spurs and was handed a starting place for the remainder of the season.

The next three games also ended in defeat but Brolly was on target as Chelsea won their next game, 2-1 at home to Southampton. The final two fixtures also brought victories, over Coventry City and Manchester United, and the young winger must have felt reasonably confident about his future during that summer.

There was little sign of him remaining a part of Dave Sexton's plans as the following season got under way, however. Brolly briefly broke into the side in January and featured in a 2-2 draw at Coventry and an FA Cup replay defeat at QPR.

At the end of the season, in which Chelsea finished only one point clear of relegation, Mike Brolly was deemed surplus to requirements and off loaded to second division Bristol City.

Somewhat strangely Brolly's position at Ashton Gate was almost the opposite to that at Stamford Bridge. City were a formidable second division outfit at the time so although the winger had the benefit of playing in a strong side it was difficult for him to get into it in the first place.

Brolly faced particular competition for his place from Clive Whitehead, a fine player. Brolly was perhaps more skillful, a purer winger, but Whitehead was quick, direct, a good crosser of the ball and a hard grafter down the left very capable in defensive duties as well.

Brolly had the ball skills and was highly creative but looked something of a luxury player compared to his rival.

The newcomer was limited to 15 appearances in his first season at Ashton Gate as City finished 5th but the next season promised better.

Mike Brolly was given the preference at the start of the 1975-76 season and both he and the team started in fine form. The winger started in the first eleven games as City established themselves in a promotion place. He scored in a 3-0 thrashing of Sunderland at Ashton Gate and also got to return to Stamford Bridge to face his newly relegated former side. City emerged with a good point from a 1-1 draw and Brolly would have been happier than most with his afternoon's work.

In the last of these eleven games, a 4-2 win at Oldham, Brolly was injured and would subsequently be unable to force his way back into a winning team as Whitehead performed consistently well in his absence.

Brolly was selected for City's 3rd round FA Cup tie with Coventry, again, and scored his sides' goal in a 2-1 defeat but remained largely on the sidelines as the club fought their way to promotion.

City finished the season as runners up in Division Two but the elation was tempered for Brolly who was now surplus to requirements again.

Having been a young star in the making, dreaming of glory at Chelsea just two years earlier a £6,000 move to Grimsby Town was hardly designed to thrill the 21 year old Mike Brolly but the move to Blundell Park would prove to be a real blessing in disguise.

The disguise was a good one at first and held firm during his first season as Grimsby suffered relegation to the fourth division.

Brolly could find solace in the fact that he had been a virtual ever present and there was little danger of Grimsby casting him aside.

The classy winger was ever present in 1977-78 as the Mariners tried to climb straight back out of Division Four. Ultimately too many defeats in the first half of the season would make it impossible for the club to catch up, however.

Their final position of 6th showed that the club was ready to move forward, however, and a fine side was beginning to emerge.

Joe Waters, Tony Ford, Mike Lester and Bob Cummings formed the midfield alongside Mike Brolly with Terry Donovan, Gary Liddell and Kevin Drinkell competing for the places up front.

Grimsby would not be denied the following season, gaining promotion as runners up behind Reading and scoring the most goals in the division in the process.

Brolly really enjoyed himself during this season. As well as creating chances for his forwards, his real strength, he supplied nine league goals of his own. For a player who would prove himself a regular provider of just three or four a season this was a prolific return.

There was much better to follow, however. The 1979-80 season was undoubtedly the most memorable of Brolly's career and also the highlight of Grimsby's modern history.

Anticipation is always high following a promotion and there was plenty of reason for the club and its' followers to be excited as they returned to Division Three.

There was strong local interest as Humberside, the East Midlands and South Yorkshire provided the bulk of that section. As well as the Mariners the third division included both Sheffield clubs, Barnsley, Rotherham United, Chesterfield, Mansfield Town and Hull City.

By the middle of October Grimsby would be precariously placed just one position above the relegation zone, albeit in an extremely tight division.

From there on in the club went into overdrive and by the end of January they were topping the table.

Mike Brolly was outstanding as the chief line of supply into the forwards and both Drinkell and the youngster Kevin Kilmore scored at a rate of a goal every other game.

This was a well balanced side but Brolly was the man who gave it its' extra dimension. He was the player who could beat a man and conjure something out of nothing. He was the player whose skills were the hardest to combat for third division defences accustomed to a staple of direct football and wingers more dependent on speed than finesse. Few full backs were up to the task of reading which way Brolly might be going when he dropped his shoulder or swivelled his hips.

Grimsby clinched promotion with a goalless draw at Mansfield in their penultimate game and knew that victory over Sheffield United at Blundell Park in the final game would give them the Division Three title.

On a never to be forgotten day, in front of a 19,276 crowd, Grimsby demolished the Blades, storming to a three goal half time lead and eventually winning 4-0.

Kevin Drinkell banged in a hat trick but Mike Brolly had possibly eclipsed him with his teasing performance down the right hand side. He had terrorized the Blades defence all afternoon with a virtuoso display.

In all the games played against their local rivals Grimsby lost only once, at Sheffield Wednesday, and they continued to lord it over their neighbours in the cup competitions.

Chesterfield and Sheffield United were dumped out of the FA Cup to set up a 3rd round tie at Liverpool and although the Mariners crashed to a 5-0 defeat with David Johnson grabbing a hat trick it was another unforgettable experience as a huge following from the east coast contributed to a 49,706 crowd.

The League Cup also provided excitement. Scunthorpe United, Huddersfield Town and Notts County were sent packing before Everton came to Blundell Park for a 4th round tie.

Over 22,000 people were present to witness Mike Brolly's finest hour. In a pulsating tie the winger twice found himself, unusually, in scoring positions. Neither was the clearest of chances but both times Brolly kept his nerve to rifle shots past George Wood.

The second half was an incredibly tense affair but the Mariners would eventually hold out for a 2-1 win to write the next days headlines.

Next up were Wolverhampton Wanderers and after a goalless draw at Blundell Park Brolly was almost the hero again in the replay but this time his extra time effort came back off the woodwork and Wolves were spared.

The first division side would then win the second replay at Derby's Baseball Ground on their way to lifting the trophy.

It looked as though Grimsby might have travelled too far too quickly as they then suffered an awful start to life in Division Two.

Once again they staged a superb recovery, however, and finished the season in a highly respectable 7th position.

With the experienced Trevor Whymark adding some valuable know how to the attack Mike Brolly continued to torment full backs down either flank, though predominantly the right.

The following season was a more sustained struggle although Grimsby seldom looked in any real danger.

The club had certainly gone as far as it could by 1982, however, and as the side began to break up Brolly became the latest heading for the exit.

There had been one final triumph for Brolly to crown his happy time at Blundell Park, albeit a minor one. The winger came off the bench in the final of the Football League Group Cup to help seal a 3-2 victory over Wimbledon.

Brolly left Grimsby for Derby County but what should have been a move forward never quite worked out. The Rams had entered a sharp decline and the glory days of the mid 1970's now seemed a long time ago.

Although the club would eventually finish 13th in Division Two during Mike Brolly's season with them that position only served to hide the true nature of a season long struggle to avoid relegation. Only a spirited late rally gave the Rams the four point cushion they eventually ended with over the sides at the bottom.

It was hardly surprising that Brolly's form was somewhat fitful. Opinion was sharply divided about his worth on the terraces but there could be no questioning his contribution during the run in when he showed that he was prepared to roll his sleeves up and fight for the cause.

This made it more of a surprise when Derby then released Brolly and it was even more surprising that the team he should then join was Scunthorpe United.

The Iron were then a third division outfit but one almost totally reliant on strength and endeavour.

Brolly strove manfully to keep his side afloat and provided the only glimpses of flair in another struggling side. There was nobody in midfield capable of providing him with any consistently decent service and a fair indication of the quality around him at the Old Show Ground is the fact that his highest profile colleague was briefly the England cricketer Ian Botham.

At the end of the season Scunthorpe were relegated to Division Four and Brolly stayed with the club just one more season before drifting into non league football.

This again seemed highly surprising as Brolly had been the star of the show during his two seasons at Scunthorpe and had also hit the net with reasonable regularity. At 31 he appeared to have a few good seasons of league football left in him.

Mike Brolly would represent a variety of non league outfits including Scarborough and Boston United, both destined for the Football League at a later date, and provided spectators at that level with some unaccustomed artistry out on the flanks. To the end Mike Brolly continued to play the game the only way he knew how, with the ball at his feet taking on his opposing full back.

Some might feel that Brolly's talent outstripped his achievements in football but that seems unfair.

He played his part in helping Bristol City into the top flight for the first time in 65 years and was pivotal in Grimsby's best spell in living memory.

More than anyhting, however, he provided entertainment and excitement to fans up and down the country with his subtle, often devastating, wing play.