Brian Mulgrew burst onto the Irish league scene in August 1968, 35 years ago, when Charlie Tully was manager at Clandeboye Park. Brian, who had previously played for Queen's Park in Glasgow , possessed a remarkable turn of speed, and this pace meant that he could beat most Irish League defenders in a race for the ball. Bangor's tactics were therefore simple, but very effective: play the ball up to Brian who would lurk just behind the centre half and he would gather the ball and race for goal, draw the keeper and shoot for the target.

Brian really was a flying machine - he scored on his debut on August 3 at home to distillery in a game which bangor won 2-1,and in the following nine matches he netted nine times, including a hat-trick in a 4-0 victory over Cliftonville on August 31, at Solitude.

(Brian is pictured centre behind the Shield)

Brian scored another hat-trick on November 23, at home to distillery in the league when Bangor again won 4-3. He and Billy McCamley formed a formidable partnership before McCamley left in November for Scunthorpe United.

Brian continued on his freescoring ways, and by the end of the season he had netted 24 times.

The following season Brian did one better, with 25 goals to his credit. There were no hat-triocks this time round, but he did score two goals in six games.

However, perhaps his best claim to fame was scoring one of the goals which won Bangor their first ever senior trophy - the County Antrim Shield in the third replay of the final against Ards at Solitude on May 22. the other scorers in a 3-1 victory were Jim Herron and centre half Ivan McAllister . Brian had also scored in the 1-1 draw four days earlier .

For the record, the winning team was: Billy Irwin, Harry Creighton, Bertie Nesbitt, John Kennedy, Ivan McAllister, Paul ("Snowy" ) Murphy, John Cochrane, Stanley Gregg, Brian Mulgrew, Jim Herron, Brian Morrison,; sub. Tommy Craig, manager Charlie Tully. Scorers: Herron, Mulgrew, McAllister.

Unfortunately, Bangor fans were not to see much more of Brian's scoring exploits, for on October 24, in a match at home to Coleraine, Brian broke his leg, He scored his last goal for the Seasiders in a 3-0 away win against Crusaders, and that was the end of what had promised to be a marvellous partnership up front with Brian Morrison who had signed for Bangor that summer. Brian did try to make a comeback, but the injury had robbed him of his electrifying burst of speed off the mark...

In total Brian scored 57 goals for Bangor

by Roy Kitson