Biography
Mick Tait joined City in September 1979 for a club record transfer fee of £150,000. He was a young goalscoring midfielder who had made his reputation over a five year period and was seen at the time as a signing of great promise and potential. During his first three months with the Tigers he scored four goals in 13 starts and looked to be contuning his form and progression. He missed December and January due to injury, and when he returned the goals had dried up. Still a saleable asset, Mick was transferred to Portsmouth in May 1980 for a £100,000 fee.
Tait was born in Wallsend but started his league career at Oxford United where he made his league debut in February 1975. In two seasons he scored at a rate of nearly a goal every two games, form which attracted the attention of Carlisle United in March 1977. In two and a half years at Brunton Park Tait made just over 100 league starts and scored another 20 goals.
Tait joined Portsmouth in 1980 and spent seven seasons at Fratton Park, performing a key role in Pompey’s rise from Third Division to First Division. However Tait left the club a few weeks after Portsmouth returned to the top flight in 1987/88 season, transferring to Reading. He spent three years at Elm Park before heading back to the North East to complete his playing career at Darlington and Hartlepool.
In 1996 Tait was appointed player manager at Hartlepool United, a job he retained for three years. He went on to manage Blyth Spartans and Darlington in the early 2000s, then undertook scouting missions for a few years. In 2009 he returned to management with Blyth Spartans (briefly) and Newcastle Blue Star (for two seasons). In 2012 he was appointed a scout for Newcastle United, charged with the task of unearthing local talent. After several years in that role Tait was elevated to the Magpies’ Senior Scout.
Details
Nationality: England
Date/Place of Birth: 30 September 1956, Wallsend
Hull City First Game: 8 September 1979, Sheffield United H (Division Three), 22 years, 343 days old
Hull City Final Game: 3 May 1980, Southend United H (Division Three), 23 years, 216 days old
Clubs
Oxford United (1974-1977), Carlisle United (1977-1979), Hull City (1979-1980), Portsmouth (1980-1987), Reading (1987-1990), Darlington (1990-1992), Hartlepool United (1992-1994), Gretna (1994), Hartlepool United (1994-1998)
Hull City Record
Career: 34 apps, 4 goals
Mick Tait| Season | LGE App | LGE Gls | FAC App | FAC Gls | FLC App | FLC Gls | EUR App | EUR Gls | OTH App | OTH Gls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979/80 | 29 (4) | 3 | 1 (0) | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - |