592 Steve Hoolickin

Biography

Experienced right back Steve Hoolickin joined the Tigers in December 1980 to replace a equally experienced full back Gordon Nisbet in manager Mike Smith’s side. Cup-tied and unable to play in the three FA Cup games against Blyth Spartans, Hoolickin was immediately a first choice in the League and remained ever-present until missing the final game of the 1980/81 season against Newport. He started the 1981/82 season in the first team but by mid-October Steve was replaced by young Scottish right back Bobby McNeil. Towards the end of the season Hoolickin announced his retirement due to a heart condition.

Stephen Hoolickin was born in the Moston suburb of Manchester and joined local club Oldham Athletic as an apprentice in 1967. He remained at Boundary Park until 1973 and in those six years he made just 8 league starts. Hoolickin joined Bury in August 1973 and found his football league feet, making 140 league starts in three seasons. In October 1976 he moved north and joined Carlisle United. In four seasons he amassed a further 143 league appearances but by December 1980 he had fallen out of favour with Cumbrians manager Bob Stokoe, who had handed the right back shirt to new signing Paul Haigh, who had just joined Carlisle from Hull City.

When his football career came to an abrupt end in 1982 Hoolickin spent time as a publican before beginning a second career in the building trade – he had trained as a builder in his teenage years at Oldham. He was a building contractor for many years and turned out for ex-Carlisle United XIs for charity matches. He was unfortunately was made bankrupt in 2003 while working as a plasterer and living in West Sussex. His brother Gary and son Lee Hoolickin were both also professional footballers for Oldham and several other lower league clubs.

Details

Nationality: England
Date/Place of Birth: 13 December 1951, Moston
Hull City First Game: 6 December 1980, Reading H (Division Three), 28 years, 359 days old
Hull City Final Game: 17 October 1981, Wigan Athletic H (Division Three), 29 years, 308 days old

Clubs

Oldham Athletic (1967-1973), Bury (1973-1976), Carlisle United (1976-1980), Hull City (1980-1982)

Hull City Record

Career: 36 apps, 0 goals

Steve Hoolickin
SeasonLGE
App
LGE
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FAC
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FAC
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FLC
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EUR
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EUR
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OTH
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OTH
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1980/8122 (0)02 (0)0------
1981/829 (0)0--1 (0)0--2 (0)0

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