Biography
Left back Mike Hollifield joined Hull City in August 1983 to augment the squad that Colin Appleton piloted to promotion from Division Four the previous season. Hollifield slotted straight into the first team and was a regular starter for the first six months of the season as City challenged for a second successive promotion. Mike scored his only City goal in November 1983, in a 3-2 away win at faraway Bournemouth. Hollifield was absent during a busy March 1983 when City remained unbeaten, and returned in April with the Tigers poised in sixth place. Four successive wins achieved on Mike’s return lifted the Tigers to third and the side battled with Sheffield United for the final promotion spot behind Oxford United and Wimbledon. But the Tigers eventually fell just short by one goal in the final match of the season at Burnley.
That failure precipitated Appleton’s immediate departure to Swansea City and for the 1984/85 season Brian Horton took over as City’s player-manager. A stress fracture in his foot kept Hollifield out of the first team picture as Horton signed another Teesside left back in the shape of Lawrie Pearson – as a result Mike’s game time was severely restricted in a season that saw City clinch promotion in Horton’s first attempt. Hollifield did get a run of thirteen starts in March and April 1985 that featured seven wins and three draws, however when Pearson was fit again in early April he was put back in the first team and Hollifield never played for City again, leaving the club in the 1985 close season.
Michael Hollifield was born and raised on the Roseworth Estate in Stockton-on-Tees and was scouted by Division One side Wolverhampton Wanderers as a teenager, signing apprentice professional terms in October 1978. A left footed midfielder and defender, Hollifield progressed rapidly at Wolves and scored a 40 yard screamer for the Reserves at Anfield’s Kop End before making his first team debut in a November 1980 Division One match against Tottenham Hotspur. He had a run of seventeen starts before regular left back Derek Parkin was restored, then played only five times for Wolves in the 1981/82 season. He was absent for the whole of the 1982/83 season while recovering from back surgery that required the removal of a disc. When he joined the Tigers in August 1983 he had made 25 senior starts for Wolves in four seasons.
Hollifield left the Tigers in July 1985 and joined Division Four side Tranmere Rovers, but player-manager Frank Worthington used Mike only once in January 1986, by which time he had already been placed on the transfer list. Hollifield started the 1986/87 season at Northern League side Billingham Synthonia, then in November 1986 he switched to divisional rivals Crook Town.
In March 1987 Hollifield was invited to join New South Wales First Division side Woolongong City in Eastern Australia. Moving down under, Hollifield spent two seasons at Woolongong, winning a NSW First Division champions medal in the first season and competing the Australian National Soccer League in his second season. After a brief return to the UK during the 1989/90 season when Mike played for Northern League side South Bank, he returned to Australia for a further two seasons in the ANSL at Woolongong before being appointed player-coach at Illawarra Premier League side Lysaghts FC in 1991. He spent 1992/93 season at Russell Vale before seeing out his career back at Lysaghts, twice winning the Illawarra Premier League title. His playing days ended abruptly in 1999 when he was struck by a motor vehicle while walking home from a night out and suffered serious damage to both legs. He remained settled in the Lake Illawarra area with his family, managing a cleaning company.
Details
Nationality: England
Date/Place of Birth: 2 May 1961, Stockton-on-Tees
Hull City First Game: 30 August 1983, Lincoln City H (League Cup First Round First Leg), 22 years, 120 days old
Hull City Final Game: 2 April 1985, Bolton Wanderers H (Division Three), 23 years, 335 days old
Clubs
Wolverhampton Wanderers (1979-1983), Hull City (1983-1985), Tranmere Rovers (1985-1986), Billingham Sythonia (1986), Crook Town (1986-1987), Woolongong City (1987-1989), South Bank (1989-1990), Woolongong City (1990-1991), Lysaghts FC (1991-1992), Russell Vale (1992-1993), Lysaghts FC (1993-1999)
Hull City Record
Career: 53 apps, 1 goals
Mike Hollifield| Season | LGE App | LGE Gls | FAC App | FAC Gls | FLC App | FLC Gls | EUR App | EUR Gls | OTH App | OTH Gls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983/84 | 33 (0) | 1 | 2 (0) | 0 | 2 (0) | 0 | – | – | 3 (0) | 0 |
| 1984/85 | 12 (0) | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 (0) | 0 |