Early Life
McMullan was born in Denny, Stirlingshire in 1895. He began his football career with junior side Denny Hibernian in 1911 before graduating to the Scottish League with Third Lanark the next year. Initially considered an inside left, by the time he joined Thirds Glasgow rivals Partick Thistle in 1913 he played predominantly as a left half. He stayed eight seasons with Thistle but missed out on participating in their Scottish Cup winning side of 1921 through injury. In 1920 he won the first of his sixteen caps for Scotland against Wales in a 1-1 draw in the 1920 British Home Championship. McMullan is considered to have been the greatest Scottish half-back of his day,. McMullan was an ever present in the 1921 British Home Championship which was won by Scotland.
In the close season of 1921 McMullan became embroiled in controversy. Partick turned down a £5,000 offer from Newcastle United for his signature and the player, determined to play in English football, signed for non-league Maidstone United as player-manager. He returned to the Glasgow club in the summer of 1923. McMullan helped Scotland to victory in the 1925 British Home Championship and was part of the Scotland team which defeated England 2-0 (Hughie Gallacher scored both goals). In February 1926 he eventually earned his long-desired move to the Football League aged 30, when Manchester City signed him for £4,700.
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