Members News: ‘Sparky’ Scores 32 Today – ‘Many Happy Returns’ Marc!
Sarah signs up ‘Sparky’ McNulty
Today we are pleased to celebrate the birthday of one of our members Marc McNulty who joined us in summer 2018 after moving to his then new club Reading. Marc was born in Edinburgh on 14th September 1992 and is therefore celebrating his 32nd birthday today. Congrats!
‘Sparky’ retains some real affection for the Sky Blues and comes back to see us when he can (though he is a busy man). For example, he brought his young son Freddie to see CCFC at their Ricoh opener in August 2018 (below left) to catch up with his erstwhile colleagues prior to the club’s exile at Birmingham City‘s St Andrews. It was then that CCFPA Membership Sec. Sarah Morris signed him up (right).
Sparky & son
Marc, our League Two ‘Golden Boot’ in 2017-18 with 28 Sky Blue goals (the best for many decades) was transferred to the Royals after 52 Sky Blue appearances at the start of the following season. Marc had built up a wonderful rapport with Sky Blues fans following his arrival from Sheffield United in July 2017 though it took a little time to find his striking touch at CCFC.
Marc McNulty, Coventry City
The Scotsman started out with Livingston in his home nation in 2009 and ended with 117 appearances and 45 goals before moving to the Blades in May 2014. He made 56 appearances for the Sheffield Club netting 14 times before making his Sky Blue debut in 2017. In the meantime he further displayed his goal scoring prowess in loan spells with Portsmouth (2015 – 34 appearances & twelve goals) and less so with Bradford (2016) with one goal in sixteen outings.
Marc only seventeen first team appearances for the Biscuitmen (mostly in 2018-19) scoring once, spending much of his time out on loan. He spent the second half of the 2017-18 season back home on loan at Hibernian where he rediscovered his goal scoring touch and knocked in eight goals in seventeen appearances in the Scottish Cup and Scottish Premier League. He returned there for just over a month in early 2020 and notched four goals in eight outings.
Top strikers of different Sky Blue eras; the late great George Hudson & Marc McNulty
In between, returning to England for the first half of 2019-20 season he assisted then City’s League One rivals Sunderland who had a number of former Sky Blues (and now fellow CCFPA members) in their ranks then including goalie Lee Burge and defender Jordan Willis. He ended up with five goals in 21 appearances for the Black Cats.
For the last two seasons Sparky has spent his playing time out on long loan periods in his homeland with Dundee United and ended his time there with eight goals in 54 appearances. For the last campaign (2023-24) Marc first tried his luck in the USA with Orange County SC in their USL Championship but moved to Scottish second division outfit Spartans in January 2024 for the rest of the season. For the current season he has become an experienced striker at League of Ireland Premier League club Shamrock Rovers. Exceeding his 400th career appearance Marc has also become since 2019 a Scottish International with two caps to date.
Marc knows that he will always be welcome at any Sky Blues game or at any of our CCFPA events as our guest whenever playing commitments allow.
We hope you have a great birthday today ‘Sparky’!
