Alexander 'Sandy' John Burns Fulton (1942–2001) was the first person from

County Fermanagh County Fermanagh ( ; ) is one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the six counties of Northern Ireland. The county covers an area of 1,691 km2 (653 sq mi) and has a population of 61,805 ...

to play representative football for

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label=Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is #Descriptions, variously described as ...

Football

Sandy Fulton made his debut in 1957 for Enniskillen Rangers at the age of 13 years and four months, scoring in the local derby against Enniskillen Corinthians. In 1958, Enniskillen Rangers won the Mulhern Cup and Mercer Cup. In the Mulhern Cup final, they defeated Enniskillen Corinthians 3–0 at the Broadmeadow. Three days earlier, Corinthians had become the first team from the Fermanagh and Western to win the Irish Junior Cup. In 1959, Fulton became the first player from th
Fermanagh and Western League
to make it to the Irish League when he signed for Coleraine F.C. and made his debut at the age of 15. A year later, he moved to

Portadown F.C. Portadown Football Club is a professional, Northern Irish football club that plays in the NIFL Premiership. The club was formed in 1887 as a junior team seeking to participate in the Mid-Ulster Cup, eventually joining the Irish League with t ...

and a three-year spell with

Ballymena United Ballymena United Football Club is a semi-professional football club from Northern Ireland. Based in Ballymena, County Antrim, the team competes in the NIFL Premiership and plays home matches at the Ballymena Showgrounds which is owned by the M ...

followed. Fulton then played for

Linfield F.C. Linfield Football Club is a Northern Irish professional football club based in south Belfast which plays in the NIFL Premiership – the highest level of the Northern Ireland Football League. The fourth-oldest club on the island of Ireland, Li ...

before returning for a year with Enniskillen Rangers. Fulton returned to the Irish League where he played with Cliftonville F.C. until the end of his senior career. Fulton represented

during the 1960/61 season. Despite considerable interest from English clubs, he missed out on a trial with

Wolverhampton Wanderers Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club (), commonly known as Wolves, is a professional football club based in Wolverhampton, England, which compete in the . The club has played at Molineux Stadium since moving from Dudley Road in 1889. The club' ...

due to a boat strike and was deemed too old for

Chelsea Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to: Places Australia * Chelsea, Victoria Canada * Chelsea, Nova Scotia * Chelsea, Quebec United Kingdom * Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames ** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...

at the age of 21. Fulton returned to Enniskillen Rangers following his senior career. In 2007, he was selected as part of the Fermanagh & Western FA Team Of The Century. Honours * ''Representative Appearances'' *

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

Racecourse Ground The Racecourse Ground ( cy, Y Cae Ras) is a football stadium in Wrexham, Wales. It is the home of Wrexham A.F.C. It is the world's oldest international football stadium that still hosts international matches, having hosted Wales' first home i ...

, Wrexham - Saturday, 11 February 1961 *

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...

, Grosvenor Park, Belfast - Saturday, 29 April 1961 *

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

Old Trafford Old Trafford () is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 74,310 it is the largest club football stadium (and second-largest football stadium overall after Wembl ...

, Manchester - Saturday, 13 May 1961 *

, Castlereagh Park, Newtownards - Saturday, 10 February 1962 * ''Fermanagh & Western Division One'' * 1956/57 Champions , Enniskillen Rangers * 1958/59 Champions , Enniskillen Rangers * ''Mulhern Cup'' * 1957 Winners , Enniskillen Rangers * 1958 Winners , Enniskillen Rangers * 1959 Winners , Enniskillen Rangers

Castlebar Ambush

On Sunday 2 September 1973, Sandy Fulton was one of three RUC police officers shot while on a fishing trip in

County Mayo County Mayo (; ga, Contae Mhaigh Eo, meaning "Plain of the yew trees") is a county in Ireland. In the West of Ireland, in the province of Connacht, it is named after the village of Mayo, now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Counci ...

. The fishing party of ten, travelling in two unmarked cars, was ambushed on the road between Westport and

Castlebar Castlebar () is the county town of County Mayo, Ireland. Developing around a 13th century castle of the de Barry family, from which the town got its name, the town now acts as a social and economic focal point for the surrounding hinterland. W ...

, near Islandeady. It was reported that eight men, some with sub-machineguns opened fire from both sides of the road. Neither of the two drivers were hit and the party were able to escape the ambush site. Fulton's car was hit six times. The injured men took shelter in a farmhouse and notified the Gardai and emergency services. An ambulance conveyed Fulton to Castlebar hospital, where he was treated for bullet wounds to his left leg and arm. The injured men were transferred to the Erne Hospital, Enniskillen under heavy guard. The Gardai speculated that the party had been followed across the border and shadowed during their weekend stay. On 5 September, two men, John Fadden and Richard McDonnell, appeared in Castlebar court on charges connected to the ambush.

References

External links

ObituaryLinfield Football Club Official WebsiteA Priest, a confession and a conscience
- BBC NEWS February 20, 2009
Time to take stock of the influence we have
- Denzil McDaniel, Impartial Reporter - 9 October 2015 {{DEFAULTSORT:Fulton, Sandy People from County Fermanagh Linfield F.C. players Coleraine F.C. players Cliftonville F.C. players Association footballers from Northern Ireland NIFL Premiership players 2001 deaths 1942 births Association footballers not categorized by position