Bob Fullam, born in Ringsend on the south side of Dublin in 1897, was without doubt the first superstar of the Irish Free State League. Beginning his football journey with junior clubs St. Brendan’s and North End, Fullam (then working as a docker) was sensationally plucked from the stand to fill a place on the Shelbourne team for a Leinster Senior League match against Bohemians in 1918 (Bohs’ victory in the game meant they did not see fit to file an objection). He subsequently signed for the Ringsend club, and operating as an outside-right (he would also feature as an inside-forward and a wing-half later in his career), won an Irish Cup medal in 1920. A brief spell with Olympia F.C. followed, before Fullam joined Shelbourne’s emerging local rivals Shamrock Rovers.
Fullam’s role in the fracas that followed the 1922 Free State Cup final replay against St. James’s Gate saw him being suspended for the early part of Rovers’ debut Free State League season, but in spite of this, he scored 27 league goals (it remains a club record) to finish the league’s top scorer, and help the club to claim the league championship trophy in their very first year. Interest from Leeds United saw Fullam and his Rovers colleague John Joe Flood being transferred to the Yorkshire outfit in the summer of 1923, but following a year that saw limited first team opportunities (Fullam did manage two goals in seven league games), both players returned to Rovers in time for the start of the 1924-25 season. The famous “Four F’s” (Fullam, Flood, Farrell and Fagan) forward line was assembled for the first time this year, and inspired by their scoring exploits, Rovers stormed to a domestic treble of league, cup and shield, remaining unbeaten through all three competitions. Fullam contributed 20 league goals, and scored Rovers’ first in their 2-1 Free State Cup final victory over Shelbourne.
Having already gained notoriety for both his fearsome left foot and his deeply competitive nature whilst on the pitch, Fullam famously backed out of a challenge with Fordsons’ goalkeeper Billy O’Hagan in the Free State Cup decider of 1926. The score was level at 2-2, and having had his penalty kick parried, the ball broke loose, but fearing that he might cause a serious injury to the Corkman, Fullam decided not to contest the 50-50 ball. Although the Cork club lifted the trophy on a 3-2 scoreline, Fullam insisted that he had no regrets, later describing the incident as the “best decision of my life”.
The Dubliner entered Irish footballing folklore again in 1927, as a member of the Irish Free State side that faced the Italian ‘B’ team (the Azzuri’s first team had won a one-sided contest in Turin 3-0 the previous year; Fullam had been part of that historic side) at Lansdowne Road. Fullam not only had the honour of scoring the Free State’s first international goal, but also gained infamy for knocking the Italian defender, Zanello, unconscious with a free-kick. The incident prompted the other members of the Italian team to beg their opponents and the referee not to let Fullam strike any more dead balls.
A one-year stint in the United States during 1927-28 precipitated Fullam’s second spell as a Shamrock Rovers player, and having won league and shield medals in 1927, he added further Free State Cup winners’ medals in 1929, 1930 and 1931, and was part of the Hoops’ second treble-winning side of 1932 (“Give it to Bob” had long since become a favoured catchphrase of the Shamrock Rovers faithful). Fullam retired at the end of this season, having scored 94 Free State League goals, and having collected six Free State League representative caps (scoring two goals). Fullam’s association with Shamrock Rovers or the inter-league team was by no means over, however, and he would later lend coaching expertise to both of those sides. Having helped Rovers to F.A.I. Cup wins in 1944 and 1945, he emigrated to London soon afterwards, where he died in 1974. Fullam’s place in Irish football history, however, had long since been secured.
