The long goodbye
Deja-vu strikes as the Mullin eulogies roll out again. But if anyone deserves two tributes...
A player so good, we had to say ‘ta ra’ twice
The people of Wrexham don’t have much of a relationship with Wigan.
We know the place, sure. And we’ve played them often enough over the years. We also have a rare mutual respect for a certain James McClean.
But our knowledge of the town is mostly limited to media coverage of the area that might pop up on social media during National Pie Week. And perhaps we’ve gained a little more awareness since a part-time DJ and amateur runner bounced into the town’s Makerfield constituency to launch his bid for PM.
In Summer 2025, though, for a fleeting moment, all eyes in Wrexham were on Wigan.
It was around this time last year that Paul Mullin was photographed in pie country with a pen in one hand and a contract in the other, sending social media into a frenzy.
Thousands reacted to the sight of Mulls in a blue and white shirt with a mix of horror, despair and - in a few puzzling cases - utter fury. How on Earth could we let him go, they cried. Without Mullin, there was no Wrexham.
As the subsequent days ebbed by and the raw emotion began to fade, however, most Reds came round to the idea that this was actually the best case scenario for everyone.
A loan deal would at the very least give Mullin some much-needed game time. At best, it could be the catalyst for his recovery in front of goal, meaning he’d return to Wrexham in due course to rip apart the Championship, just like we all wanted.
In the end, though, neither of those scenarios came to pass. Mulls played less than he wanted, scored fewer than anyone expected, and came back to Y Cae Ras to find himself even lower down the pecking order than before.
In the months since that tepid loan spell, nobody can really seem to pinpoint precisely what went wrong. But all the attention surrounding the striker may have been an issue.
The only thing that Wigan manager Ryan Lowe found more frustrating than SPM’s disappointing goal return was the media, who followed his every turn like a great big shadow in the glaring spotlight.
“Everything seems to be Paul Mullin, Paul Mullin,” Lowe grumbled.
“I’m not bothered about the drama of Paul Mullin. I’m bothered about my strikers scoring goals - and that’s what I want.”
When those goals proved few and far between, both parties realised with some reluctance that this simply wasn’t working. Mullin’s deal was cut short, and he was farmed out to Bradford before he could even begin to fight for his place back home. His time in Yorkshire yielded even fewer minutes on the pitch and no goals whatsoever.
By the time the season was done, everyone suspected his Wrexham career probably was, too. A statement confirmed his departure on June 26. And this time it was permanent.
It felt a little awkward to wave Mullin off again - a bit like when you give someone an emotional farewell and then realise you’re both walking in the same direction. But if anyone deserves a second goodbye, it’s Mulls. His departure has been another excuse to relive the big moments and the best memories that will continue to be replayed on Red screens almost as much as Mickey Thomas’ free-kick or Ryan Valentine’s penalty from years gone by.
Wigan’s manager Ryan Lowe might have been onto something, in suggesting the cloud of public curiosity hanging over Mullin’s career is not always a good thing. In some ways, the guy is a victim of his own success. He has achieved so much and become so famous in such a short space of time, any move he makes now will be the subject of scrutiny.
It doesn’t always have to be this way for ex-players. Sam Dalby, Jordan Davies and Luke Young are all examples of how former heroes have moved along with a firm handshake, and thrived in new environments where they have been free to focus on themselves. But Mulls, because of his talismanic aura, hasn’t been afforded that luxury.
Everyone can see that the current Mullin is not the same player who spearheaded Wrexham’s ascent into the Championship. But it’s not too late for a new chapter.
“There are some people who make us believe” sobbed Rob Mac in his tearful Mullin farewell social media post.
Now Mulls needs a new club to believe in him.
He’s earned two goodbyes from us. And he’s earned another shot somewhere else.
The record breaking rise of Wrexham has meant many players, that would have expected to stay on a little longer, are being replaced. It is very sad, but understandable.