TOWN have been doing battle with Jimmy Mullen for more than 35 years.
The 55-year-old Geordie, who comes to the Galpharm tomorrow as Walsall’s caretaker manager after the resignation of Richard Money, started his playing career at Sheffield Wednesday and figured in both showdowns with Town in the original Division II during the 1972-73 campaign.
The Owls were 3-2 winners at Hillsborough, but Town took revenge with a 1-0 victory at Leeds Road.
Mullen spent a decade at Wednesday, helping them win promotion from Division III in 1979-80, the season Town won Division IV.
He then moved to Rotherham, who along with Barnsley and Charlton, narrowly pipped Town to promotion from Division III in 1980-81.
By 1982-83, he was at Cardiff, who were promoted from the Third alongside Town at Portsmouth.
Mullen saw out his playing days at Newport before moving into management as assistant to Ian Porterfield at Aberdeen.
He became a boss in his own right at Blackpool late in the 1988-89 season, saving the club from relegation from Division III (now League I) with a string of late wins including a 2-1 triumph over Town at Bloomfield Road.
Having joined Burnley, then in the basement division, as assistant to Frank Casper in 1991, he became manager in his own right four months later.
Mullen guided the Clarets to two promotions before being sacked in 1996.
There followed spells in Ireland (with Sligo Rovers) and Wales (the national Under 19 side and Colwyn Bay).
He then bossed Telford and Bromsgrove before linking up with Money at Walsall last September.
He now has two matches at the helm, with Walsall facing Town then hosting Hartlepool.
