I started going to watch Newcastle United at St James’ Park in the early 1960s.
I’m now about to have my 74th birthday so as nothing much is happening in the close season, apart from England boring us senseless under Gormless Gareth, I thought I’d reflect on my Newcastle United heroes down the years.
In the early sixties, my hero was Alan Suddick.
Alan was a beautiful ball player who was loved by me and most Magpie supporters of that time. He was also the subject of the first anti-board protest in my time. He was sold to Blackpool to raise funds despite crowd chants of ” If Alan Suddick leaves, so do we.” Needless to say, he left but we didn’t.
Although we won promotion after Suddick left, I didn’t have a real hero in that team. A glimpse of my next real hero was when Bolton played against us in the promotion clincher at St. James’ Park, the majestic Wyn Davies. Wyn signed for us the following season and I can honestly say, I have never seen any footballer jump so high or dominate everyone in the air. He absolutely terrorised continental defences on our way to Fairs Cup victory. I went to all of the home games that season, including the first leg of the final. I never imagined as a 19 year old that by the time I was 74 I would not see us win another major trophy.
The early seventies saw the arrival of two more of my heroes, Jinky Jim Smith and Supermac. Jinky was a supremely talented attacking midfielder. Although he possessed silky skills and a wand of a right foot, he also wasn’t averse to in his own words “get my retaliating in first”, a euphemism for kick the kickers before they kick me.
Supermac simply lived up to his nickname.
Until the arrival of Shearer he was our best all round centre forward in my time supporting the club. He was powerful, possessed blistering pace and had a rocket shot. My best memory of him was his performance in the FA Cup semi-final against Burnley when he was virtually unstoppable. Unfortunately, he was treated appallingly, first of all by England and then by the odious Gordon Lee.
After the 70s and the departure of Supermac, it was a fallow period for Newcastle United heroes. Lots of honest triers but no real heroes.
Then along came Kevin Keegan. I was surprised as anyone when he signed for us and although I knew he was a good player, I didn’t realise how good, until I saw him play for us week in week out.
Suddenly we were blessed with three attacking players of supreme quality in KK, Beardsley and Waddle. In Keegan’s second season that trio fired us to promotion and entertained us royally.
However, our enjoyment of the three superstars was short lived. Keegan retired and Waddle and Beardsley were sold to Spuds and the red scousers.
There followed brief periods of enjoyment of my next hero, an outrageously skilled Paul Gascoigne. Short lived, as Gazza followed Waddle’s path to Spuds and another dark period followed.
Fast forward to the return of KK, this time as manager, and despite at first just managing to survive a relegation fight, the good times were just around the corner. Promotion and the Entertainers period followed.
Heroes aplenty.
Andy Cole, a goal scoring machine (although he later went from hero to zero after joining Manure), the return of Peter Beardsley, the wonderful winger that was David Ginola, Sir Les (another one sold too early) and of course a sheet metal worker’s son from Gosforth, for a then world record fee. Happy days, great football to watch, but sadly no trophy.
As we know, that side was dismantled by Dalglish and despite Gullit’s promise of sexy football, it took the signing of Bobby Robson as manager to bring us good football again and the revival of Shearer’s career.
Then the bad times returned, courtesy of Souness, Fat Sham and the owner of Sports Direct.
However, now we have new heroes.
First came Trippier, then Bruno G, Alex Isak and Antony Gordon. A manager in Eddie Howe who is the polar opposite of his predecessor. The improvement in Big Joe and countless others down to Eddie’s coaching. A style of football that we can finally enjoy again.
Will I finally see us lift that trophy while I’m still on this Earth. You bet I will. With a nod to Bazoox, Howay Eddie and the Hotrods.
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