Archive for category: Jackie Milburn.

Who are the top 5 Newcastle United strikers of all time?

May 25th, 2020 | 3 Comments |

Toon flag. — Newcastle United: A long history of great centre forwards.

With the long pause in Premier League action, I thought it might be a good time to go down memory lane and look at some of our favourite players from times past, so I have decided to list five of the top strikers in Newcastle United’s history. All the players selected played at least 150 games for the Magpies at the highest level, which means that great, but more fleeting Newcastle centre forwards such as Albert Shepherd, Albert Stubbins, Andy Cole, Les Ferdinand etc have not been included. The players are listed in chronological order, starting with the most recent players and going backwards in time. (more…)

Newcastle United Art Forum – The Shearer Statue

September 14th, 2016 | 150 Comments |

Alan Shearer statue — Looks like something out of a cereal packet

It isn’t very often that I venture off the highway of football to enter the arena of art criticism here on NUFC Blog, but this is one of those occaisions and I am actually more qualified. Having been a figurative artist, a designer and also an art dealer in a very modest sense, I hope I can give a reasonably informed opinion without getting too carried away.

As you might have guessed from the photo accompanying thus piece, my current musing has been inspired by the recent unveiling of the Alan Shearer sculpture. Named ‘Local Hero,’ it is the second by local self-taught sculptor, Tom Maley for Newcastle United. It follows Maley’s Bobby Robson tribute of 2012, though it was actually commissioned by former NUFC Chairman, Freddie Shepherd before that in 2007 at an alleged cost of around £250,000. There is almost certainly some kind of club politics behind the nine year delay in its unveiling but that is not what this story is about. (more…)

The next Newcastle number 9?

June 21st, 2011 | 35 Comments |

Who is worthy of the Newcastle number 9 shirt? — Tough acts to follow

On arrival at Newcastle United Demba Ba was handed the number 19 shirt, leaving the number 9 shirt vacant. Does this indicate that there are plans to recruit another striker to fill it or is the shirt going to be retired for a while?

The Newcastle United number 9 shirt is of course sacred. Leaving it unfilled for a while – after Obafemi Martins moved to Wolfsburg – was a deliberate ploy by former manager Chris Hughton who said:

“It’s something I’ve done deliberately. We have a lot of strikers here and I’m quite sure that every single one of them would have wanted to wear the No 9 shirt. As soon as I came to this club I knew what it meant and it’s both my decision and a combination of a few things.

“It can be a heavy number to carry, a burden, and wearing it is an achievement which I want somebody to grow into. I want somebody to earn the right to be Newcastle’s No 9. I don’t want to suggest that the strikers here aren’t worthy of it because each of them has a real strong value.

“I don’t anticipate years going by without one, but I know what the number nine is and I don’t want it to be an issue. The only issue I want is the normal stuff of the team performing well or not performing well, winning games or not winning games, and that’s very much team based.” (more…)

Magic Magpie memories III: FA Cup, 1951 (From the Pathe newsreel collection).

April 16th, 2010 | 92 Comments |

Magic Magpie Memories II (FA Cup, 1952).

F.A. Cup semi final replay – Newcastle V. Wolves. (2-1) 1951.

This match was played at Leeds Road, Huddersfield. It’s First blood to The Wolves with a goal from Walker. Then Newcastle strike back with goals from two of the usual suspects, Jackie Milburn and Bobby “Dazzler” Mitchell. The Magpies are through to the FA Cup final! Something that would become a regular event over the next few years.

There are four videos in this sequence, one of Newcastle United in the semi final against Wolverhampton Wanderers, one of the final, one of the lads returning to Newcastle to a hero’s reception with brief speecehes from Joe Harvey and Jackie Milburn. Finally, there is a longer feature taking a more general look at the FA Cup of 1951. (more…)

Magic Magpie memories II: FA Cup, 1952 (From the Pathe newsreel collection).

April 15th, 2010 | 147 Comments |

Magic Magpie memories part I (1955 FA Cup)

F.A. Cup 3rd Round – Newcastle V. Aston Villa. (4-2) 1952.

From St James’s Park, Newcastle upon Tyne. Aston Villa’s Dixon bags a brace as Aston Villa go 2-0 up, then the Geordie onslaught begins! The Newcastle United goals come courtesy of Billy Foulkes, two from Bobby “Dazzler” Mitchell and a final goal from Robledo.

The second of our series of trips down memory lane. This one features eight videos of Pathe newsreels focusing on another great, and ultimately successful FA Cup campaign of the ‘fifties, that of 1952. It features the magnificent Chilean centre forward, George Robledo. Robledo was one of Newcastle United’s greatest ever goalscorers and was the First Division’s top scorer the year we won this FA Cup final. A forward who could also graft and tackle with the best of them when off the ball, he scored no less than 91 goals in 164 competitive games for the Magpies (166 in total). In the twilight of his great career, he went on to play for the curiously named Chilean team, “Club Deportivo O’Higgins”. You can also delight at the skills of players such as, Ronnie Simpson, one of Newcastle’s greatest ever goalkeepers, who went on to win the European Cup with Jock Stein’s “Lisbon Lions” of 1967, and of course, a man whose name has become synonymous with Newcastle United, our all time top scorer, Jackie Milburn. (more…)