Newcastle-Online comment: 16th September 2004
The appointment of Graeme Souness makes him manager No.21 in the hot
seat with the former Blackburn boss becoming our 5th Scottish manager
in the process - 74 years after our first ever manager. Newcastle-Online
takes a look at the previous 4 managers to hail from North of the
Border. Each man leaving an indelible mark on our history with successes,
failures, drama and controversy in abundance.
Scotsman No.1 in the hot seat - Andy Cunningham 1930-35
Our present day manager shares something in common with our first
ever manager - Andy Cunningham - who too was a Scotsman. There was
two other things that was also unique about him, other than his title
as manager (not the norm in those days). Cunningham was the first
ever player-manager in English top-flight football and at 38 years
and two days of age, he was also the oldest player ever to make his
debut in the English game.
Just like today, Newcastle liked to spring surprises on the world
of football.
Signed from Glasgow Rangers for £2,300 in 1929, Cunningham arrived
at United as one of the all-time greats of Scottish football having
played nearly 450 games for Glasgow Rangers. However his best days
had come and gone and at 38 United brung him in as merely a squad
player - a role which brought about 15 appearances in the Black &
White shirt, both as a player and a player-manager. A title afforded
to him in 1930 by the Directors Committee, who under the dominant
control of the Guv'nor, the great Frank Watt (another Scotsman), sought
to have one man dedicated to team affairs and not the board. 4 months
later Cunningham hung up his boots and become full-time manager of
Newcastle.
Following United's League Championship win of 1927, the proceeding
years saw a decline in standards, results and the departure of several
star names - including Hughie Gallacher the darling No.9 of the Gallowgate.
It was Cunningham's job to put an end to the decline and to restore
former glory. At first he found it a struggle to make the jump from
one of the lads in the dressing room to the boss of those lads he
left behind but with an astute tactical mind and no nonsense man management
methods, he slowly but surely shaped the troops into a well organised
team capable of putting a string of results together.
Although the League Title eluded the tough Scotsman, he was to take
the Magpies to Wembley again in 1932, 8 years after the last (and
first) visit when United beat old FA Cup foes Aston Villa 2-0 at the
Twin Towers. Like then, Newcastle lifted the famous old trophy in
a controversial game dubbed the 'over the line final' as the Toon
beat the mighty Arsenal 2-1 with United's equaliser being the contentious
goal of the game, a goal that wrote itself into the annals of FA Cup
history. Racing down the right wing United's Jimmy Richardson picked
up a through ball right on the touchline where he flashed in a cross,
the Arsenal defence stopped waiting for a goal-kick decision after
the ball seemingly crossed the white line. The decision never come
however and in flashed Jack Allen, Gallacher's replacement, to smash
the ball into the net. From that moment on, Cunningham's men dominated
and fully deserved the victory.
After enjoying such success, two years later however, Cunningham's
luck and management skills deserted him. The man hailed as the one
to bring back the Championship to Tyneside oversaw a quite disastrous
campaign that brought about only one win in the opening 14 games and
eventual relegation to the old Second Division - ending a proud 36
year stay in the top flight.
From then on in his job was always under threat and after just one
season in the Second Division, Cunningham resigned. In those 5 years
as United's first ever manager Newcastle finished 17th, 11th, 5th,
21st (relegation), 6th (Div 2) and won the FA Cup.
In total United played 251 games under Cunningham, winning 105, losing
101 and drawing 45.
Scotsman No.2 in the
hot seat - George Martin
Scotsman No.3 in the
hot seat - Dougie Livingstone
Scotsman No.4 in the
hot seat - Kenny Dalglish |
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