Andy Cunningham: A Shot In The Dark

With the 1927 Championship win a fast fading memory and the game of football constantly evolving it was time for change at Newcastle United. On New Years Day 1930 the Directors Committee made a decision that would forever change the way in which the club operated - they appointed their first ever team-manager.

His name was Andy Cunningham who had been signed as a player the previous year for a fee of £2,300 from North of the Border giants Glasgow Rangers. Where as an inside-forward he went onto become one of the true greats of Scottish football. Playing 389 games, scoring 182 goals and winning 7 League Titles for the 'Gers.

Initially signed as a mere squad player the tall chisel jawed veteran's best days had come and gone at Ibrox and if his signature raised a few eyebrows then, his meteoric rise from his bit-part role to the actual boss less than 12 months after signing came as a complete surprise to many. Especially to the man himself who never envisaged such a major job description. A job he readily accepted nonetheless. It was an honour he thought... and a challenge.

1929-30

At the tender age of 39 it was straight out of the frying pan and into the fire for Cunningham who's jump from a squad player to the boss - via a 4-month spell as the first ever player-manager in England due to a striker shortage - came midway through a troubled season in which United were hit hard by a string of poor results, injuries, suspensions and a disillusioned dressing room.

On the day he took over his men were lying down at the bottom end of the table with just 18 points from 23 games. United were embroiled in a relegation dogfight along with Everton, Burnley, Sheffield United, Arsenal and Grimsby Town. One that went right to the wire - to the final day of the season.

Cunningham had to mastermind a win otherwise he would take his new team down. United had never suffered the indignity of relegation before and the very thought of such a humiliating occurrence horrified everyone connected with the club. Not least of all Cunningham who didn't want to become the first man to achieve such a shameful feat.

The United of West Ham were Newcastle's final opponents of the season and luckily for the Magpies their biggest and most important game in years would be staged in front of their own crowd at St. James' Park where Cunningham and his men would need all the support they could get if they were to avoid the dreaded drop.

However preparations for the do-or-die match couldn't have got underway on a worse footing. United's star man, the great Hughie Gallacher, was once again at the centre of controversy, and not of his own doing this time either.

During the final week of the season Newcastle along with most clubs up and down the country released their retainer and transfer lists - a compilation of players names who were to be either re-signed or offloaded the following campaign. Yet prior to United's official publication, a Southern newspaper had reported that Gallacher was one of the names on the Magpies transfer list. That he wouldn't be re-signed.

The story dominated headlines on Tyneside to tempestuous levels, totally overshadowing and disrupting the build-up to the all important match against the Hammers.

When quizzed of his knowledge of this, Gallacher knew nothing about it: "I have had no official word from the club.", he said. It was news to him as were the rumours that soon followed. That Newcastle's fierce local rivals Sunderland had been offered the chance to buy the Scot.

Rumours fueled by the conspicuous appearance of two prominent United Directors at Roker Park to take in the Wearsider's game with Sheffield Wednesday the previous week.

The club were quick to dismiss the 'tales' however amid a barrage of criticism from supporters and former player turned local journalist - the great Colin Veitch. In a desperate attempt to quell fan unrest a phone call was made to the Editor of the Evening Chronicle with United's Assistant Secretary, the son of Frank Watt - also of the same name - pleading: "Will you please contradict the statement in the London newspaper that Gallacher is on the transfer list or that he has been offered to Sunderland?"

The local paper obliged to set the record straight regarding the transfer list, aided by Gallacher's very own words that he had re-signed for season 30-31, but they did not retract their story of the Sunderland rumour. In fact they ran with the story for a few more days, maintaining their belief in the legitimacy of it.

For his part Gallacher felt like a piece of meat and made public his distaste at the whole affair, saying: "I am not a prawn to be sold willy-nilly to any club; I have my own likes and dislikes." The Scot certainly disliked the speculation surrounding his future, he was settled on Tyneside, loved his life, United and most of all his tens of thousands of fans who worshiped the very ground he walked on.

His only wish was to play for their club - Newcastle United. That, along with his lethal ability to find the back of the net as regular as clock-work, was the one thing that couldn't be leveled at Gallacher - his loyalty and commitment to United was never in question, never. As he proved in the month of April when he dared to do what not many before him (or after) had dared to do - put club before country.

With Newcastle needing vital points to fend off the drop and up against fellow strugglers Arsenal, Gallacher had chosen to play in that game rather than turn out for Scotland who had called-up their No.1 player with 12 goals in his last 5 games for his country, to play in the prestigious Home Nations match against England at Wembley.

The biggest fixture in the entire football calendar, even bigger than the F.A. Cup Final. A match every player on both sides of the Border wanted to play in. But not Gallacher. Helping the club and fans who made him a star was much more important to him. And help he did - setting up Joe Devine to equalise in a 1-1 draw with the Gunners.

As a result of his refusal to play for his country a change in the rules were made by the English F.A. which left it up to the sole discretion of their member clubs whether they released their stars for international call-ups or not. Gallacher was the toast of Boardrooms up and down the country but was vilified back in his homeland and amongst his fellow Scottish international team-mates who earned their crust in England.

His actions so enraged the Scottish F.A. to such an extent, they totally revamped their selection policy. Only home based players would be eligible to play for their country - effectively ending the international careers of Gallacher and his fellow Anglo-Scots... a policy that didn't last long, since half of Scotland's top players played in the English 1st Division.

With the furore over Gallacher's future out of the way (for the time being at least) the final day of the season had arrived. 50,000 plus expectant Geordies packed into St. James' Park to witness a tense, nervous and passionless affair that didn't quite live up to such a momentous occasion.

The spectre of defeat and what that would entail played heavily on the minds of the players. Instead of getting at their opponents United were reluctant to get forward with sloppy passing and needless mistakes a feature of their play. For their part West Ham were happy to sit back and protect their goal. They had nothing to play for and would finnish in 8th place.

The fans were not happy with the lackadaisical attitude of Cunningham's men. They had done their bit by turning up and if they were as uncertain as their team was - they certainly didn't show it. Creating a tremendous din throughout to fire up their pensive heroes. At half-time the score was 0-0 and so poor were Newcastle, they would need more than 45 minutes to score a goal - which never looked like coming.

That goal did come however when on 53 minutes Cunningham's first ever signing, Devine, crashed home a loose ball to open the scoring. A goal celebrated like no other at the Old Gallowgate. The stands were rocking and so were the mean defence of the away side.

After the goal nerves and tensions in the stands and out on the pitch were somewhat relaxed and United hung on for the win to stay up. Finishing in 19th place on a pitiful 37 points - just 1 more than Burnley and Everton who were both relegated - it had been a close escape and a rude awakening to Cunningham's fledgling managerial career. His team didn't play well on the day with one scribe writing 'kitten punch ensures safety for United', but nobody cared. Least of all the fans.

For them, the drama didn't end there however. Their worst fears came true. Success over the Hammers proved to be Gallacher's final ever match in the Black' n' White shirt with the dashing, tough as steel 5 ft 5 in. tall centre-forward sold to newly promoted Chelsea for a huge £10,000 fee just a few weeks later. Equaling the previous record set by Arsenal when they signed Gallacher's big pal and fellow Scot Alex James from Preston North End.

'Wee Hughie' as he had affectionately become known as on Tynenside had learned on the eve of the West Ham game that, despite signing on for another season, he was no longer wanted at United. The Board had indeed offered the striker to Sunderland. The Evening Chronicle got it right.

Gallacher had become a legend like no other at the Old Gallowgate. He scored 39 goals in all competitions in the '27 Championship winning year and notched an incredable total 144 goals in just 174 appearances - a goal every 1.2 games - making him United's all-time top goalscorer at the time. His sale sparked an outrage amongst the Geordie faithful.

Devastated at seeing 'the best player ever' to have played for their beloved club leave, supporters conveyed their anger by bombarding United and the press with letters, phone calls, petitions, threats to boycott the club, demands of the Directors to resign and a planned Town-Hall meeting to oust them in a coup de grâce should they not. The whole City went into mourning and grown men cried. Odes, poems and tributes poured in thanking him for his service.

One supporter, writing to the local papers, summed up the feelings in Toon: "I consider that if a club asks a player to re-engage and then seeks to transfer him, the Directors are not worthy of their position and the club should be boycotted. They might say 'this is our business' but, for their edification I would point out that it is the supporters.

"Hughie Gallacher scored 29 goals during the season, apart from giving other players 'gifts'. He also relinquished his international cap for his club and if this is the Directors gratitude the best they can do is to transfer themselves and leave Hughie where he is." - Bob End

All pleas fell on deaf ears. He was gone. United lost their great striker and nobody could quite fathom the logic in the sale of a man who's leadership and prowess in front of goal had lead Newcastle to a Championship Title. Who's goals in his final season at the club had kept the Magpies in the top-flight. Who at 27 was still to reach his peak. A player who wanted to finish his career on Tyneside. A player who snubbed his own country to play for United. His move to Chelsea was as one Southern reporter noted, 'pure lunacy on Newcastle's part'.

Gallacher wasn't surprised by his exit though. "Once Cunningham was made boss I knew my days were numbered at United.", he later told friends. The two may have shared common traits, both being Scotsmen and strikers skilled in the art of scoring goals, but that's where the similarities ended.

Gallacher was a controversial personality both within and out of club walls as well as out on the pitch. Never one to shy away from offering his forthright opinions on not only club issues, but all kinds of footballing matters too.

Where as Cunningham was a restrained, contemplative man with a stoic character. The two barely spoke to one another. Gallacher thought of Cunningham as a busy body, Cunningham thought of Gallacher as a ticking time-bomb - a liability in waiting. A clash of personalities was inevitable.

Although Cunningham rated him as a finisher and would miss his goals, the striker just wasn't his type of player so when the Directors Committee decided to get rid of Gallacher, long before his eventual sale, only the fight to avoid relegation prevented it happening earlier, there was no objection whatsoever from the manager.

The Board cited the need to reinvest money into building a new team as the reason why they sold their chief goal getter, but in truth they were uncomfortable with Gallacher's influence and sway with the supporters. Not to mention his on and off-field skirmishes with authority that dogged his 5-years at the club, and sadly his later life away from football. He was a bad apple, a trouble maker in their eyes who had become bigger than the club.

To the United fans however he was a true saint who could do no wrong. A hero to all, adored by men, women and bairns. He lived the life of a Hollywood movie star and often frequented the Toon's finer and not so fine watering holes, which more often than not got him into trouble.

Usually such a blaze lifestyle for a sportsman would be frowned upon but Geordies adopted him as one of their own. He mixed with the locals and even bought a round in... or two. Take away his size 6 football boots and Gallacher was just an ordinary man who liked to dress smart and live life to the full. Sharing what he had with those around him and the fans loved him for it.

His departure was a bitter pill to swallow and signalled the end of an era for them. But Cunningham was determined to start a new one... without the wee man whom he was initially bought as back-up cover to.

1930-31

The inquest into the 'worst season in United's history' as the previous campaign had been coined, was a long drawn out affair which dominated the close-season. One that Cunningham had pretty much came out of from unscathed, though he did have his own doubters.

Not wanting to criticise anyone the Scot simply put it down to two things; injuries to key players at vital stages of the campaign and mental fatigue from a long hard slog to avoid the drop, which United had been fighting as early as September of that season.

Those 'reasons' didn't wash with the supporters nor the press however. No, they blamed the Directors Committee entirely for failing to invest the money they did, into buying top-quality players. Many of the signings were expensive flops in their eyes. Devine at £6,000 being a prime example. The B team, or reserve side had also came in for criticism too. Where were the quality back-up players the fans had asked.

The Board without taking full responsibility did admit that they had overestimated the quality of both the A and B teams and that

they didn't heed the warning signs earlier - hence panic buying. No blame on their part was laid at the manager's door - they were fully behind him and to placate the fans they assured funds would be released and that everyone would work that much harder to ensure that relegation would not rear it's ugly head again.

Music to Cunningham's ears. Armed with the backing from the Board and the money from Gallacher's sale, his first challenge was to find his replacement. After much deliberation the Scot brought in two strikers; Duncan Lindsay, an unknown fellow Scotsman from Cowdenbeath and Harry Bedford from Derby County, a former England international and now a veteran.

Lindsay, being a Scot and of similar stature to Gallacher was welcomed by the fans but just as eyebrows were raised at the signature of Cunningham, they were with Bedford too, who was deemed not good enough. Hardly top-class players the fans argued. They weren't overly impressed.

More new faces came in during the season as the Board had promised. Dave Davidson, a centre-half from Liverpool, James Nelson from Cardiff City, another defender, Ron Sarling, a promising local lad born in Gateshead from Hull City and Jimmy Naylor from Huddersfield Town all signed. It was all change at United. But would they be good enough?

An opening day 2-1 defeat against League Champions Sheffield Wednesday got United's season underway and from there on in an up and down season followed. Big wins and big defeats become a common affair for Cunningham and his men.

A 7-4 victory over a strong Manchester United side at Old Trafford demonstrated just how good United could be on their day, but a 5-0 hammering at Roker Park against arch rivals Sunderland showed just how poor they could be too.

As the season wore on it was the poor side of his team that came out to play more often than not. Like the previous campaign Newcastle were again involved in a relegation battle, but with a few games to spare they managed to stave off the drop. Eventually finishing down in 17th place on 36 points with the United's of Manchester and Leeds going down.

The men Cunningham brought in to replace Gallacher managed just 25 League goals between them, though many others chipped in to give United a respectable total of 78 goals. At the other end however they let in a staggering 87. Not good enough and another hugely disappointing season.

For the supporters the highlight of the season was the eagerly awaited return of 'Wee Hughie' when he and his new Chelsea side arrived at the Old Gallowgate in September.

To show their former hero just how much he was loved, a massive 68,586 Geordies turned up to cheer the great man with an estimated 10,000 fans locked out of the ground, thousands of others perched on the tops of stands and thousands more on the roofs of houses adorning Leazes Terrace.

It seemed as if the whole City was there to welcome him home. A record breaking turn out - giving United their biggest ever attendance. A figure that still stands today.

As Hughie stepped out onto the St. James' Park turf, much to the annoyance of the Directors Committee who looked on with grimace, a deafening round of cheers and clapping greeted the striker and throughout the game he was routinely applauded and had his name chanted. "Howay Wor Hughie", the fans shouted, waving their cloth caps.

Afterwards he recalled how he was bowled over by his reception which brought a lump to his throat and tears to his eyes. The most memorable moment of his life he described. His team-mates nor the United players could quite believe the scenes they had witnessed. "That's Geordie folk all over", he would tell them.

It would have hurt Gallacher to have scored - which he didn't. Leaving the field on the losing side with United beating the Londoners 1-0. The hero being England international 'keeper Albert McInroy or 'Mac' as he was known as, who saved countless shots, including a few from his former team-mate. The fans actually wanted Gallacher to score, so long as the Magpies won of course.

Having managed to get to the 6th Round of the F.A. Cup the previous season, only to get dumped out at the hands of Preston North End in a 2-1 defeat in front of over 62,000 spectators at St. James' Park, United tumbled out in the 4th after a shock 4-1 defeat at Elland Road against Leeds.

A defeat that didn't go down too well with fans who believed their side could go all the way. It had been a tough old first full season in the job for Cunningham. One of experiments with formations and lineups - trying to find that consistent winning formula. A lot of hard work was still needed to be put in from all and a goalscorer had to be found.

On Gallacher's return Cunningham, a thinking man, sat passively throughout the 90 minutes listening intently as the fans cheered his name and clapped his every move. Observing the faces of the crowd United's manager knew he had to find them a new hero and a leader of the line for his goal shy attack.

The dissatisfaction on the stands hadn't gone unnoticed by the Scot. The fans were a loyal, patient and knowledgeable bunch but their team was bereft of any star quality centre-forward and that's what they paid their hard earned money to see.

Give them a genuine goalscorer he thought and some of the pressure placed on the rest of the team would be alleviated. That along with restoring former glory was his aim.

1931-32

Flirting with relegation again brought out another inquest, but unlike the previous close season there was no fierce criticism this time. The United fans had reluctantly accepted that their club was no longer a super power, after 4 years of struggling.

With the Championship side broken up, a manager in place for the very first time and a new team, they could see a rebuilding job was in process. That had to be patient.

For Cunningham it was the opposite. Having spent money on his own players and received the full backing of his paymasters, he was disappointed to have delivered such a poor season. Returning the faith shown in him with tangible success was paramount. But first another dip into the transfer market was needed.

David Bell arrived, 20-year old winger Harry McMenemy was promoted from the B team and big money Jack Allen was signed from Sheff Wed for £3,500. A local lad who had escaped the clutches of his home town team as a schoolboy.

Cunningham hoped the powerful left-footed striker would be the one to score the goals, the one to replace Gallacher as the darling of the crowd. Allen arrived with a first-class pedigree having won two Championships with Sheff Wed and totaling 85 goals in 114 games for the Yorkshire side - 39 of them coming in just one season. He was regarded as one of the top strikers in the Country and up there with the likes of Gallacher.

Both the press and fans hailed the capture of a noted goalscorer and leader of the line. If there was one thing the fans loved more than a top centre-forward wearing the Black' n' White shirt, it was a Geordie hero. Someone they could relate to as they once did with 'Wee Hughie'.

Allen's debut for his new team didn't quite go to plan however, missing a penalty on the opening day as Liverpool left St. James' Park with a 1-0 win. Like the previous couple of campaigns United's League form was erratic and inconsistent.

There were no fears of an unprecedented 4th successive relegation scrap this time though. Newcastle were a different side; stronger at the back with Nelson and Davison proving quality in defence and with Allen and Jimmy Boyd the main men up front, United were much more powerful and decisive in attack.

Cunningham had his side playing attractive football and at one stage of the season a Title push was on the cards with the Magpies lying in 3rd in January, a couple of points off the top. A remarkable climb considering a few big defeats had been recorded, most notably an 8-1 defeat away to Everton. But United were consistently picking up points while others around them dropped points. However 5 straight defeats towards the end of the season put paid to any challenge.

A run blamed by the press on United's flirtation with the F.A. Cup. Not that anyone minded... Newcastle had reached the Final! Cup fever descended on Tyneside.

The run to the Final started back in January with a 3rd Round tie away to Blackpool. A 1-1 result meant a replay back at St. James' Park and progression to the next Round after a solitary Boyd goal won the match. Then the fun began.

A mammoth 3 matches against Southport ensued. A 1-1 draw at the Old Gallowgate took the plucky 3rd Division side to a replay where another 1-1 draw was played out - in front of a record 20,010 crowd for them. On neutral territory at Hillsbrough Newcastle ended the charade by thumping the Yorkshire men 9-0 to record their biggest ever F.A. Cup win - another record that still stands today.

Incredibly all 9 goals came in the second half and United could even afford to miss a penalty. Promising young striker Jimmy Richardson from Ashington scored a hat-trick as Cunningham blooded a few reserves.

In the 5th Round Leicester City were comfortably beaten 3-1 at home to hand Newcastle another match-up against 3rd Division opposition in the shape of Watford this time.

Prior to the game, the club was shocked to learn that club Secretary the Guv'nor Frank Watt had passed away at the age of 78. Watt had been with the club for 37 years and his loss wasn't just felt on Tyneside but throughout the game. A great man and a leader who was the brains behind the club's successes over the years.

Cunningham was particularly saddened by his death. A fellow Scotsman, Watt was instrumental in first bringing him to Newcastle as a player and then in his appointment as manager.

Watford were dully thrashed 5-0 with Allen grabbing a treble in front of 58,000 supporters who turned up to pay their respects to Watt with an impeccably observed minutes silence. A fitting result for the great man.

Allen's hat-trick made it 9 goals in 27 appearances since signing. The striker found the going tough at first back on Tyneside as he struggled to deal with the inevitable expectations that are placed on any leading striker wearing the famous Black' n' White shirt.

United had a proud and long tradition of great goalscorers and centre-forwards and the fans demanded the best. After initial excitement the they wondered whether Allen or anyone would ever fill the mantle but the goals soon flowed for him and just as Cunningham had hoped, he become the darling of the crowd and in some fashion too.

Finally United had a striker capable of scoring goals, exciting the crowd and winning matches. Granted he was no Hughie Gallacher, much less as prolific, but nobody cared.

What Allen lacked in finesse he made up for it with bloody minded determination, bravery and a hammer of a left-foot that would make the net bulge. And that's all that mattered to the United fans and his manager who was quietly pleased with himself for bringing him back 'hyem'.

Hailing from Newburn on the outskirts of the City Allen was a resolute character and had been acutely aware of the comparisons made between himself and Gallacher so when the chance came around to upstage the man he was bought to replace when United were drawn against Chelsea in the Semi-Final, he was determined to come out on top.

The match was billed as the game of the competition and had scribes up and down the country as excited as the two clubs. Both evenly matched and having similar League campaigns it was Newcastle who finished on top.

Beating the London side 2-1 with Allen and Boyd putting United 2-0 up before Gallacher reminded the traveling Geordies who once again gave him a rousing reception, just what they had missed prior to Allen's signing by grabbing Chelsea's consolation. The perfect result for Allen and the fans - a trip to Wembley to look forward to where United would encounter another Cockney team, the formidable Arsenal.

After the Semi-Final success the League came a poor second to the Cup exploits. Cunningham's men took their foot off the gas in fear of picking up injuries or suspensions that would result in missing out on the Final. Those 5 successive defeats culminated in an eventual 11th place finish with 42 points.

Cunningham had hoped for a higher finish and was bitterly disappointed that his team just gave up on the League, hauling his men over the coals. Though by not selecting his strongest XI in a few games for fear of jeopardising his own Cup Final plans, it has to be said, he himself was partially to blame for the stuttering finale.

Just missing out on a top-ten finish was a marked improvement on just missing out on relegation however so supporters weren't too disheartened. The season had been a very good one in their eyes after the years that went before it. They had their new hero in Allen, their team played attractive football and a trip to the Twin Towers beckoned. Always a great day out.

Geordies just loved the Old Cup for many reasons. It was different to the League, the atmosphere was always better at St. James' Park and the thrill of knock-out games excited the masses like no other.

The fans weren't daft. They knew the League Title was never on the cards. There was too many good teams better than Newcastle. But the Cup, anyone could win. Furthermore a Cup final appearance brought with it the attention of the national media who would embark upon Tyneside with relish. Welcomed with open arms by the locals the Southern Press enjoyed their visits to Bonny Newcastle.

Times were hard form many Tynesiders. Jobs were scarce and life was a real struggle. Newcastle United was an escape from the daily bump and grind - a beacon of hope for an entire City and her neigbouring boundries. If the club did well, so did the the region it represented.

The F.A. Cup shined a torch on everything great about Tyneside. The Southern press, not always kind about United in their match reports, often biased towards their own teams, would leave Newcastle writing about the tremendous spirit and atmosphere of a City hit harder than most whenever a recession reared it's ugly head. Reporting about the hard working, kind and hospitable people who had welcomed them to their home.

Many a Geordie left for a job 'doon South' on the back of United's Cup exploits. Businesses always on the look out for cheap labour often turned to Tyneside and it's people. Aye, the F.A. Cup and all it's magic had a special place in the hearts of Geordies.

As demonstrated by over 2,000 of them, men, women and 'bairns' who had sneaked out of work and school to storm the Central Station, breaking down two barriers to send their heroes off on their train to the London with cheers and shouts of 'good luck' ringing in their ears.

The United team were on their way to Wembley to face the mighty London aristocrats Arsenal who had won the Championship the previous season and had overtook Newcastle as the team of the lands. Spearheaded by the legendary striker Cliff Basten and the wing wizardry of the diminutive Alex James, who could have been a United player had the Board not rebuffed Gallacher's numerous attempts to get them to sign his big mate on the grounds of the Scot being too small. A strange reason given how small Hughie was.

With James just one of many stars in a star studded side who played scintillating football, Arsenal were rightly favourites with the bookies and national press alike, and didn't the Cocky North London side know it. Boasting that the Cup was as good as theirs in the build-up and discrediting Newcastle as 'nothing special'.

Not many gave Cunningham's men a chance. He didn't mind one bit though. The underdogs was a title the United managers quite liked. "We are prepared and that's that.", he told an assembled media.

For the match his only injury concern was Allen who picked up a double hernia at the tail end of the League campaign. Strapped up, injected with powerful pain killers and defying the opinions of medics that he should sit it out, there was no way on Earth that the Geordie lad would miss out on his big day.

For Arsenal James didn't pass a late fitness test - a big boost to United. The lucky 22 to take the lush bowling green pitch at Wembley was:

Newcastle: (2-3-5) McInroy; Nelson (Capt.), Fairhurst; MacKenzie, Davidson, Weaver; Boyd, Richardson, Allen, McMenemy, Lang

Arsenal: (2-3-5) Moss; Parker, Hapgood, Roberts, Male; Jones, John, Hulme, Bastin; Jack, Lambert

The Gunners really were an awesome team, a well oiled machine capable of crushing any side never mind Newcastle so it was to no surprise when the team in red started the better of the two, soon putting the Magpies on the back foot.

United started the game slowly, their nerves showing as they failed to find their passing game. Winger Bob John deservedly put Arsenal ahead with 15 minutes on the clock - nodding home a cross that McInroy misjudged - and the way they were playing a seconds didn't look far off.

Cunningham's side was made of stern stuff however and as the game wore on his men drew confidence and clawed their way back into it. Grabbing an equaliser before half-time with a controversial goal. A long over hit ball from Davison was heading out of play for a goal-kick but the lightening quick Richardson ran after it. Not giving up the chase he pulled the ball back right on the white bye-line to Allen who headed it past the Arsenal 'keeper with a static Gunners defence momentarily stopping believing the ref would blow for a goal-kick. He Didn't. Percy Harper pointed to the centre circle. 1-1 and game on.

When asked after the match whether he had any doubt about the legitimacy of the goal, the official said, emphaticaly: "No, otherwise I should not have given it. I give my decision according to the rules and regulations." The ball did seem to have crossed the white line for a goal-kick but the United players weren't complaining and neither did the Gunners to their credit.

The equaliser gave Cunningham's side a huge boost and instead of letting Arsenal try and break them down the Magpies went at their classy rivals and started to dominate proceedings, putting them under sustained pressure and creating numerous chances with Arsenal's 'keeper Moss pulling off several fine stops to deny United.

Roared on by the fans in the stands who made the long and expensive trip to the Capital Newcastle weren't to be denied much longer. With just under 20 minutes remaining Allen delivered the knock-out blow with an individual strike. There was no doubts about his second, Oh no.

Twisting and turning past two defenders the striker made his way into the box where he unleashed a devastating shot that went in off the far post. 2-1 to Newcastle.

Doubled up in pain, Allen was surrounded by his team-mates who gripped hi body tight, shaking him like a rag doll. He didn't care, he'd just scored a brace at Wembley to win the Cup for his home town team. Every lad's dream. Joy soon turned to pain for the man of the moment when he was forced off with 10 minutes to go after taking a heavy kicking to the knee but he came back on for the final 5 minutes to join in with the celebrations.

Newcastle had won the F.A. Cup for the 3rd time in their history and had become the first side to do so after going a goal down.

As celebrations were getting underway back home on Tyneside where the whole region including Sunderland listened intently on the radio, Arsenal's Director George Allison was fuming to the press that the ball had crossed the line and should not have stood. The press picked up the batten and went one better - dubbing the match as the 'Over the Line Final'.

Arguments would rage on in the papers for days over the contentious goal with press photos trying to depict the position of the ball before it left Richardson's boot from many angles but no definitive photo could prove whether the ball had or hadn't crossed the line.

It didn't matter either way. The Trophy and Newcastle United were heading back 'hyem' where they belonged. Commentators of the game were unanimous in their verdict that United had fully deserved their victory, praising the fighting spirit of the team, the predatory instincts of Allen in front of goal, the tactically mind of Cunningham and the vocal backing from the Geordie fans.

It had been a classic final where the football ebbed and flowed from end to end, one that would take some topping and forever be remembered by all.

Especially for Cunningham. "This is the greatest night of my life.", he beamed. "We have the most wonderful set of boys in the world both on the field and off it. I am proud of them."

With good reason too. On the huge playing surface of Wembley Stadium his men were giants, heroes everyone of them. Equaled on the stands and outside of the grande venue by the fans who did themselves, their club and their City proud.

Over 10,000 had made the trip with one unemployed supporter who couldn't afford a train or boat ticket, having set off on foot 10 days before the match just to be there.

Fans had serenaded their troops with renditions of the Blaydon Races and other Geordie anthems from the first whistle to the last. Wembley hadn't played host to such a 'vociferous' and 'happy following' before reported one scribe.

London business reported a few days of bumper trading and Cockney folk handed out glowing praise to the visiting Geordies for their behaviour - only 2 arrests all weekend. It had been a great trip for everyone, a victorious one.

Back in Newcastle anywhere between 100,000 to 150,000 Tynesiders and exiles from all over the world lay in wait with streets decked out in Black' n' White and banners reading 'Well Done United'. The team and F.A. Cup were paraded through the City past the Chronicle Offices to Collingwood, Mosley, Grey, Market, Grainger and Newgate Street on their way to the Empire Theatre.

Ensuring the vast crowds who had gathered since morning broke, could get a glimpse of their conquering club, to pay homage to their returning heroes. Legends to a man. Frank Watt would have been nodding in aproval.


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