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Lawrie McMenemy discusses Eddie Howe appointment at Newcastle United

2 years ago
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Lawrie McMenemy has been talking about Eddie Howe getting the Newcastle United job.

No doubt the now 85 year old Geordie seeing parallels with his own management career.

Born in Gateshead, Lawrie McMenemy served in the Coldstream Guards before starting his footballing career with Newcastle United, although he never appeared in the first team.

He then moved to Gateshead in the late 1950s but an injury ended his career in 1961, so he moved into coaching instead at the age of 25, spending three years in that role at Gateshead.

Lawrie McMenemy then managed Bishop Auckland to be Northern League champions and got them to the FA Cup third round, before a coaching role at Sheffield Wednesday. He then managed both Doncaster and Grimsby to Fourth Division (League Two in new money) titles, before becoming assistant manager at Southampton in 1973, then within four months became manager.

He did a remarkable job at Southampton, as a second tier team beating Man Utd in the 1976 FA Cup final, before making the Saints competitive in the top tier, almost winning the First Division title in 1983/84 when finishing second by three points behind Liverpool.

Older Newcastle fans will remember the brilliant job Lawrie McMenemy then did at Sunderland. He was the highest paid manager in England when appointed to second tier Sunderland in 1985 and resigned in 1987 just weeks before the Mackems were relegated to the third tier! When he arrived at Sunderland to start the job, one classic piece of local TV footage showed him stepping out of a car at Roker Park and one daft Mackem shouting out: ‘Hoo Lawrie, the world’s your lobster now’…I couldn’t have put it better myself.

Anyway, back to Eddie Howe.

As I said above, Lawrie McMenemy must see big parallels with Eddie Howe’s career development, Howe retiring from playing early through injury, starting coaching at a young age and then moving into management. Doing his apprenticeship at the very bottom and taking Bournemouth from bottom of League Two to promotion. Before later going on to get further promotions out of League One and the Championship.

Then like Lawrie McMenemy, making a small (much smaller than Southampton) south coast club competitive in the Premier League, with a highest finish of ninth (higher than Steve Bruce has ever got a team in his entire management career…), before unluckily getting relegated on the final day of the 2019/20 season by one point.

Lawrie McMenemy sure that Eddie Howe will steer Newcastle United away from relegation trouble and pleased to see him get the job at his old club.

Lawrie McMenemy speaking to the Daily Echo – 13 November 2021:

“I was pleased to see Eddie Howe back in the game at Newcastle, though.

“Apart from the fact that Bournemouth were nearly just up the road from us, I got a little bit closer to him many years ago when the League Managers’ Association got a few oldies around the country to join up with some younger managers in their areas.

“I was very pleased to meet Eddie that way, we had many cups of coffee together.

“I think, going back to the old days when I was a young manager, it helps to sit and have a chat with those who have been through it all.

“I have followed his career with interest and to see him at a club like Newcastle is full marks to him, and I’m sure he will get them out of the relegation area they are in at the moment.”

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