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Opinion

Supermac and not Harry Kane still holds the record 46 years later

2 years ago
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April 16th 1975 and the Bay City Rollers were number one in the pop charts with Bye Bye Baby.

Whilst it would soon be bye bye to one of the greatest English centre forwards ever in the modern game.

Newcastle United’s swashbuckling number nine Malcolm Macdonald was in top form and had banged in a goal for England against West Germany only days earlier.

Supermac had a love / hate relationship with England boss Don Revie to say the least.

Malcolm was in the national squad following a public and media clamour which irked Revie. Revie “hated” Malcolm Macdonald but our hero “loved” the situation he had been thrown into.

Revie informed Malcolm Macdonald that he was to lead the England frontline again, against Cyprus in a European qualifier. He also told him that if he didn’t score he wouldn’t play for England again.

The England team that night was an impressive one, but it was Supermac who seized the day and all the headlines, by becoming the first post-war player to score five goals in a game. He even had a sixth goal ruled out for offside.

At the end of 90 minutes the Wembley scoreboard proclaimed….”Congratulations Supermac – England 5 Cyprus 0″

The England team included the likes of Peter Shilton, Alan Ball and Kevin Keegan, but it was the chest of Malcolm Macdonald that was pumping the hardest with pride, as the England team followed Revie down the tunnel to the rapturous applause of the supporters.

However, Supermac would never ever start for England at Wembley again.

A few days ago, Harry Kane scored four goals (including a couple of penalties) in the first half, in a 10-0 away victory against a team no better than Whitley Bay.

That Malcolm Macdonald achievement (where he scored all the goals) against Cyprus never got a mention, as Kane unsuccessfully attempted to chase his longstanding record down.

The southern media bias is one of the main reasons why I don’t follow the national football team in any shape or fashion.

Incidentally, Malcolm was one of their own, and I often wonder if his wonderful achievement would have been acclaimed more, if he’d done the business with England whilst playing for Arsenal who he joined a year later?

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