Newcastle United Managers – The best AND worst

The subject of Newcastle United Managers is always one to provoke a decent debate…

Recently I have seen various comments about who actually are our worst and best ever managers

For the last few days I have contemplated these conundrums and decided that it was only fair I judged Newcastle United Managers within my lifetime, concluding with giving each a mark out of ten.

Joe Harvey 1962-1975

After taking over a relegated Newcastle United in turmoil, Joe Harvey steadily turned around our fortunes and with the help of new players achieved promotion back to the First Division within a few seasons.

He consolidated Newcastle in the top flight before embarking on the glorious Inter City Fairs Cup run in 1968/69, which culminated in us winning our last major trophy.

Never afraid to splash the cash, Joe signed swashbuckling players of the likes of Jinky Smith, Tony Green and of course, the great Malcolm Macdonald.

He also led Newcastle to the 1974 FA Cup Final after a thrilling run, where we eventually succumbed to Bill Shankly’s fantastic Liverpool side.

9/10

Gordon Lee 1975/1977

After replacing Joe Harvey, Gordon Lee quickly got to work on putting his own marker on the team and made some astute signings in the likes of Alan Gowling and Micky Burns.

Lee led Newcastle United to the 1976 League Cup Final, where we were narrowly beaten at Wembley by Tony Book’s Manchester City.

In the summer of the same year Lee then committed the ultimate sin when he sold ‘Supermac’ to Arsenal, before leaving himself for Everton in January 1977.

7/10

Richard Dinnis 1977

Lee’s assistant Richard Dinnis took the reins as a caretaker, before player power helped him secure the job on a permanent basis.

Newcastle had finished fifth in 1977 and secured a UEFA Cup place.

After a disastrous start to the 1977/78 season, Dinnis was relieved of his post.

4/10

Bill McGarry 1977/1980

Bill McGarry took over a side hurtling towards relegation and was unable to halt the slide.

A strict disciplinarian, McGarry then oversaw some of the worst football we have ever had to endure, before Newcastle turned it on and saw the 1970s out at the top of the Second Division.

The team fell apart in the second half of the season though and McGarry was sacked.

4/10

Arthur Cox 1980/1984

It took the inspirational signing of Kevin Keegan back in 1982, before Arthur Cox’s charges really got firing on all cylinders.

United fans also enjoyed the talent and entertainment shown by such fine players as as Imre Varadi, Chris Waddle and Peter Beardsley.

Arthur Cox led Newcastle to promotion in 1984 only weeks before leaving the club, when feeling let down by the board with preparations for the return to the top tier.

7/10

Jack Charlton 1984/1985

One of our own, Big Jack was welcomed by fans still in shock from Cox’s departure.

Newcastle got off to a good start to the 1984/85 season with Waddle and Beardsley in full flow, but as the season wore on, results tailed off and fans became increasingly frustrated by the teams style of play.

After receiving stick in a pre-season friendly against Sheffield United in 1985, Charlton sensationally quit.

6/10

Willie McFaul 1985/1988

Willie McFaul had a solid first season at Newcastle and fans were introduced to the mercurial talents of a certain Paul Gascoigne.

The 1986/87 season began extremely badly but a resurgent Toon rallied in the second half of the campaign after some astute signings by the manager (most notably record signing Paul Goddard).

At the end of the following season, Gascoigne was eventually sold to Spurs.

McFaul was allowed to spend the massive cash sum received but all his new signings proved disastrous.

He was sacked in the Autumn of 1988.

6/10

Jim Smith 1988/1991

Jim Smith arrived to relieve joint interim bosses Colin Suggett and Mick Martin.

Newcastle went on to be relegated in 1989 and the Bald Eagle then embarked on building a new side.

In came Micky Quinn and we re-signed Mark McGhee.

The football was a pleasure to watch but Newcastle would ultimately miss out on automatic promotion, finishing third in 1990.

To rub salt into Jim Smith’s wounds, the mackems who had finished sixth, beat us in the two-leg play-off semi-final and were promoted by default despite losing the final to Swindon at Wembley.

Smith eventually leaving in March 1991 with United floundering in mid-table of the second tier.

6/10

Ossie Ardiles 1991-1992

Ossie Ardiles replaced Smith and decided to throw young players into the mix in the hope of turning our fortunes around.

The football was at times very good but his inexperienced charges just didn’t have enough nous to see out games and our win ratio was abysmal.

After just over six months in the St James’ Park hot-seat, Ossie was sacked by Sir John Hall after a 5-2 defeat away to Oxford United that saw Newcastle United staring relegation to the third Division in our centenary year in the face.

4/10

Part Two…’Keegan to Allardyce’ on Friday.