Gordon Lee, one of the most controversial managers in Newcastle United's history, has died aged 87. During his two-year reign in the mid seventies Lee hit the heights steering United to the 1976 League Cup final at Wembley and a top-five finish confirmed shortly after he left the club.
However he also rocked Tyneside by selling Newcastle's N .9 legend Malcolm Macdonald and his ace goalmaker Terry Hibbitt. It left the club and the fans bitterly divided and Lee's folly was compounded when shortly afterwards in February of 1977 he upped and left for Everton.
The feeling was that if you sold a club's two most influential players you must stay and see the job through to its conclusion. Gordon was always destined to be a figure of debate taking over as he did from the much loved Joe Harvey who had won a lot with the club as player and manager including the European Fairs Cup.
