"Do ye ken Hughie Gallacher the wee Scots lad,
The best centre forward Newcastle ever had,
If he doesn’t score a goal then we’ll put him on the dole,
and we’ll send him back to Scotland where he came from." A 1920s Newcastle United fans' chant
Nearly a century has passed since the footballing force of nature that was Hughie Gallacher inspired Newcastle United to their last ever league title. And if there is no-one left alive who remembers that distant 1927 triumph, Gallacher's name lives on, his achievements and exploits immortalising him as one of United's greatest and most charismatic players.
This week marks 120 years since Hughie was born on February, 2, 1903, in Belshill, 10 miles from Glasgow. Today, all we have to recall his brilliance on the pitch are written accounts. “Swerving dribbles, incisive passes, thunderous shooting and utter fearlessness soon established Gallacher as a formidable force,” writes football author Harry Pearson.
