"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.
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Newcastle United signed the 22-year-old striker from Airdrie in 1925 for £6,500. He was the player whose phenomenal 36 goals in 38 league games would fire the Magpies to what would be their last title win. During his glory years on Tyneside, Gallacher smashed in a remarkable 143 goals in 174 games. His strike rate of 82% is still unmatched in Newcastle history. As regular for Scotland for over 10 years, Hughie netted 23 goals for his country in 20 games and was a star in the famous 1928 ‘Wembley Wizards’ match when England were thrashed 5-1 at the national stadium.
Gallacher was an all-round handful on the pitch, and he would often fall out with referees. After one incident he was suspended for two months. His off-field activities eventually had him in trouble with the United hierarchy. As well as being known to enjoy a drink, Gallacher became involved with the 17-year-old daughter of a pub landlord. He ended up in court after hitting the woman’s brother, who objected to her seeing a married man.
Harry Pearson writes of the Gallacher's “legendary” drinking, often before a match, and his “volcanic” temper. In 1930 United cut their losses, selling their star player to Chelsea for a record £10,000. The club’s fans were outraged. His later return to St James’ Park with the London team attracted a stadium record 68,386 crowd, with thousands locked outside.
In the years that followed, a descent through the football divisions - playing for Derby, Notts County and Grimsby - finally saw Gallacher return to Tyneside to play for Gateshead where he settled with his young family. Tragically, alcoholism and domestic problems would drive the 54-year-old to take his own life.
On June 11, 1957, Tyneside and the football world were plunged into mourning as the newspaper front pages told how the troubled former star died in front of the 10.50am York to Edinburgh train at Gateshead.
Speaking of the tragedy, Stan Seymour, United director and a former teammate of Hughie, told the Evening Chronicle: “I say without hesitation that he is the greatest centre-forward I have ever seen. Many a time I’ve seen him turn on a sixpence and have a great crowd laughing their heads off as he made a couple of opponents, twice his size, blunder like novices.”
Seymour added: “They still talk in Blackburn of Hughie’s 30-yard dribble which ended with him pushing the ball gently through the goalkeeper’s legs. Stanley Matthews has only a fraction of his casual genius...”
Writing of the Scotsman’s time on Tyneside, Newcastle United’s official club historian Paul Joannau, says: “Hughie Gallacher is considered by many to be the greatest centre-forward of all time. Although a mere 5ft 5in, he was a handful for any defence possessing awesome strike power. Hughie could shoot with either foot, dribble with the ball, head, tackle, forage and also frequently lose his control on the field. A record of netting a formidable total of 463 goals in 624 senior matches speaks for itself."
The "do you ken Hughie Gallacher" chant may not have been heard at St James' Park for many a decade, but a giant image of the great 1920s title-winning captain and centre-forward appears on a flag that is unfurled before every Newcastle United home game as part of the spectacular displays organised by fans' group Wor Flags.
Gallacher's son, also called Hugh, 87, who still lives in Gateshead, says: "If he was looking down on Newcastle United's resurgence, I'm sure my father would be very pleased. I do have one wish, however, before my time runs out. I would love to see a small plaque or memorial commemorating his achievements at Newcastle United installed somewhere at St James'. I do believe he deserves it..."
Our Carabao Cup final special is available to pre-order now! CLICK HERE to get your copy as Newcastle United prepare for a historic day out at Wembley. Also available to purchase through local participating retailers from February 15th.
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