It's so much fun picking Top Tens isn’t it? Highly personal, all a matter of opinion that cannot be proved beyond doubt, painted onto a canvas stretching back years into the wide blue yonder.
Normally condensing your favourites into just 10 is the tricky part. Memories throw up so many names that hold a special place in a beating heart. How can you leave someone of supreme talent out? Yet often you must.
Not so, I may suggest, when it comes to Newcastle United’s best managers. My top four stand out like Grey’s Monument. Giants all, legends most certainly, loved with an undying passion and gratitude by those of a black and white persuasion.
However after that oh dear! I found myself in murky waters. United have not been blessed with great leaders and so it became a matter of trying to figure out the best of the rest.
Of course in terms of a history stretching back over 128 years the manager is something of a modern phenomenon. When United enjoyed their greatest period of undiluted success during the Edwardian era a directors’ committee ran not just the club but the team. Faceless men doing a splendid job!
And thereby lies the yardstick for measuring ability. This is a results driven business, not just an entertainment, and we must not lose sight of that while still allowing the heart to occasionally sway the head. So here goes, the countdown from 10 to 1:
10: GORDON LEE.
The lack of prominent candidates beneath the best is underlined by this choice. I disliked Lee for selling SuperMac and Terry Hibbitt and then running off to Everton but he did take United to the 1976 League Cup final and was responsible for a fifth top finish admittedly completed after his desertion.
9: ANDY CUNNINGHAM
Has the distinction of being United’s first ever manager. He arrived as a player of distinction from over the border at the late age of 38 in 1929 and quickly graduated to player-manager and then manager. Possessing a sharp tactical brain, his beacon moment came in 1932 when Newcastle won the famous Over The Line FA Cup final against Arsenal. A real upset amid furious controversy.
Relegation was to follow but Cunningham’s moment in United history was established.
8: GEORGE MARTIN
United emerged from Hitler’s War to try and rebuild under his guidance. Selling Len Shackleton to Sunderland was a bad start but fans forgave him as promotion was secured with a new crop of heroes including Wor Jackie, Bobby Mitchell and Frank Brennan.
It was Martin who insisted that Milburn be switched from the wing to centre-forward following the sale of Charlie Wayman and for that alone history is truly thankful.
7: ARTHUR COX
He fashioned the Keegan-Beardsley-Waddle promotion winners. United were in the Second Division doldrums going nowhere fast when KK was sensationally signed, his arrival opening the floodgates for the likes of Terry McDermott, David McCreery, Peter Beardsley and Glenn Roeder to join our Pied Piper.
Sadly Cox bailed out after promotion as did King Kev into retirement and McDermott away to Cyprus. United as ever were the masters of missed opportunities.
6: CHRIS HUGHTON
Treated badly by Mike Ashley yet loved by the Toon Army who recognised his invaluable contribution as a calming influence amid chaos.
Boomeranged in and out of the caretaker’s job, when he was eventually appointed on a permanent basis he steered United to the 2010 Championship title and followed that up with stirring results in the Premier League beating Sunderland 5-1 up here and Arsenal 1-0 away, a rare event. Yet shortly afterwards he was sacked by an ungrateful owner.
5: RAFA BENITEZ
A man who won everything with everyone who was anyone, Rafa came amongst us in March of 2016 which proved to be too late to avoid relegation despite an unbeaten run of six matches. However wrapped in the warmth of the fans’ love he stayed on and won promotion as Championship champions at the first attempt. Two more than decent Premier League finishes resulted but continually restricted by those above he left at the end of his contract much to the annoyance of those on the terraces.
Geordies were left with a feeling of what might have been.
4: SIR BOBBY ROBSON
Maybe he won nothing but hearts. However we don’t judge him on that. We loved Bobby because he brought excitement and a huge splash of colour to previously drab lives.
Robson piloted United to a third top finish in the Premier League in 2002-03 while playing a mammoth strength-sapping 14 Champions League ties against mighty opposition like Juventus, Barcelona, Feyenoord, Inter Milan, and Dynamo Kiev.
He saved the career of Alan Shearer who went on to become the club’s all-time record goalscorer and signed real quality.
3: KEVIN KEEGAN
The creator of the Entertainers which is saying more than enough. KK resided over one of the most exciting periods in United’s history as they rose from the brink of the old Third Division to Premier League runners-up.
At a time when managers were still the exclusive decision makers on signings Keegan persuaded talent like Alan Shearer, Peter Beardsley, David Ginola, Philippe Albert, Robert Lee, Andy Cole, and Les Ferdinand to join his revolution. Definitely a Special K.
2: STAN SEYMOUR
He never officially held the title of manager when the FA Cup was won so regularly in the early fifties because he also happened to be the chairman. Stan had to answer to no one whereas his mentor Joe Harvey, and others since, have had real power above them to appease which is why I just edge him out of top spot.
Nevertheless SS was rightly regarded as Mr Newcastle having been a League Championship winner and FA Cup winner with us as a player as well as the 50s guru who signed the best and turned them into a force never equalled in domestic football since.
One of the truly great black and whiters.
1: JOE HARVEY
He ruled for 13 years, which in itself is exceptional, during which time he won first the Second Division championship, the European Fairs Cup (still United’s only Euro success), the Anglo-Italian Cup, two Texaco Cups, and reached the FA Cup final.
Considering the dearth of trophies since that is a stupendous record with not a relegation blemish to be seen I might add.
Harvey’s great strength was his man management and his unerring eye for tomorrow’s stars bringing the likes of SuperMac, Terry Hibbitt, Terry McDermott, Tommy Cassidy, Wyn Davies, Jinky Smith, and Tony Green to SJP.
His was a marathon not a sprint but, my, he ran it well.
