38
THE NUMBER ’S
WORDS//PETER MANN
During the clubs formative years
of 1897 and 1902 ‘Jock,’ real name
John Hope Peddie, became the
frontline fulcrum of the Magpies
attack, partnering compatriots such
as Wardrope, McFarlane, Fraser
and Campbell.
At the time United had only played
football professionally for four seasons
prior to his arrival.
Peddie arrived three months into
the 1898 campaign, and after the
side had registered six victories from
their opening nine matches, Wardrope
netting seven times. At a cost of £135,
Peddie joined from Scottish side Third
Lanark, his debut coming as Newcastle
travelled to Bank Street, the home of
Newton Heath, the Magpies winning
1-0 with Wardrope netting his eighth
in a productive start to his season.
Peddie waited another fortnight
before the next match was played,
his home debut against Small Heath.
Campbell would net a double,
Wardrope another for himself and,
in front of an 11,000 strong crowd,
Peddie crowned his home debut with
a goal, the first of many in a black and
white shirt. What was more fitting is
that he was wearing the number nine
jersey that day as well.
Come New Years Day 1898 the
Peddie bandwagon was in full motion.
Goals in successive home matches
against Walsall and Loughborough in
January showed his ability in front of
goal. Just three weeks into 1898 and
Peddie would have also registered
his first treble for the club, Leicester
succumbing 4-2 at St. James’ on
January 22nd. Peddie was again at
it four games later, netting all three
goals in a 3-1 victory away to Darwen.
A three match spell between March
and April would see United score ten
goals, Peddie registering six of them in
what was part of a six match winning
sequence. For Peddie though he would
score twice in the 4-0 home win over
Grimsby, a treble in the 5-2 demolition
of Gainsborough. The last of what was
a productive debut season, arrived in
the 1-1 draw away to Leicester Fosse.
Alongside bagging a double in the
FA Cup First Round success at Preston,
Peddie would finish that debut season
at Newcastle as the Magpies leading
goal scorer with an impressive
eighteen goal haul. Not only that but
promotion was achieved through the
end of season ‘Test Matches’ with
Stoke and Blackburn, a series of
matches that were themselves riddled
in controversy.
Peddie’s second season, Newcastle
first in the First Division, was just as
productive, the Scotsman top scoring
again, this time with twenty goals,
eighteen arriving in the league. It
would also be hard going as United
took over two months and ten matches
before success was first tasted. Peddie
though began on the opening day
when, in front of 20,000 at home, he
would score both United’s goals in a
4-2 reverse against Wolves.
Newcastle’s first victory in the First
Division would see Peddie net twice
in a 3-0 home win over Liverpool,
compatriot and recent signing from
Airdrie, MacFarlane, netting the
other. Braces arrived on four further
occasions throughout the season
including what was to be an early
Christmas present for the Magpies.
December 24th 1898 would forever
etch a then 21 year old Peddie into
United folklore, the black and whites
making the first of many visits to
Roker Park, the home of rivals,
Sunderland. It was the first TyneWear derby and, after Wardrope had
equalised, Peddie struck a double in
the hearts of the enemy, with a goal in
each half, sealing what was a famous
3-2 win.
He would begin the 1900 season
with five in six culminating in a 6-0
home demolition of Notts County
on October 7th Fraser (2), Peddie,
MacFarlane, Stevenson and Wardrope,
all registered. One win and no goals
for Peddie in ten followed though
before five in four including a brace in
the 4-1 home win against Blackburn
on January 13th, the others coming
against West Brom, Glossop NE, and
Everton.
Seven goals, including a double in
the 3-2 home win over Villa, in front
of more than 19,500 spectators saw
him finish his third season at the club
with sixteen goals, again topping the
scoring charts, and United finishing in
a respectable fifth.
Peddie some three matches to get
started at the beginning of the 1901
season, following two goalless draws
he opened his account in the 2-1
home win against, and then followed
up with the only goal against West
Brom. Braces then followed in the 3-2
reverse at Bolton and a 2-1 win away
to Nottingham Forest on December
29th.
Only five goals would be netted
during the remainder of the season
which included goals in successive
1-1 draws with West Brom and
Derby. Peddie’s sixteenth of another
productive campaign came in the
match at Manchester City, in front of
18,000, and claim his spot as the club’s
leading scorer. United would finish the
season in a respectable sixth, seven
points behind champions Liverpool.
Peddie’s final season at the club,
before moving to Manchester United,
would see a return of eight from
eighteen. Of those, a treble was the
highlight as Notts County were routed
at home on October 26th. Orr would
lead the way with a four goal haul and
Roberts the other in what was an 8-0
demolition.
Peddie’s last strike in a black and
white shirt arrived from the spot in a
1-1 home draw with Sheffield United
in mid-December, United going on to
finish the season in third place. The
Scotsman though had played more
than his part in the formative years
of Newcastle United, his final tally
reading an impressive yield of 78
goals in 136 appearances.
LLAMBIAS
39
THE SLAUGHTER
TO
WORDS//PETER MANN
It was supposed to that dawning
of a bright, new era and the bringing of Newcastle United Football
Club into the new, billion pound,
business age.
The days of the Sir John Hall
‘dreams’ had long since petered out,
Kevin Keegan’s Entertainers with
it, and new blood, if you will, was
needed within the boardroom. In
fact, in an in-depth interview with
the former United supremo, Hall was
quoted with Toon Talk Editor, Steve
Wraith, that it was in fact the arrival
of Chelsea’s Russian billionaire, Roman Abrahmovich, which signalled
the end of his reign at the north east
club. The reason’s provided, stated
in Issue Five, were that “I decided to
sell my shares because of Abrahmovich.
“It took me just over two years.....I
was keen to know why they wanted
the club and they were quite honest.
They wanted to market their sports
goods in the Far East and would
use the club to help do this. To me
it made sense to market the club
globally.
“When they took over they put
Chris Mort in to run things and went
private. It was a good move. He’s
not a fool and like Mike (Ashley) he
came in with the best intentions. His
subsequent departure caused a few
problems and Mike made a mistake
listening to the likes of Paul Kelmsley at Spurs.”
That, in essence, became the
beginning of the end for the football
club. Mike Ashley had eventually
gained full ownership from Hall
and associates in 2008 and, within
months of the takeover, there was
a change behind the scenes. Mort
was soon departed from the club,
relinquishing his role as chairman
having arrived with Ashley the
previous summer. Sam Allardyce was
manager at the time and after results
went awry following provision of a
vast transfer chest; ‘Big Sam’ was
soon out the door. Ashley-Mort had
a solution though, replace Allardyce
with the legendary Keegan, but ‘King
Kev’ had ideals beyond that of the
United hierarchy and there were
often clashes over funds and the like.
News of Mort’s impending
departure started filtering through
in early May of 2008 and, within six
weeks, ‘Dekka’ Derek Llambias was
‘shepherded in’ as the replacement,
assuming the role of Managing
Director. Llambias himself was
quoted discussing his new role
at the Premier League club
that “Since coming to work
at Newcastle United I
have quickly begun to
appreciate the passion
people have for the football club.
“I firmly believe we have the right
people with the right expertise,
with Kevin Keegan back as manager
and being fully supported by Mike
Ashley and the directors, to take
the club forward again. At the same
time I would like to pay tribute to
all of the hard work done by Chris
(Mort) during his time at St. James’
Park and wish him every success in
the future.”
Little did Newcastle United’s famed
Toon Army supporters would know
as to what would come over the next
five years. Their football club being
ridiculed and dragged through the
mud, embarrassed and humiliated
at the hands, or mouth as the case
may be, or a ‘man’ who
made bold claims of
support to the
CONTINUED
40