Greatest Newcastle United XI Of All Time
Newcastle United enjoyed their best spell in English football with their dominance at the turn of the 20th century. They also enjoyed success in the 1950s, when they won the FA Cup thrice in a span of five years. They fought off relegation many times and had another crowning moment with the Fairs Cup triumph in 1969. Finally, the Magpies enthralled their fans with their famous “entertainers era” team of the 1990s.
With such a colourful history, many legends have graced St. James Park with their talent and personality. So we pick the all-time Newcastle United Greatest XI here. We hope you will enjoy this retelling of the club’s glorious saga.
Using the 4-3-3 formation, here is the greatest Newcastle United XI of all time.
Goalkeeper
Jimmy Lawrence [1904-1922] [507 appearances]
Jimmy is Newcastle’s most capped player of all time with an impressive 507 appearances. He spent 18 long seasons at St. James Park, and he boasts of having a decorated career there. Jimmy won 3 League titles and won the FA Cup with the Magpies. He was also the oldest player to play for the club before finally hanging his boots in 1922.
Defenders
RB: Bill McCracken [1904-1924] [444 appearances]
Bill enjoyed a long and successful spell at St. James Park. During his 20 seasons with the club, Bill won 3 League titles and an FA Cup. He was a rock-solid ever-reliable full-back foiling many opponent attacks. However, his actual claim to fame remains his invention of the “offside trap.” Baffling opposition attackers with his clever positioning, the “offside trap” caused an uproar in English football back then. It eventually led to the FA changing the rules.
CB: Phillipe Albert [1994-99] [138 appearances]
Phillipe was one of the famous “entertainers” of the Newcastle team of the 1990s. He enjoys a cult following among the club’s fans. Unfortunately, his showmanship sometimes overshadowed his technical prowess. But make no mistake, Phillipe was good at his job in the heart of the defence. His real talent on the park was setting out on penetrating solo runs to set up some of the best Newcastle goals of the era. The defining moment of his playing days is his cheeky chip goal in the 5-0 bashing of Manchester United.
CB: Bobby Moncur [1962-74] [361 appearances]
Bobby was the big-hearted centre-back, always ready to plunge into an extra tackle to save the day for his club. He was skipper when the Magpies last won some serious silverware – the Fairs Cup in 1969. He formed the backbone of the Magpies’ defence with John McNamee. His best moment was his goal in the 1969 Fairs Cup finals. Moncur deserves his place among the greatest Newcastle United XI of all time.
LB: Frank Hudspeth [1910-1929] [482 appearances]
Frank Hudspeth stands second in the all-time number of appearances for Newcastle. Solid as a rock, he was the mainstay of the Magpies’ defence during the early 20th century. He could always be counted upon in the Newcastle defence earning him the nickname “Old Surefoot.” Frank saved many a day for them with crucial clearances and tackles. However, his big moment at the club came when he captained them to FA Cup glory in 1924. Three years later, he again led them to the League title.