HIP HIP HOORAY

George thinks Toon stars are a kit of all right

NEWCASTLE kitman George Ramshaw is all revved up with nowhere to go.

The Toon players put their hands in their pockets to raise £15,000 for Ramshaw to have a hip operation.

Now the long-serving Ramshaw feels spanking new and fighting fit, but with football in lockdown, he has not had much chance to show off his improved mobility.

Ramshaw – “I don’t give my age, just call me a pensioner” – who works alongside Magpies kit manager Ray Thompson, is eternally grateful to the squad.

“I was in a lot of pain and it would have been months before I could get an operation through the NHS, given how busy they are,” said the Newcastle veteran with 25 years of service.

“The players said to the doctor Paul Catterson, something?’ and the doc put it in motion with the Nuffield.

“Within a fortnight, I was in and had it done. All the lads came together and put in. Me and my wife are both very grateful.”

Ramshaw would love nothing more than to be busily sorting out shirts, shorts and socks on a daily basis.

Nevertheless, the pain is gone and he is ready to give the players a run for their money in the fitness stakes.

“I’m feeling great now,” said

Ramshaw, who played for the successful ‘Can we do

Whitley Bay side in the 1950s and ’60s and toured Zimbabwe (then known as Rhodesia), Zambia, Tanzania and Uganda with the GB amateur side.

“I was off for about four months before going back full-time. It’s champion.”

After hanging up his boots, Hebburnbased Ramshaw became assistant manager at Gateshead but the lure of working for the club he supported proved too tempting. Newcastle reserves used to play at Gateshead’s International Stadium and when Ramshaw found out they did not have their own kitman, he asked boss Jeff Clarke to have a word with Kevin Keegan.

Newcastle boss Steve Bruce prides himself on the family atmosphere at the club’s High Benton training ground and is full of praise for his players helping the club’s oldest fulltime employee.

“It’s a nice story,” said Bruce (above).

“Footballers get much maligned these days but they organised a whip-round between them and raised something like £15,000 and then sent him off to a private hospital.

“I think it might have been Andy Carroll’s idea. Andy’s obviously known George a long time, having been at the club as a kid.

“He’s all fixed and healed. It seems to have been a big success.

“George is as good as gold now, jumping around the place.”