25 years ago: Andy Cole’s Toon debut

IT’S 25 years - yes 25 - since Andy Cole made his home debut for Newcastle United.

Cole’s time at St James’ Park, in the event, would be relatively brief, but he would make a devastating impact.

Quarter of a century on, his exploits in black and white are still fondly and vividly remembered.

He arrived in March, 1993, as a club record £1.75m signing from Bristol City at a time when the Kevin Keegan-Sir John Hall revolution was gaining rapid momentum.

This was an exhilarating season. After years of numbing mediocrity in the old Second Division, Newcastle United were now all-conquering and playing a brand of high-octane attacking football that had fans, pundits and the press drooling.

By the time Cole arrived, United were homing in on a longawaited return to the top flight. They’d been top of the league since mid-September. Tyneside was buzzing. The Nottingham-born 21-year-old striker, pictured, scored a beauty on his home debut in the 4-0 demolition of Notts County. Andy Cole was on his way.

With the pace of an Olympic sprinter, and precision dead-eyed finishing, the striker notched 12 goals, including two hat-tricks, as United stormed into the Premier League.

Once in the top flight, Cole became a major force in tandem with Peter Beardsley who would provide the ammunition for the centre-forward. In nearly every game, Cole would score.

A chant, with the tune nicked from an old Boney M single, emerged from the St James’ stands: “When he gets the ball, he scores a goal, Andy, Andy Cole”.

In late April 1994, United thrashed Aston Villa 5-1 in a game where Cole scored, breaking Hughie Gallacher’s 70-year-old goalscoring record.

In that momentous 1993-94 season, Cole hammered home 41 goals in all competitions.

United finished an incredible third in their first season back in the top flight.

It was, however, to be Cole’s only full campaign playing for Newcastle United.

Midway through the following season on January 10, 1995, Cole was sold to Manchester United for a then record fee of £7m. He would go on to win countless trophies.

Now 46, Cole has faced and surmounted life-threatening health problems in recent years.

We wish him well.