JOHNGIBSON Memories of a legend of Tyneside
BOOK LOOKS AT NEWCASTLE UNITED AND THE FIRST WORLD WAR
WILLIAM McKEAG was a colourful man of words who strode the corridors of power within Newcastle United for almost three decades.
Wearing distinctive pince-nez spectacles, he cut the figure of David Suchet’s Poiret and delivered speeches with Churchillian flamboyance.
Referred to at times as ‘Major’ or ‘Alderman’ – he was both – McKeag became infamous for his fiery boardroom battles with Stan Seymour as United triumphantly won three FA Cups at Wembley in the early fifties.
I remember flying to Las Vegas with him, where his office had arranged for him to be awarded the freedom of the city.
I was to accompany our leader at his demand to take care of the publicity back home and Len Shackleton, the Clown Prince of Soccer who was also in our Atlantic crossing party, came along for the ride.
After the ceremony at city hall where McKeag received the symbolic silver key to the city the mayor, as big as Giant Haystacks, turned to Shack and I and said with a twang and generous wave of the hand: “Here is a key for you guys too. Have a good day now!”
I am not certain William McKeag saw us as worthy of the freedom of Las Vegas but heyho.
Actually McKeag was a man fiercely proud of his Tyneside roots, a great supporter of the area, who twice served as Lord Mayor of Newcastle and was a well-known local solicitor and politician.
What is not so well-known is his military record which is recalled in a fascinating new book To The Glory Of God: Newcastle United and The Great War - brought out to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day, which falls next month on November 11.
Author Paul Joannou, himself a Geordie and United’s official historian, recalls in detail how McKeag, a patriotic 17-year-old, joined the army and served six years in France, Italy, Turkey and Russia during the First World War.
He fought with the White Russian commanders Anton Ivanovich Denikin and Pyotr Nikolayevich Wrangel against the Bolsheviks and during his time in Russia became the youngest first-class warrant officer in the British Army.
McKeag was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal as well as two Russian decorations, the Order of Saint Stanislaus and the Order of Saint Anne.
He had while leading a company on horseback alongside the White Russians been wounded when an ammunition truck was hit and exploded. McKeag was snow blinded and suffered deafness for the rest of his life.
However come the outbreak of World War Two McKeag, who was in his forties, still sought battle and attained the rank of major in the infantry and was Deputy Assistant Adjutant General.
His greatest battle, some would say, was in United’s boardroom against Seymour. William was a champion of Charlie Mitten when he was United’s manager – but Seymour waited until McKeag was away in America and sacked him!
The book is a fascinating recollection of those who served their country and in many cases paid the ultimate price. More than 20 players died - Donny Bell, who won the VC on the Somme fields, Tommy Goodwill and Dan Dunglinson who went ‘over the top together’ and were killed within minutes, Richard McGough who made his debut in 1914-15 only to be killed as part of the siege battery team and Joe Forster who, at 41, could have stayed at home but fought and died at the Somme.
Some of the more famous United names lived to claim their rightful place in football history.
Jack Hill, a future Newcastle and England captain from Hetton-leHole, fibbed about his age to serve in the Dardanelles and Salonika while Jimmy Lowe was twice wounded but played again and won the FA Cup with Newcastle.
■■To The Glory Of God: Newcastle United and The Great War by Paul Joannou (Novo Publishing Ltd, £16.99p).