Bank on lots of memories as Toon trio celebrated a special day
BIRTHDAY BOYS MADE A GREAT CASE FOR DEFENCE
WHEN it is the 75th anniversary of VE Day, all Vera Lynn and chestpuffing pride, less than 24 hours after the weekly clapping of our peacetime heroes and heroines of the NHS - both held amid the frightening coronavirus pandemic then all else is easily forgotten.
So on Friday it probably slipped most Geordies’ attention that three onetime Newcastle United employees celebrated their birthdays on the same bank holiday.
Jack Charlton (former Magpie manager and England World Cup winner) was 85, South Shields-born central defender Malcolm Scott, who also played firstclass cricket for Northants, was a year younger at 84 and 1999 FA Cup final defender Laurent Charvet a mere whippersnapper at 47.
Big Jack is the most famous of the trio by a country mile, of course, and a man I have called a friend since his St George’s Crosswaving days of 1966.
I recall during the year he served as United manager having lunch and a little vino with him, then driving up to Newcastle’s Benwell training ground.
There was an afternoon session going on and we drifted over to stand and watch.
The ball was being pumped into a crowded penalty area, where United’s central defenders were supposed to clear under pressure.
Time and again a weak header would fall short just outside the box to a lurking midfielder who could have a lash at goal.
Charlton was getting more and more angry. Eventually he yelled “no, no, no,” threw down his cap and strode on to the pitch.
Wearing brogues and still with a cigar clenched between his teeth, Charlton demanded the ball be crossed into the penalty area again.
When it was he rose like a bird, elbows clearing out anyone who dared to venture on to his toes, and a thumping header sent the ball flying upfield.
Big Jack took the cigar out his mouth, turned on his heel and growled: “That is the ruddy way to defend.”
Scott played in the same centre-half position without the same success but still enjoyed gainful employment at a decent level winter and summer.
He performed for Newcastle immediately after their three FA Cup wins between 1955 and 1961, enjoying his best season under Charlie Mitten in 1958, and also turned out for Darlington and York City.
Interestingly, Scott has a direct link to Jack Charlton which brought about his biggest football claim to fame.
He was tried at centre-forward by Newcastle a few times and, believe it or not, scored twice against Leeds at Elland Road in direct opposition to the fearsome Charlton.
There is always another side to the coin, of course, and for Scott it
was a shuddering Newcastle debut which reflected the times he was living in.
It was the fifties and Scott was a part-timer.
Many years later he told me: “Bob Stokoe reported injured and I remember Joe Richardson, one of our backroom staff, suddenly appearing at Readheads where I worked to tell me I was playing against Manchester United the next day.
“I was rushed to Newcastle by car, put on the Manchester train, met on my arrival and taken through to the team hotel.
“It was an experience never to be forgotten playing before 44,911 spectators at Old Trafford against the famous Busby Babes.
“They ran us ragged with great passing and off-theball movement. We lost 6-1. My only consolation was I was marking England’s centre-forward Tommy Taylor, who did not actually score.
“Going back to work at Readheads on the Monday morning was an anti-climax.
“I thought seriously about packing in my apprenticeship and going full-time as a professional footballer.
“However, I remembered what most youngsters on Tyneside were taught in the 1950s, that you must have a trade to fall back on and anyway I had only four months of my apprenticeship to complete and if I gave it up it would mean starting my National Service earlier.”
All the while Scott was playing football he went without a closeseason rest, moving straight to first class cricket as a right-hand bat and left-arm spinner for Northants.
In far-off days footballers often combined two careers.
Examples? Yes, plenty... Willie Watson (Sunderland and Yorkshire), Chris Balderstone (Carlisle and Leicestershire), Ian Botham (Durham and Scunthorpe), Denis and Leslie Compton (Arsenal and Middlesex), Raich Carter (Sunderland and Derbyshire) and Sam Weaver (Newcastle and Somerset).
Other United stars sometimes spent their summer weeks playing league cricket from Len Shackleton with Wearside and Northumberland’s Minor Counties side to Frank Clark, who opened for Lintz.
On the original VE Day in 1945, Scott was celebrating his ninth birthday and Big Jack his 10th.
Coming much more up to date, Frenchman Charvet was signed by Kenny Dalglish and made 50 appearances between 1998 and 2000 - his highlight being the 1999 FA Cup final against Manchester United at Wembley.
Three men, all primarily defenders, all born on the same day if in different years.
Linked for all time as part of Newcastle’s illustrious history.