What makes a good captain – and who is Newcastle’s greatest skipper? You decide...

WHAT are the characteristics that make a good captain of Newcastle United?

There is almost 130 years of history to draw upon when looking for the best of the best.

Upon examination of all candidates I believe the best skippers have fallen into two main categories.

There are the tub thumpers, the men of clenched fist and barked orders, who rally those around them.

The likes of Joe Harvey, Bob Moncur and Alan Shearer jump immediately to mind.

Then we have those who lead by example, whose mere presence at the head of the queue demands respect without a word needing to be uttered.

Such as Kevin Keegan, Stan Anderson, and Glenn Roeder.

Aye, and even Hughie Gallacher who defied every identikit of the perfect captain being a hard drinking ladies man of quick temper yet earned his stature as a leader of men by his deeds on the pitch.

Wee Hughie was both skipper and top goalscorer with 39 goals from 41 games when United last won the championship of England way back in 1927. That is quite a combination which cannot be overlooked.

I was asked as part of my regular Gibbo’s Corner podcast to list by Top Ten Newcastle skippers down the corridor of history and became so embroiled that we ended up with two hours of recording that has had to be spread over two episodes.

Of course my choice is only a matter of opinion but hopefully my listing from 10 to 1 will spark heated discussion amongst the faithful. That is the idea.

Those from one of the most successful periods in United’s history – the Edwardian dandies at the beginning of the 1900s when the league championship was regularly secured and FA Cup final appearances abounded – have had to be judged on their records alone of course. Even I was not around when the likes of Colin Veitch and Bill McCracken strode like a colossus across the country’s footballing landscape! As the history books tell us however both were players of outstanding ability.

Veitch was a true leader of people – an actor, playwright, composer, schoolteacher, and journalist as well as a footballer par excellence. He was also the first United skipper to lift the FA Cup in 1910.

As for McCracken he was so good that by 1925 the FA had to change the offside law because he had mastered it to such an extent that football was being strangled and confined to an area no bigger than a cricket pitch (22 yards).

One of my 10 listed super skippers overcame significant odds to gain his place within Magpie royalty.

It is said that supporters will not tolerate those who cross the great divide from one passionate fan base to a local rival but Stan Anderson rose above such barriers.

He was quite literally a Sunderland legend having played a record 447 league and cup games for the red and whites over 14 years yet not only travelled up the road to Newcastle but replaced an established star Jim Iley as skipper and over two years became a championship winning leader in the first of three sides Harvey successfully built on Tyneside.

Anderson would go on to say that his short time at Newcastle was the happiest of his career.

For me however there are three stand-out candidates all of whom I am grateful to have seen at first hand. Harvey, Moncur and Shearer walked at our head in that order over the course of time but in what order do I rate them? And who for you is top of the pile?

Lest you think my task has been easily may I point out that there have been plenty of captains who deserve an honourable mention in dispatches. The likes of Wembley winners Frank Hudspeth and Jimmy Nelson, the legendary Bill McCracken, Mick Martin, and Fabricio Colocinni.

GIBBO’S LIST IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER:

■Stan Anderson

■Hughie Gallacher

■Joe Harvey

■Kevin Keegan

■Rob Lee

■Bob Moncur

■Glenn Roeder

■Jimmy Scoular

■Alan Shearer

■Colin Veitch