NUFC 1964/65 - Season Review

NUFC Squad 1964/65

Div 2	1st
FA Cup	R3
League Cup	R3
Attendance	35,197
Chairman	W Hurford, L Westwood
Manager	J Harvey
Coach	J Greenhalgh
Captain	S Anderson
Top Scorer	R McGarry (16)

The Magpies deservedly finished as champions after leading the table, for all but a couple of weeks, from mid-December. They failed to score in only 4 League games and kept a clean sheet in 15.

It was a team built on hard work and commitment with the excellent half-back line of Anderson, McGrath and lley at its fulcrum. Such was the consistency of the side that only 20 players were used in total (the fewest ever utilised in a season).

For once the immediate Cup exits seemed to be a blessing in disguise; Division 2 strugglers Swansea seeing United off in the FA Cup and First Division Blackpool beating them in the League Cup.

The average attendance was the best for five years. Match of the Day hit the airwaves and United made their first appearance in the defeat at Orient in February.

Kit images copyright Historical Football Kits and reproduced by kind permission

Competitions

Division 2

After four seasons in Division 2 United were back in the big-time; they were in the promotion spots throughout the vast majority of the season and deservedly won the Second Division Championship.

They started strongly and were becoming harder to beat, only losing 5 of the first 19 games. But they needed to win more games.

A 6-1 victory at Swindon at the end of November was the confidence boost they needed and it was the start of a run of 7 straight wins (equalling the club record set in 1909).

There was a wobble during February when they only got 1 point out of a possible 12; the last game being a controversial home defeat by Bury who scored a winner in the 11th minute of injury time.

United bounced back to win 6 out of the next 7; securing promotion with a 2-0 win over Bolton (the 3rd placed club) on April 16th.

24/8	H	Charlton	D	1-1	10
29/8	H	Southampton	W	2-1	9
01/9	A	Charlton	W	1-0	4
05/9	A	Huddersfield	W	1-0	4
08/9	A	Northampton	L	0-1	5
12/9	H	Coventry	W	2-0	4
16/9	H	Plymouth	W	2-1	3
19/9	A	Cardiff	D	1-1	1
26/9	H	Preston	W	5-2	1
30/9	A	Plymouth	L	1-2	1
03/10	A	Ipswich	L	1-3	3
10/10	H	Leyton Orient	W	5-0	2	H
14/10	A	Man City	L	0-3	3
17/10	A	Bury	W	2-1	3
24/10	H	C Palace	W	2-0	2
31/10	A	Norwich	D	1-1	2
07/11	H	Rotherham	W	3-1	2
14/11	A	Swansea	L	1-3	2
21/11	H	Derby	D	2-2	2
28/11	A	Swindon	W	6-1	2
05/12	H	Portsmouth	W	3-0	2
12/12	H	Northampton	W	5-0	1
19/12	A	Southampton	W	1-0	1
26/12	A	Middlesbrough	W	2-0	1
28/12	H	Middlesbrough	W	2-1	1
02/1	H	Huddersfield	W	2-1	1
16/1	A	Coventry	L	4-5	1
23/1	H	Cardiff	W	2-0	1
06/2	A	Preston	L	0-2	1
13/2	H	Ipswich	D	2-2	1
20/2	A	Orient	L	1-2	1
27/2	H	Bury	L	2-3	2
06/3	A	Portsmouth	W	2-1	2
13/3	H	Norwich	W	2-0	1
20/3	A	Rotherham Utd	D	1-1	1
27/3	H	Swansea	W	3-1	1
03/4	A	Derby	W	3-0	1
10/4	H	Swindon	W	1-0	1
16/4	H	Bolton	W	2-0	1
17/4	A	C Palace	D	1-1	1
19/4	A	Bolton	D	1-1	1
24/4	H	Man City	D	0-0	1

		W	D	L	F	A	Pts
01	Newcastle	24	9	9	81	45	57
02	Northampton	20	16	6	66	50	56
03	Bolton	20	10	12	80	58	50
04	Southampton	17	14	11	83	63	48
05	Ipswich	15	17	10	74	67	47
06	Norwich	20	7	15	61	57	47
07	C Palace	16	13	13	55	51	45
08	Huddersfield	17	10	15	53	51	44
09	Derby	16	11	15	84	79	43
10	Coventry	17	9	16	72	70	43
11	Man City	16	9	17	63	62	41
12	Preston	14	13	15	76	81	41
13	Cardiff	13	14	15	64	57	40
14	Rotherham	14	12	16	70	69	40
15	Plymouth	16	8	18	63	79	40
16	Bury	14	10	18	60	66	38
17	Middlesbrough	13	9	20	70	76	35
18	Charlton	13	9	20	64	75	35
19	Orient	12	11	19	50	72	35
20	Portsmouth	12	10	20	56	77	34
21	Swindon	14	5	23	63	81	33
22	Swansea	11	10	21	62	84	32

FA Cup

R3	09/1	A	Swansea	L	0-1

R3 - Division 2 strugglers Swansea beat United in hard and thrilling game.

League Cup

R2	23/9	A	Blackpool	L	0-3

R2 - Although Newcastle battled bravely, First Division Blackpool were too fast in thought and action and only Marshall's heroics saved United from a heavier defeat.

Squad and Team

Player	A	G
Allen, G	1
Anderson, S	42	8
Burton, O	2	1
Clark, F	44
Craig, D	42
Cummings, B	25	8
Hilley, D	36	12
Hockey, T	26	2
Iley, J	40	5
Knox T	9	1
Marshall, G	44
McGarry, R	33	16
McGrath, J	44
McKinney B	2
Moncur, B	12
Penman, W	23	7
Robson, B	20	7
Suddick, A	22	6
Taylor, C	10	2
Thomas, B	7	3
own goals		3