After Newcastle United … whatever happened to … Mark McGhee?

Last Saturday another member of the True Faith cognoscenti was mentioning a certain goal in the 1989-90 season. It was an ordinary game, but no ordinary goal.

Bradford City had defended doggedly against a below par United for 90 odd minutes before Mark McGhee said ”stuff this , I want a win bonus and it looks like I’m going to have to do it myself’.

Picking the ball up in front of the Milburn Stand 40 yards out, back to goal with the giant Mark Aizlewood all over him, McGhee rolled him, kept going, dropped the shoulder leaving another on his arse before he found himself on the penalty spot’ and he calmly curled in one the great goals of that era. That era didn’t have many but that stunner would stand up in any time.

Mark McGhee . Whatever happened to him?

His career at United saw him have two spells weirdly over a decade apart.’He joined in 1977 as a young lad from Morton. To say he left Cappielow ‘from a frying pan into a St James Park fire would be an understatement. McGhee made his debut on January 2 and all was well.

A New Year win over Leeds always a hoot but unfortunately they didn’t win a game all season after that and were relegated and played in front of 7,000 our lowest post war crowd in the last home game.’McGhee handed the number 10 then 9 shirts and looking largely daunted in a terrible team who offered him nothing.

The season after he only started 4 games in the second division but his record of 5 goals in 28 games wasn’t bad considering the team he was playing in.’He left for Aberdeen and you know that list of players we have that leave us and have sensational careers? Withe, Tomasson, Clark and millions more?

McGhee is on it as after he was shunned at United, he only won the European Cup Winners Cup , ‘European Super Cup and 3 Scottish premier titles.’His cross giving John Hewitt the winner against Real Madrid as Aberdeen ruled Europe.

He joined Celtic , where he won the title again after Alex Ferguson joined Man Utd but down the road on Tyneside Newcastle were in a similar position again.

Lifeless, going bust , just been relegated and in turmoil.

Who you gonna call? ‘Well, in July 1989 Jim Smith called McGhee and he came back for a second spell for a cut price ‘200,000.’This time McGhee had seen it all and wasn’t the weak young lad we had ‘ten years earlier.

He struck up a partnership with Mick Quinn which has to go down as one of our best in terms of goals but also the way they worked together. A proper partnership.’That first season saw McGhee and Quinn net 46 goals in 51 games with the Scot himself netting 19 including that Bradford one.

The season ended in heartache of course with the Sunderland play off debacle for which many Psychologists earn plenty pennies for on Tyneside still to this day.’McGhee missed big chunks of the next season and it looked like the last year had took its toll and he left for Sweden as Ossie Ardiles culled all the old hands as the precocious young talent he had at his disposal was given a chance. McGhee for one and a bit golden season will always be fondly remembered by fans of the time. Decent.

If anything when he hang up his boots this is where it got interesting as his managerial campaign was anything but dull.

The early days he got a reputation as someone who would jump ship at the slightest opportunity.’Reading fans shouted Judas at him as he up sticks go to Leicester and he got it again from them as he went to Wolves. None were successful moves which added to the fun and after a play off defeat at Molineux,’his chairman Jack Hayward came out with THE great quote in football. ‘I will no longer be the golden tit’ Mike ‘Ashley now taking that position on.

Spells at Millwall and Brighton failed to shake off the not to be trusted tag and he returned to Scotland (as he did as a player) to regroup and start again.

Motherwell was a great spell. He endeared himself to the fans after the death of star player Phil O’Donnell on the pitch and took the small side to third, but again he got itchy feet and although he couldn’t turn down Aberdeen , you wonder even now , why he did it.

It was a disaster as the once kings of Europe were cannon fodder at the bottom and the lowest point seeing a 9-0 defeat at Celtic Park. McGhee refused to apologise and Dons fans spat at him as he got off the bus in a subsequent game. A whole playing career at Pittodrie ruined by an awful managerial spell. Sad.

Bristol Rovers were next but it lasted barely a year before a spell as Scotland number 2 to close mate Gordon Strachan. It suited him fine to get out of the firing line but after agreeing to return to Motherwell ,

his hopes of a dual role were dashed by the SFA and his itchy feet got the better of him again. ‘Never go back. Episode 2.

First season , great, bottom to 4^th. Second season a nightmare. Culminating in the career low point at Aberdeen, ironically, when, after being banished to the stands as Well were getting crushed by his old side 7-2,

a Dons fan called him a clown and after a sweary tirade he tried to get the lads mobile. For everyone’s hilarity it’s on you tube.

This was 2007 and his career was in ruins and he left Scotland completely, embarking on a tour of Southern England non-league clubs taking strangely sounding positions like adviser at Barnet and temporary coach at Eastbourne Borough. It looked at this point he would pop up in the Tyneside Sunday League. Not only did Chairmen not trust him, he was pretty lively with supporters also.

This year he surfaced at Stockport County in the National League. Stockport are a well backed fallen giant in that league with a very big support for that level. McGhee was brought in by the ambitious owner to be joint assistant to Simon Rusk, a fancy young coach with foreign experience. You cant see it can you? Well at Saturdays game against another big club Wrexham, there was talk of an altercation with fans after getting a bit stick as they were 1-0 down. They recovered to win but the consensus is that the fans blame McGhee when things go bad but congratulate Rusk when they win. The first number three in history to be the fall guy it seems.

If Stockport don’t go up expect heads to roll. You know the script.

The thing is if Bruce does go, McGhee will probably 4^th‘favourite to have a third spell at United as manager. You know it.

This time Mark , I firmly believe , never go back!

Scott Robson’