The first instalment of this story dealt with the early life of ex-Newcastle United and Scotland International Bobby Moncur who spent much of his childhood in Kirkliston. This second episode encompasses Bobby’s achievements in adulthood which extend well beyond football. Signed as an apprentice in October 1960 at the age of 15, he had to wait patiently before making his 1st Team debut in 1963 against Luton Town when the Magpies were in Division Two [the equivalent of the Championship today]. He was still only 18 at the time, but it was not until the 1967/68 season that he really made his mark and was appointed captain in the second half of the season, the same year in which he went on to win his first Scotland cap. Whilst much of Bobby’s football career is well-documented elsewhere, this article is a more intimate portrait by Jack Davidson, someone who has known Bobby personally from childhood.
The Newcastle United Years, 1960-1974
Who was the second Scot to hold a European trophy aloft? Most fans would probably respond: John Greig, in reference to Rangers’ 1972 success in the Cup Winners’ Cup. But of course, the correct answer is Bob Moncur, captain supreme of the great Newcastle United side that clinched the Inter Cities Fairs Cup in 1969 – the forerunner of the UEFA Cup and Europa League.
Three Moncur goals over the two-legged final against crack Hungarians Ujpest Dozsa would have those who didn’t know better thinking he was an ace striker, whereas these were his first goals in senior competitive matches. Not so much a great scorer of goals as a scorer of great goals. United won their 1st Leg of the final 3-0 at St James’ Park and clinched victory in the 2nd Leg, winning 2-3 away in Budapest.
Click on this link to watch as Moncur nets for the Magpies!!!
On the team’s trip back into Newcastle from the airport with the coveted trophy, only a single decker coach could be used instead of a classic open-topped double decker because of a low bridge. The problem of how to display the cup to fans lining the route was overcome by holding it through an open sunroof and standing on a table underneath. As the coach approached the bridge, Moncur was atop the table with the cup sticking through the roof when suddenly a loud zap crackled through the air as it struck an overhead electric cable and sent shockwaves through his hands. As he remarked later: “I think I was actually very lucky as I was standing on a wooden table, otherwise I could have been electrocuted. I certainly got quite a fright when I realised what had happened. It left a black mark on the trophy which we were never quite able to remove!”
Bobby Moncur holds aloft the hard-won European trophy upon
the infamous single decker coach as the proud Newcastle team parade past their ecstatic
fans.
Much of the credit for Newcastle’s success was attributed to Moncur and his leadership qualities as a resolute and highly effective sweeper, although he maintains it was all about teamwork. “We had a team of good players who were good at their jobs without being sensational and played ‘one for all and all for one’. There were no prima donnas at all during or after a game,” he explained. The Newcastle vice-captain Frank Clark later said: “One of football’s beauties is it creates platforms for people to emerge as heroes – and it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.”
The Road to the Final
The Inter Cities Fairs Cup was a competition which had begun in 1955 and ended in 1971. Originally, teams could only enter if their home city had hosted an international trade fair and only one team from each city was allowed to enter at a time. When Newcastle United won the trophy in 1969 it was the first time the club had competed in a European competition.
Clearly, the Magpies’ path to
the final was more challenging than that of their Hungarian opponents. Real
Zaragoza were past winners of the trophy whilst other giants of European
football had to be dispatched along the way. Moncur played in all but the first
two of the 12 fixtures, injury preventing him from taking part in the 1st
Round against Feijenoord. Astonishing, although club captain, he watched the
home leg among the fans from the Paddock. For the away leg in Rotterdam – Joe Harvey [the Newcastle manager] having declared in his own straightforward way:
“He’s injured, he’s no good to us” – Moncur travelled as a guest of the
supporters’ club with whom he watched the game, something that’s hard to
imagine happening now.
Moncur’s outstanding performance in the Fairs Cup had caught the attention of another of football’s legends: “Moncur’s influence has been paramount, I think he’s a strong player and strong personality and is proving to be a splendid captain and leader of men”, opined Matt Busby, the Manchester United manager. “He may yet turn out to be the great captain Scotland has needed,” and sure enough, Busby’s unerring judgement of a footballer was spot on.
After a long and fruitful association with the club, Moncur’s 296th and last game for Newcastle was in the 1974 FA Cup final against Liverpool at Wembley. Despite the Magpies’ excellent record in the competition (winners on six occasions) 1974 was not to be a happy swansong for Bobby with Liverpool triumphing 3-0.
Bobby’s other clubs after Newcastle were:
1974-1976
Sunderland, 86 appearances
1976-1977
Carlisle United, 11 appearances
The Scotland Years, 1968-1972
Recognition by Scotland came slowly for Bobby, his debut cap coming against Holland in 1968 while his next were for the Home Internationals in 1970. He played under two managers, firstly Bobby Brown and then Tommy Docherty. Bobby reckoned never having player senior football in Scotland counted against him, as did a bias towards home based players, especially those of Rangers and Celtic.
After initial selection he appeared to be overlooked till after Newcastle’s successful European foray, with, in his opinion, the games against Rangers giving him a good platform. His case was also helped by the Sunday Express journalist Harry Andrew singing his praises while advocating his return to Scotland’s colours.
After the England game at Hampden in 1970, Bobby had to go to hospital to be checked as he was concussed near the end of the match. Once discharged he caught a train from Glasgow to Linlithgow for his father to meet him to go back to Kirkliston. The train was packed with fans returning from the match, all talking about it, but as an ‘Anglo’, nobody recognised him although he was gratified to hear some say: “That Newcastle boy did well.”
For Scotland’s encounter against Denmark in 1971, Scotland manager Bobby Brown appointed Moncur as captain for the first time, prompting him to comment: ”I’m thrilled to be skipper. I’ve captained Newcastle United for the last three years and back in 1960 captained Scottish Schoolboys against England at Pittodrie.”
The evening Moncur’s appointment was announced, Brown gave the squad permission for a night out in Largs [where the squad was based] on the understanding that it was to be ‘sensible’ and that they would observe a 10 pm curfew. Moncur recalled: “Well, we were in a bar and it started getting towards ten o’clock and no one was moving, so I thought I’d better suggest we should be getting back to the hotel. You have to remember that there were a number of older and more experienced pros in the squad. As I got gingerly to my feet to say this, I was met by some industrial language to the effect we were going nowhere. At this point I felt my captaincy was not off to the best of starts, to put it mildly. However, I decided I had to set an example and said I was being professional and was going back. When I reached the door of the bar, I was on my own and feeling a bit down. But as I was about to leave, I felt an arm on my shoulder and a voice saying, “Skipper I’m with you”, and Denis Law appeared alongside me. The others soon followed, and I’ll never forget Denis for what he did then.
Although Moncur went on to earn 16 Scottish caps and captained his country seven times, to a degree he went under the radar with Scottish fans and media. Partly that was due to not being a showy player who easily caught the eye, but also because he never played senior football north of the border having gone south to St James’ Park in October 1960 aged 15 straight from home in Kirkliston.
Should have gone to Specsavers!
Another story Moncur told about himself and Denis Law was when they both went to Paris to play in a commemorative French Football Federation game where they shared a room over 2 or 3 days and got on well. About a week later Bobby and Denis were on opposing sides in a Football League fixture when the Magpies visited Manchester United at Old Trafford. At one point during the game as Bobby lined up to defend a corner, he felt a sharp kick to his ankle and as he turned to see who was responsible saw Denis sprinting away! After the game he turned to Denis to ask why he had kicked him to which Denis replied, “Was that you Bob I kicked?! God, I can’t see anything without my glasses, I just saw a black and white shirt!”
Bobby the football manager
After a spell as Player/Manager at Carlisle, Moncur turned his attention to full-time management with the club. His career in the dugout was to span 13 years, including his very first association with a Scottish club at long last, namely Hearts.
Bobby’s
career in football management:
1976-1980
Carlisle United
1980-1981
Heart of Midlothian
1981-1983
Plymouth Argyle
1988-1989
Hartlepool United
One final managerial accolade: which Scottish captain once managed an England international team? The answer again is Bob Moncur who at the request of Gordon Banks managed the England Masters team, Bobby Moore and all, that played in the 1991 Masters Cup in Florida, a template for the 1994 World Cup in the States.
Moncur has enjoyed a successful career as a radio broadcaster at St James’ Park and occasional appearances as a TV pundit and was also a member of the club's Board of Directors. To this day he remains a Newcastle icon and represents the club as an official ambassador.
Jack
Davidson
Kirkliston
Heritage Society
Extracts from “The Geordies Great Scot” by Jack Davidson: Issue 15, Nutmeg. The Scottish Football Periodical, March 2020 and “Bobby Brown: A Life in Football, from Goals to the Dugout” by Jack Davidson: Pitch Publishing Ltd 2017. ISBN 978178531311; ebook ISBN 9781785313462
Jack Davidson is a retired QC and member of the British Society of Sports History with a particular interest in football. He has written sports history articles for The Scotsman and Herald newspapers as well as many sporting obituaries for both publications. He has also contributed extensively to football fanzines.
Life Beyond Football
Bearing in mind the wide sporting interests and talent Bobby Moncur exhibited throughout his lifetime (see Part 1) it should come as no surprise that this natural-born sportsman should add yet another string to his bow.
“It all started with an advert in an Edinburgh newspaper in 1979 offering six hours’ tuition in a dinghy,” recalls Bobby. “I’d never sailed before and I’ve been hooked since.” The two seasons he spent on the south coast as manager of Plymouth Argyle helped to cement this nascent nautical passion, although his earlier yachting experiences weren’t without their setbacks, as Bobby relates: “It was there that I met Nick Skinnard, a solicitor, with whom I did the transatlantic. We were flattened in bad weather off the north of Ireland and I think we finished last, but it was a tremendous experience.” [The Independent, 12 September 1994.]
With further transatlantic and round-Britain races under his belt and qualified as a Royal Yachting Association master instructor, Bobby opened a sailing school at St Peter’s Marina on the Tyne. He also ran charter vessels on corporate sailing days along the Northumberland coast.
In more recent years Bobby has fought and won more serious battles. As reported in the Daily Record, after the untimely death of England captain Sir Bobby Moore, Moncur was indebted to the words of Moore’s widow Stephanie who urged anyone with warning signs of ill-health to seek medical advice forthwith.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
BBC Sports
Daily Record
The Independent
Wikipedia