My first season at SJP was 1960-61, when United went down, conceding 109 goals in the league, (117 in all) and scoring 86 in the league and 100 in all. Needless to say there were some astonishing scorelines:
The first home game was a 7-2 win v Fulham, but losing the return fixture 3-4 a week later. Two 0-5 away defeats followed at West Brom and Arsenal, then a 5-0 home victory v Cardiff. The next home games included a 4-4 draw with Wolves and a 3-4 reverse against eventual double winners Spurs, who United beat at White Hart Lane 2-1 in the return.
A 4-3 home win v Blackpool was immediately followed by a 0-5 away defeat at Everton, with a 5-5 home draw v West Ham further down the line.
The next batch of games produced a 3-5 beating at Burnley, successive 3-3 draws v Man C and Arsenal and a 3-5 loss at Leicester. The biggest home defeat was a 1-6 result v Chelsea.
The season also featured an FA Cup run to the Sixth Round , including a 5-0 win v Fulham.
I thought every season was like this! The day after relegation I remember being hugely offended on my paper round by a back page cartoon in the Express showing the Newcastle keeper with goal meters attached to the posts.
The highlight of the season was the incomparable Len White, still the best player I have seen for Newcastle. In four seasons he hit more than 100 goals, including an astonishing 29 in that relegation season.
I recall all the kids sitting on the low concrete wall around the cinder track next to the pitch. There used to be bands playing at half time and when they were pipe bands, us kids would lick fruit gums and stick them on to the hairy legs of the kilted pipers as they marched past. A few circuits and their legs were covered in gums of all colours. Simple pleasures.
Tony Henderson
Newcastle United Foundation have a heritage project for fans of all ages called Toon Times.
Toon Times will culminate with a major Newcastle United exhibition at the Discovery Museum, Newcastle, although in the lead up to this event Toon Times wishes to reach out to all Newcastle United fans across the North East and further afield to get involved and share their memories, experiences, photos and memorabilia what people have collected over the years.
We are supporting the project by helping to collect NUFC memories online - fans can share their memories on the Replay Football website, simply select the Toon Times tag when submitting yours.
For more info contact the Toon Times Heritage Project Coordinator, Newcastle United Foundation, gavin.ferry@nufc.co.uk
Memory added on September 2, 2013
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