I really liked Pat Howard | OneFootball

Back in the 1970s, Pat Howard was an important member of the first Newcastle United team that I fell in love with.

This was the side of Willie McFaul, David Craig and Frankie Clark.

We had the midfield mastery of Cassidy, Hibbitt, McDermott and Jinky Smith… and we had Supermac and Hallelujah John Tudor up front.

The team also had the solid and dependable central defensive partnership of captain Bobby Moncur and Pat Howard.

Pat began his playing career at his hometown club Barnsley before Joe Harvey swooped to bring him to Tyneside in 1971.

Joe was constantly bringing diamonds to Newcastle United between 1969 and 1973.

The midfield and forwards I mentioned above all arrived, and there also was the apple of Joe Harvey’s eye, the great Tony Green.

However, there was nowt flash about Pat Howard. He just got on with the job with no airs and graces.

This team was a match for anyone in the old First Division but it was the FA Cup run in 1974 that captured the hearts and imagination of the Geordie public.

We reached the final in swashbuckling style and you all know the rest (see photo above).

Pat Howard also picked up his first losers medal at Wembley in the black and white stripes.

His central defensive partner Bob Moncur then decided to move on to Bob Stokoe’s mackems.

In the next couple of seasons Howard was our most experienced defender. Clark had moved on a free, and David Craig was suffering with injury.

Our defence under Joe Harvey’s replacement Gordon Lee, would generally be Irving Nattrass, Glenn Keeley, Pat Howard and Alan Kennedy.

It was good enough to take us to Wembley again in the League Cup final in 1976.

However, it seemed like Pat Howard wasn’t meant to be a Wembley winner with Newcastle United, as we narrowly lost to Manchester City.

Along with Malcolm Macdonald, Tommy Cassidy and Alan Kennedy, Pat was one of only four survivors from the 74 final.

Pat Howard followed Supermac to Arsenal in September 1976 for a fee of £40,000.

He never settled at Highbury though and after a season moved on to Birmingham City.

There then followed a spell in the NASL with Portland Timbers, before a return to the football league with Bury.

Pat Howard eventually made 559 League appearances.

Pat Howard will turn 76 in October.