The five former Newcastle United players I would choose to go on a night out with | OneFootball

I watched the third day of the First Test between England and India at Headingley in Tynemouth Club, with myself, Auld Ellas and Leeds Andrew transfixed as England roared back into contention.

Plenty of football cràic on offer too as the Sunday regulars soon joined us and took up their familiar seats and places.

Andrew often talks about Don Revie’s Leeds United and yesterday Allan ‘Sniffer’ Clarke was debated.

Leicester City broke the British transfer record for Clarke when they signed him from Fulham in the late 1960s. One year later, Revie then smashed the record again to take the prolific ‘Sniffer’ to Elland Road.

Andrew told me that if he had to choose any Leeds United player from the past to have a pint and a natter with, he wouldn’t be able to choose between Allan Clarke or Billy Bremner.

This got me going and I told him to think of five former Leeds United players for a night together, then I would try to think of five former Newcastle United players.

Andrew went for Albert Johanneson, Johnny Giles, Gordon Strachan, Clarke and Bremner, with Norman Hunter and Gary McAllister as first reserves.

Not a bad five a side team either, if they played rush keeper.

I was in no doubt who was going to be my first pick.

Malcolm Macdonald, aka Supermac, is still good company, and is a lot more modest than he used to be. He’s still a good talker though and it would be hard to shut him up if he was placed with these other former Toon heroes.

I wrote an article for The Mag on Colin Veitch a few years ago, I stated that he was the greatest player in Newcastle United’s rich history.

He was a Geordie born and bred (in Heaton), also an intellectual and lover of the arts, who set up the People’s Theatre in our city in 1911.

Colin would add a certain je ne sais quoi and with his renowned captain’s ability, keep things ticking in an orderly fashion.

Hughie Gallacher is a Toon legend beyond any shadow of a doubt. A complete goalscoring phenomenon during his playing days, Wee Hughie was stylish and dapper off the pitch, and enjoyed a pint with his admirers.

He was fiery and wore his heart on his sleeve and this helped endear him to the Tyneside public even more.

I would definitely make Hughie the master of ceremonies at my little bash.

David ‘Ned’ Kelly is the man who saved United from total oblivion as we knew it back in 1992.

That goal against Portsmouth wrote Ned into Geordie folklore. No one should ever forget that he also smashed in 28 goals as King Kev’s superb team secured a return to English football’s top tier a year later.

I’m sure me and my other guests would raise a glass to David for scoring the most important goal in our history.

Faustino Asprilla is one of the most enigmatic and skilful players I have ever seen in a black and white shirt.

A true maverick on and off the pitch, Tino was an instant hero as soon as he started signing autographs in a fur coat that Bud Flanaghan would have been proud of, on a snowy afternoon outside St James’ Park.

He went on to score an unforgettable hat-trick against Barcelona in our second most famous night in Europe to date.

There would be no guns allowed at my bash but I’d probably let Tino sort out the birds.

The first of my two reserve options would be our entertaining trumpet playing midfield maestro Nobby Solano. This man would certainly bring some colour to the occasion if it was needed.

Finally, Liam O’Brien, because he would add some calm to the proceedings if the lads started to get loud and merry. Liam’s my favourite ever Toon player, partly because he made Perry Como look like a nervous wreck.

So howay lads and lasses, let me know know which five former Newcastle United players you would like to sit down with for a night of drink and discussion.