Tommy Craig – Blast from the Newcastle United past | OneFootball

Glasgow born Tommy Craig became British football’s most expensive teenager when he joined Sheffield Wednesday from Aberdeen for £100,000 in 1969.

He went on to play 214 League games for the Owls, scoring 38 goals and gaining a reputation as a master of penalty kicks.

Tommy was a skilful and tenacious midfielder and it was no surprise that Joe Harvey thought that he would be a good fit at Newcastle United. He was duly signed in 1974.

Terry McDermott had recently moved on to Liverpool and Terry Hibbitt would soon be jettisoned off to Birmingham City by new Toon boss Gordon Lee.

Tommy Craig soon became a fans favourite at Gallowgate and the highlight of his Newcastle United career was leading us out as captain at Wembley in the 1976 League Cup Final, against Tony Book’s accomplished and uncompromising Manchester City.

2.Nattrass

3.Kennedy

4.Barrowclough

5.Keeley

6.Howard

7.Burns

8.Cassidy

9.Macdonald

10.Gowling

11.Craig.

Substitute 12.Cannell

Not a bad side at all but unfortunately we fell at the final hurdle again, two years after losing to Liverpool in the FA Cup Final.

We put up a much better show up though at Wembley in 1976, only finally succumbing to an overhead kick by Dennis Tueart.

Tommy Craig left Newcastle to join up with Ron Saunders’ Aston Villa in 1977. He had scored 22 goals in 124 appearances for us.

After 18 years as a player, Tommy became John Blackley’s assistant at Hibernian.

He was also Billy McNiell’s assistant at Celtic when the ‘Bhoys’ pipped Graeme Souness’ Rangers to the SPL title in 1988 (coincidentally, Celtic’s centenary year).

Tommy Craig later spent more time at Newcastle United as a first team coach, before leaving again in 2006.