Malcolm Macdonald

This article is about the footballer. For the politician, see Malcolm MacDonald.
Malcolm MacDonald
Personal information
Full name Malcolm Ian MacDonald
Date of birth (1950-01-07) 7 January 1950
Place of birth Fulham, England
Playing position Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1967–1968 Tonbridge Angels 40 (11)
1968–1969 Fulham 13 (5)
1969–1971 Luton Town 88 (49)
1971–1976 Newcastle United 187 (95)
1976–1979 Arsenal 84 (42)
1979 Djurgårdens IF 9 (2)
Total 421 (204)
National team
1972–1975 England 14 (6)
Teams managed
1980–1984 Fulham
1987–1988 Huddersfield Town

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.


Malcolm Ian MacDonald (born 7 January 1950) is a former English professional footballer, manager and current footballing pundit and journalist. Nicknamed Supermac, he was a strong, powerfully built striker who was famed as a prolific goalscorer. He played for Fulham, Luton Town, Newcastle United, Arsenal. As well as playing for England, Macdonald is Newcastle United's fifth highest goalscorer of all-time. Mac Donald also won two of the Football League First Division, now known as the Premier League's Golden Boots with Newcastle in 1975 & in 1977 for Arsenal as well.[1]

Club career

Born in Fulham, London, MacDonald started his career as a full back before switching to centre forward. After playing for non-league side Tonbridge Angels, Bobby Robson paid £1,000 to sign him for Fulham in 1968 just after their relegation from the Football League First Division.[2]

A year later he moved to Luton Town. At Luton he scored 49 times in 88 matches, which caught the eye of Newcastle United manager Joe Harvey, who signed him for £180,000 in the summer of 1971. At Newcastle, his hard work and effort in matches meant he quickly became a firm favourite with the fans. He made an immediate impact in scoring a hat-trick on his home debut against Liverpool. Macdonald was the club's top scorer from 1972, for five seasons in a row winning 1975's golden boot as well. [3] [4]

MacDonald left Newcastle for Arsenal in 1976, for an unusual fee of £333,333.34. He was the club's top scorer for two consecutive seasons and won the golden boot of 1977. At the start of the 1978–79 season, he unluckily suffered a knee injury in a League Cup match against Rotherham, an ailment which he was unable to completely recover from.[1][4][5]

After having spent a couple of months in Sweden with Djurgårdens IF he announced his retirement from playing at the premature age of 29 in August 1979. In his footballing career, Macdonald scored a total of 193 goals for his clubs all in all.[6]

International career

While at Newcastle, he made his debut for England against that of Wales. Macdonald's name found itself on the scoresheet for the first time in a friendly 2–0 win over then World Champions West Germany. On 16 April 1975, in a European Championship qualifier also held at Wembley Macdonald scored all five goals in a 5–0 victory for England against Cyprus.

Although three pre-war players being Steve Bloomer, Vivian Woodward and Willie Hall had previously scored five for England, MacDonald was the first, and remains the only, player to do so in a competitive international. His feat spawned the newspaper headline "SuperMac 5, Cyprus 0".[7] In total he played a sum of 14 times for the three lions, scoring six times for his country.

Football management

After retirement from playing, he returned to Fulham as a manager in 1980. His time at Craven Cottage was initially successful, with promotion to the Second Division being achieved in 1982.[8]

In the 1982–83 season, they appeared certainties for promotion to the First Division for the majority of the season, but a slump in the later stages of the season allowed their lead to wither away and they finished 4th. The following season began as a struggle before a second half turnaround saw them into mid-table safety, with Macdonald, even before the season's end leaving the club in April 1984.[8]

He returned to management at Huddersfield Town in 1987, but his time in charge proved unfruitful as the side were relegated from the Second Division in dismal fashion. After a failed business venture and divorcing his second wife, he then struggled with the aftermath of his injury. MacDonald said that the pain from his long-standing knee injury led to an increasing dependence on alcohol. He eventually gave up drinking in 1997.[9]

Media career

MacDonald worked extensively for Real Radio North East, presenting, firstly in 2000, the Legends Football Phone-In, alongside Bernie Slaven and Micky Horswill. At the end of the 2011–12 season the programme was axed from Real Radio and then made its way upon Star Radio North East, so continuing in a similar format until 2014.[10][11] MacDonald also presented an interview series for the Century Radio Network titled Upfront With Malcolm MacDonald, wherein he talked to famous players such as Ian Wright, Joe Royle and Peter Beardsley among others.[12]

He also writes a regular column for the retro football magazine Backpass as well.[13]

In 2011, MacDonald was strongly critical of Newcastle's decision to change their stadium name from St James' Park to the Sports Direct Arena. MacDonald said: "It seems antagonistic. It's not only part of the football club’s heritage, but part of the heritage of the city."[14]

Trivia

He attended the same school as former Genesis and GTR guitarist Steve Hackett. [15]

During the TV show Superstars in 1975, MacDonald ran 100m in 10.9 seconds.[16]

MacDonald is now the President of North Shields F.C..[17]

Career statistics

Club Season League Cup League Cup Other[18] Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Fulham[19] 1968–69 Second Division 135000000135
Luton Town[20] 1969–70 Third Division 46253152005428
1970–71 Second Division 42242432004730
Total 884955840010158
Newcastle United[20] 1971–72 First Division 42232221645230
1972–73 First Division 35172111954724
1973–74 First Division 29159723434428
1974–75 First Division 42212066855832
1975–76 First Division 39197471305624
Total 18795221418123017257138
Arsenal[20] 1976–77 First Division 41253361005029
1977–78 First Division 39156774005226
1978–79[21] First Division 4200101062
Total 84429101451010857
Djurgårdens IF 1979 Allsvenskan 9200—0092
Career Total 381193362940213117488260
England Under 23 national team[22]
YearAppsGoals
197244
Total44
England national team[22]
YearAppsGoals
197230
197310
197430
197576
Total146

International goals

Scores and results list England's goal tally first.
#[22] Date Venue Opponent Result Competition Scored
1 12 March 1975 Wembley Stadium  West Germany 2–0 Friendly 1
2, 3, 4, 5, 6 16 April 1975 Wembley Stadium  Cyprus 5–0 Euro 1976 qualifier 5

A

Honours

Player

Individual

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Golden Boot Game". Golden Boot Game.co.uk.
  2. ↑ "Bobby Robson – the top 10 signings". mirror.com.hk. 31 July 2009. Retrieved 1 August 2009.
  3. ↑ "Malcolm Macdonald: Profile". NUFC.co.uk.
  4. 1 2 "Newcastle legend Malcolm Macdonald turns 65 today". Chronicle Live.co.uk.
  5. ↑ "Malcolm Macdonald: Profile". Arsenal.com.
  6. ↑ "Memory Lane". Fulham FC.com.
  7. 1 2 "Supermac inducted into hall of fame". NUFoundation.org.uk.
  8. 1 2 "Managers: Malcolm Macdonald". Fulham FC.com.
  9. ↑ Jackson, Jamie (3 August 2003). "Triumph and despair". The Observer. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved 27 September 2008.
  10. ↑ "The Legends radio show to return on Koast Radio". The Journal. 2 August 2012. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
  11. ↑ Vickers, Anthony (2 April 2014). "'We've been swimming against the tide for a few years but now it's time to call it a day'". Gazette Live. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
  12. ↑ "Upfront with Malcolm Macdonald". 100 Century FM.com.
  13. ↑ "Backpass Magazine". Back Pass Magazine.co.uk.
  14. ↑ Starforth, Miles (10 November 2011). "St James' Park renaming will 'antagonise' United fans". Jarrow and Hebburn Gazette. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  15. ↑ "Bob Harris Show". BBC Radio 2. 17 February 2004.
  16. ↑ "Superstars History and Top Facts" (PDF). BBC Sport. bbc.co.uk. 5 November 2004. Retrieved 27 September 2008. No one believed that MacDonald would be able to run that fast again straight away. He ran the race, won it again, and beat his own record with an amazing 10.9 seconds. He held the European record for seven years until Des Drummond ran the 100m in 10.85 seconds in the 1982 International Superstars in Hong Kong.
  17. ↑ "North Shields Committee & Contact Details". North Shields F.C.
  18. ↑ "Malcolm Macdonald: 1971-79 seasons: (other) games". Toon1892.com.
  19. ↑ Malcolm MacDonald's Autobiography "Never Afraid to Miss" gives information on Fulham career stats and some Luton data.
  20. 1 2 3 Topps Football Card 1978-79 for Malcolm MacDonald, which gives data for seasons 1970-71 through to 1977-78.
  21. ↑ "Arsenal's 1978-79 season". 11v11.com.
  22. 1 2 3 4 "Malcolm MacDonald: Profile". England Football Online.com.
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