Spotted playing for non-league St Albans by Bill Nicholson’s assistant Eddie Baily, the teenage right-back arrived in N17 in 1965 and would spend the next decade serving us well at the very top level as a key member of Bill Nick’s evolving side.
A world away from his controversial stints in the dugout and boardroom at Newcastle United in the modern era, the Dublin-born defender didn’t necessarily grab the headlines on the pitch but was always full of energy and went about his job with fierce competitiveness, illustrated by his blistering performance as we beat Chelsea in the 1967 FA Cup Final at Wembley.