Newcastle Cup Final Team 1952

During the 1952 FA Cup run the same eleven players played in every single match and seven of them also played in the 1951 FA Cup Final

Apart from the first goal in the first match, scored by Billy Foulkes, all the other goals were shared by Bobby Mitchell, George Robledo and Jackie Milburn.

Ronnie Simpson [7 - 0]

Twenty one year old Simpson had been signed from Third Lanark in February 1951 for £8,750. He got his chance at the start of the 1951/52 season when Fairbrother was injured and kept his place for the next six seasons.

He was only 5' 10" but he more than made up for his lack of stature with his razor sharp reflexes and cat like agility.

The United team was designed to attack and therefore often Simpson found himself exposed but he more than came up to scratch with a string of superb performances.

Bobby Cowell [7 - 0]

The Trimdon terrier was once again a picture of consistency throughout the 1951/52 season and another one of his trademark goal line clearances helped United to victory at Portsmouth.

Alf McMicheal [7 - 0]

The Irishman had unluckily missed out on the 1951 Cup Final through injury; but he played in every match this time.

The popular Irishman was in such excellent form that he was widely regarded as the best left-back in Britain

Joe Harvey [7 - 0]

Captain courageous Harvey led from the back as usual. When the going got tough in the Swansea and Blackburn games it was Harvey who really dug in and pulled United through.

Joe would never let heads drop or let players start to feel sorry for them; he would always be "cajoling" them in his own raucous manner.

He wasn't a good loser and the rest of the players were in no doubt what was expected of them after the tongue lashing he gave them at half-time at Wembley.

Frank Brennan [7 - 0]

Brennan was his rock like self when the occasion demanded and excelled himself in the tough and rumble against Swansea.

Ted Robledo [7 - 0]

George's younger brother Eduardo (or Ted as he was known) had replaced local lad Charlie Crowe at left half and made 39 of his 47 Newcastle appearances in the 1951/52 season.

The brothers' appearance in the Final was the first time more than one foreign player had appeared in a Cup Final eleven.

Tommy Walker [7 - 0]

A relatively quiet cup run for Cramlington born Tommy; but he maintained his usual consistent level of performance .

United used the flanks to great effectiveness in the early fifties and the contrasting style of the jinking Mitchell and the pacy, hard running Walker were a major feature of their play

Billy Foulkes [7 - 1]

Billy Foulkes was signed from Chester in October 1951 for £11,500 and took over the number 8 shirt following the shock departure of Taylor.

At 5' 7" he wasn't much bigger than wee Ernie but he was a much stronger and stockier player. He didn't have the scheming skills of his predecessor but he had a lethal shot and it was the Welshman who scored United's first goel of the Cup run.

Jackie Milburn [7 - 3]

After his goalscoring exploits in the 1951 Cup run 1952 was relatively barren for Jackie. He failed to score in six of the games but netted a stunning hat-trick in the Quarter Final against Portsmouth; a game that he judged his best ever for the club.

Even when he was not scorig though Jackie's pace and sharpness meant that he needed constant supervision and as a result opened up space for others.

George Robledo [7 - 6]

Robledo scored 39 goals in only 46 games during the season and was the top scorer in the country. Six of the goals came during the Cup run making him United's top scorer in the competition.

His best performance came in the 3-0 victory at Tottenham where one reporter said of him "there was no other inside on the field to match this bronzed bull of a player for strength and skill".

"Pedro" had a largely disappointing final when he never seemed to get going but he was still on hand to head the only goal.

Bobby Mitchell [7 - 5]

Bobby Mitchell was in dazzling form once again in the 1952 Cup Run and weighed in with his usual quouta of goals.

Bobby's goals were crucial. He saved United from defeat against Villa, scored the only goal against Swansea and took the match winning penalty against Blackburn in the semi-final even though he'd never taken a penalty in a competitive match before.