Mooners and Shakers - Bury [H] - 1964/65

Downtown

After a record equalling seven game winning run The Magpies soared to the top of the old Second Division and appeared to be cruising towards promotion. But complacency replaced commitment and a run of three defeats in five matches had set the alarm bells ringing when mid-table Bury arrived on Tyneside at the end of February.

Despite their poor recent form United had not been beaten at home all season; however Bury had won on their last three visits to Tyneside (in the three preceding seasons notching nine goals in the process).

United lined up as follows: Marshall, Craig, Clark, Anderson, McGrath, Iley, Hockey, Hilley, McGarry, Suddick and (making his home debut) Knox.

The man in the middle was one Richard H Windle of Chesterfield.

The Jerk

Newcastle's first half performance was dire. Biteless in defence, clueless in midfield and lacking any sort of punch upfront they gave a shoddy uninspired unexhibition of football.

Bury opened the scoring in the thirteenth minute; the referee allowing the goal despite vigorous protests from the United players who thought (quite legitimately) that an offside decision should have been given.

The United faithful were not slow to show their disapproval of the home team's efforts but there did seem to be something tardy about the referee's timepiece. Inexplicably the first-half lasted for a grand total of 53 minutes. Little Dickie clearly suffered from what is termed in medical circles as "retarded punctuation"

And to make matters worse The Shakers milked the advantage by doubling their lead in the 52nd. The jeers of the crowd rang around the ground.

Tired of Waiting for You

Nine minutes after the elongated first period had finished the two sides emerged from the dressing rooms; the Novocastrians being greeted with another chorus of boos from the disgruntled terraces.

United were better in the second half (it was difficult for them not to be) and gradually clawed their way back into the match. First Alan Suddick pulled one back and then in the 70th minute Stan Anderson got a controversial equaliser.

In the build up to the goal Ron McGarry clearly handled the ball, but the referee missed the offence and the terraces now "boomed with derisive laughter".

But their mirth was soon replaced by misery again when Bury got a third in the 94th minute. Not satisfied with earlier unpunctiliousness Windle once again found an extra three minutes, but it was to no avail and the "match and a bit" was lost.

Keep Searching (We'll follow the Sun)

As if to pay homage to the farcical performance of the referee Alan Suddick also found time to add his own "Brian Rix" moment. Just before the Bury winner in the second half United were awarded a free-kick just outside the Bury area.

As Iley prepared to take the kick Alan Suddick wandered nonchalantly behind the Bury wall and after two "refusals" he successfully debagged Bury inside right Griffin. The "terraces boomed with derisive laughter" but the man in black had no intentions of turning the other cheek and added the cheeky chappies name to his little black book.

Go Now

As a result of the defeat United lost top spot to Northampton and their promotion credentials were under question from the critical media. The Sunday Sun pulled no punches. "If United can't do better than this they can forget about promotion". There was "no plan of attack, no individual brilliance, and precious little sign of the sort of fighting spirit which used to be synonymous with the name of Newcastle".

But United confounded their critics by remaining unbeaten for the rest of the season and going up as Champions; it was their only home defeat of the season.