Toon Tartan - Newcastle's Scottish internationals

Introduction

This article is based on the information available on the excellent www.londonhearts.com site: a highly informative and easy to use site about Scottish football. We thoroughly recommend a visit.

In total thirty one different players have represented their Scottish homeland whilst on United's books; the tenth highest number with the only English club supplying more being Everton.

On a caps basis the situation is somewhat different; the total of 120 caps (average of only four a player) being beaten by sixteen other clubs.

United players have notched twenty five goals between them; the twelfth highest number. Of these no less than nineteen were scored by one man; the immortal Hughie Gallagher.

The most Newcastle players appearing in one match is four for the April Fool's day defeat against England in 1905 at Crystal Palace (where else). McCombie and Aitken were joined by debutants McWilliam and Howie.

Five players have captained Scotland whilst at Newcastle: Bobby Moncur (7 times), Roy Aitken (3 times) and Andrew Aitken, Peter McWilliam and Kevin Gallagher (all once).

Bobby Moncur is the player with most caps (16). The player with the shortest career is Stephen Glass who got on for the last eleven minutes against the Faroe Islands

Below we present our greatest Toon Scottish international team; caps and goals are those earned and scored whilst the player was at Newcastle. The dates relate to their first and last international matches during their time at Newcastle.

All pictures in this article are from Football Monthly

Goalkeeper

James Lawrence - Glasgow [Caps:1 Gls: 0 - 1911]

Jimmy might hold the appearance record for Newcastle but he only once played for his country. His sole game was at the age of twenty six on 1st April 1911. He kept goal against England at Goodison Park; the match ending 1-1.

Full Backs

Andrew McCombie - Inverness [Caps: 2 Gls: 0 - 1905]

McCombie had already been capped twice whilst at Sunderland and he played two further games whilst on Tyneside. Both games came at the end of United's Championship winning season of 1904/05.

Playing in his favoured right-back slot he was on the losing side on both occasions; away to Wales and England.

Robert Ancell - Dumfries [Caps 2 Gls: 0 - 1936]

Both Ancell's caps came during his first season on Tyneside (1936/37) following his big money signing from St Mirren. He would also gain a War Cap during 1940. He played against Northern Ireland and Wales at the end of 1936.

Centre Backs

Frank Brennan - Annathill [Caps 7 Gls: 0 - 1946 - 1955]

Big Frank made his debut in the first Post War season of 1946/47 when he played against Wales and Northern Ireland. After that he was rather unfortunate to be overlooked for a number of years.

He was not selected to play again until the British Championship match against Wales in 1952. His last game was the 4-2 defeat by England at the end of 1953-54.

Bobby Moncur - Perth [Caps 16 Gls: 0 - 1968 - 1972]

With sixteen caps Bobby Moncur is our most capped Scottish player. He also appeared for the Scottish Schools and Under 23 sides.

Bobby also captained the side on seven occasions (the most by any United player).

Midfield

Andy Aitken - Ayr [Caps: 8 Gls: - 0 - 1901-1906 ]

United captain Aitken played for his country eight times whilst he was on Tyneside and won a further six caps after he left. He made his first appearance at the end of the 1900/01 season at the age of 24 and was made captain (for the only time) in his second outing a year later.

Roy Aitken - Irvine [Caps: 5/1 Gls: - 0 - 1901-1906 ]

With 57 caps he is the 12th most honoured player in the countries history; but by the time he joined United his international career was almost over All his half dozen caps came at the end of the 1989/90 season where he appeared in the World Cup Finals.

He was still his country's captain at the time.

Attack

Alex Higgins - Kilmarnock[Caps: 4 Gls: - 1 - 1910-1911 ]

Higgins won all four of his caps whilst on Tyneside during 1910 and 1911

He scored his only goal for his country on his last appearance against England at Goodison Park. He only just made it, the goal was an equaliser in a 1-1 draw and came two minutes from time.

Hughie Gallagher - Bellshill [App:13 Gls: 19 - 1924 - 1935]

A true immortal, Gallagher is Scotland's third top scorer of all time behind Denis Law and Kenny Dalglish despite only winning twenty caps. Nineteen of his twenty four goals came whilst he was on Tyneside including a hat-trick against Wales followed by five against Northern Ireland. These games were during an amazing run of fourteen goals in only six games.

Scotland won seventeen of the matches he played in; most famously a 5-1 victory over England in 1928

James Howie - Galston - [Caps:3 Gls: 2 - 1905 - 1908]

Howie's caps all came when he was on Tyneside, all came in April and were all awarded for games against England.

His best game was the 2-1 victory in 1906 when he grabbed both goals.

Kevin Gallagher - Swansea - [Caps:9 Gls: 1 - 1999 - 2001]

A proud owner of 44 Scottish caps before he joined United he is 18th in the all time appearences list

Only one of his nine goals came whilst he was a Newcastle player; against Croatia in a World Cup qualifier.

Other Internationals

Wilfred Low - Aberdeen - [Caps:5 Gls: 0 - 1911 - 1920]

Grim faced Aberdonian centre-half who won all his caps on Tyneside. There was an eight year gap between his second and third caps.

Tony Green - Glasgow - [Caps:2 Gls: 0 - 1972]

Would surely have won many more caps if his career had not been so badly blighted by injury. He won four caps whilst at Blackpool and added to that total at the end of the 1971/72 season when he appeared against Wales and England in the British Championship.

Steve Caldwell - Stirling - [Caps:2/2 Gls: 0 - 2004 - 2004]

Four appearences in total for Steve; since added to following his move to Pseudoland. Replaced his brother Gary when he came on against Trinidad and Tobago.

Gary Caldwell - Stirling - [Caps:2/2 Gls: 0 - 2002 - 2002]

The Caldwells will go down as United's famous international footballing family (we doubt). Has the unique distinction of being capped by Scotland despite never playing a first team game for United. Gary has also won more caps since leaving Tyneside.

James Hay - Beith - [Caps:3 Gls: 0 - 1912 - 1914]

Formidable Celtic half-back who arrived on Tyneside just as United's period of dominance was ending. He had captained his country whilst at Parkhead and although he was over thirty when he signed for United he still got three more caps.

In his eleven internationals he was only on the losing side once.

Bobby Templeton - Coylton - [Caps:3 Gls: 0 - 1903 - 1904]

A tricky winger who was one of the most famous names of the time; he won three caps during his short stay on The Tyne. Infamously it was suggested that his weaving runs which were followed by the swaying crowds led to the Ibrox disaster of 1902.

Bob McColl - Swansea - [Caps:2 Gls: 0 - 1902 - 1908]

Another famous Scot of the Victorian era, McColl scored 13 goals in thirteen games making him the 12th (joint) top scorer in Scotland's history. He was only in his mid twenties when he moved South of the border but after appearing against England in 1902 he never got a game again until six years later.

Bobby Mitchell- Glasgow - [Caps:2 Gls: 1 - 1951 - 1951]

United's wizard of the dribble was unfortunate to have the great Billy Liddel as competition for the left wing slot and as a result he only got two caps. He appeared against Denmark and France in a four day period in May 1951; scoring on his debut.

Ronald Orr - Bartonholme - [Caps:2 Gls: 1 - 1902 - 1904]

Subbuteo sized inside-forward who spent seven years on Tyneside but was glad to paddle away after getting torrents of abuse from the Gallowgate. Scored on his international debut but only wore his country's colours twice.

Tommy Pearson - Edinburgh - [Caps:2 Gls: 0 - 1947 - 1947]

Left-winger who won his only two caps in 1947 (at the age of 34), but has the unusual distinction of being the only player to have played for both England and Scotland having guested for England during a war match on Tyneside.

Jim Smith - Glasgow [Caps:1/2 Gls: 0 - 1973 - 1974]

Jinky's meagre cap haul is testimony both to the quality of the midfielders at his country's disposal during the seventies and to the inconsistency of his play. He'd already appeared as a sub in 1968 before he arrived on Tyneside. His only start was in a friendly against West Germany.

Brian Kerr - Motherwell - [Caps:0/2 Gls: 0 - 2003 - 2004]

Three substitute appearences in friendlies against the might of New Zealand, Estonia (whilst on loan at Motherwell) and Trinidad and Tobago amounted to 54 minutes football.

James Boyd - Swansea - [Caps:1 Gls: 0 - 1933 - 1933]

Outside-right who is one of many United players to only get one Scottish cap; a defeat by Northern Ireland.

William Cowan - Edinburgh [Caps:1 Gls: 0 - 1924 - 1924]

Inside-forward who suffered some abuse on Tyneside. His international debut in a 1-1 draw with England was also his last match.

Tommy Craig - Penilee - [Caps:1 Gls: 0 - 1976 - 1976]

One of only a handful of Scotsman to have played at all levels for Scotland, but only ever played in one full international; a victory over Switzerland.

Neil Harris - Tollcross - [Caps:1 Gls: 0 - 1924 - 1924]

At 5' 7" Harris is one of United's smallest ever centre-forwards, but he had an excellent 50% strike rate. Only played once for his country - the same match as William Cowan played in.

Robert McKay - Glasgow - [Caps:1 Gls: 0 - 1927 - 1927]

Diminutive inside-forward who only got one cap in a 2-2 draw with Wales

George Wilson - Lochgelly - [Caps:1 Gls: 0 - 1929 - 1929]

"Smiler" Wilson was another marauding midget who won five caps before his arrival on Tyneside. His only cap whilst playing for us was in 1929 against England.

Stephen Glass - Swansea - [Caps:0/1 Gls: 0 - 1998 - 1998]

Eleven minutes against the Faroe Islands is the sum total of Stephen's less than earth shattering international career.