NUFC - 1950's Wingers
Outside Right
Tommy Walker held the number 7 shirt for the first three seasons. When he moved on Jackie Milburn and Len White shared the duties for the following three campaigns as they both returned to their flank roots.
When Milburn left and White began to be used more centrally Gordon Hughes took over.
| Walker | Tommy | OR | Oct 1941 | Feb 1954 | £2,500 | 235 | 40 |
Fast paced and direct, Cramlington born Walker had to wait seven years before he established himself as the first choice outside-right.
For the first three years of the decade he hardly missed a game and played in
all the matches of the 1951 and 1952 Cup runs.
Happy on either flank he was a consistent crosser and could shoot from distance. Turning thirty he lost his place during the 1953/54 season and moved on to Oldham.
| Taylor | John | OR | Nov 1952 | Jun 1960 | 29 | 5 |
Harry (as he preferred to be known) joined United as a seventeen year old making his debut a couple of years later. His Tyneside sojourn was interrupted by having to undertake his National Service.
On his return he got his best run in the side with 22 consecutive appearances but Newcastle's poor start to the 1959/60 season saw him lose his place and he was released at the end of the season.
| Hughes | Gordon | OR | Aug 1956 | £30 | Aug 1963 | £12,000 | 143 | 20 |
Wee Gordon was Washington born and fleet of foot. He joined as a part-timer whilst still working down the mines but was soon
promoted to a full-timer and first-teamer.
Stocky and direct he established himself on the right flank until a broken leg ruled him out for an extended period. On his return he could not displace Alan Suddick and Dave Hilley and he left for Derby
Outside Left
The outside left slot was dominated by one man during the 1950's; Bobby Mitchell. He played in every season even though he was in his mid thirties by the last season.
In the first half of the decade he ruled the roost and other players such as Prior, Brander and Punton were rarely used fill-ins.
In the latter half of the decade the search was on for a successor but none of the many players tried out established themselves and in the last few games of the 1959-60 season saw Len White was filling in.
| Mitchell | Bobby | OL | Feb 1949 | £17,000 | Jun 1961 | Free | 410 | 113 |
Bobby Dazzler patrolled the left wing for 13 seasons for United and was one of only three players
who was at the club throughout the decade. He is arguably United's finest ever outside left.
Famous for his mazy dribbles that tied defenders in knots he also had an enviable scoring record . Bobby played in every match of United's cup winning campaigns, famously converting the penalty that nobody dared take that brought victory over Wolves in the 1951 semi-final.
| Prior | Ken | OL | Mar 1952 | Free | May 1954 | £100 | 8 | 3 |
Geordie who joined United as a twenty year old . He was a small and pacy outside left but the consistent brilliance of Mitchell afforded him very few first team opportunities and he joined Milwall after a couple of years.
| Brander | George | OL | Mar 1952 | £1,850 | Jan 1954 | £750 | 5 | 2 |
Another Mitchell cover signing who only enjoyed a short stint on Tyneside. Despite possessing decent pace and skill all the Aberdonians limited appearances came during the 1952-53 season. Surplus to requirements, he soon returned to his homeland.
| Punton | Bill | OL | Feb 1954 | £6,000 | Jun 1958 | Ex | 26 | 1 |
Scotsman whose prematurely receding hairline and facial features have earned him a place in
the scary second string. He was one of Bobby Dazzlers many less illustrious deputies.
Stayed on Tyneside for four seasons before leaving for Carrow Road at the age of 25 where he became something of a cult hero.
| Evans | Reg | OL | Mar 1956 | £25 | Mar 1959 | Exch | 4 | 0 |
Consett born winger who joined United as he turned seventeen. There was a lot of competition for the outside left slot and he only made four appearances (all during the 1958/59 season).
| McGuigan | John | IL/OL | Jun 1958 | C Ex | Jan 1962 | Ex | 55 | 17 |
McGuigan was one of Charlie Mitten's first forays into his favourite outside left market. Smallish but versatile and tricky he was 25 when he arrived from Southend.
He replaced Bobby Mitchell during the 1958/59 season but rarely got a chance in the following year. During the first two years of the sixties he was used as an inside or centre forward before being allowed to leave
| Mitten | John | OL | Sep 1958 | Oct | 1961 | 10 | 3 |
In his never ending search for the outside left of his choice Charlie Mitten even turned to his own son, John. Mitten junior was only seventeen and an amateur when he arrived but made his debut a couple of months later.
Used sparingly over the next couple of seasons before departing in the same month as his sacked father.
| Wright | Billy | OL | Jul 1958 | £7,500 | Jul 1959 | £5,150 |
William was 27 when he arrived on Tyneside in the summer of 1958 but he was only to last 12 months during which he only made a handful of appearances. Despite being a winger he only played on the flank in two of the games; being used as a centre forwad once and an inside left twice.
He scored three goals in his five games including two in the famous 5-6 defeat against Chelsea. Injuries restricted his opportunities thereafter.
| Luke | George | OL | Oct 1959 | £4,000 | Jan 1961 | £2,500 | 29 | 4 |
Stocky geordie Luke had been at the club as a teenager at the start of the decade without playing in the first team and he was almost 26 when he returned from Hartlepool.
On his return he was given an extended run in the side replacing Mitchell who had been back in favour. During the following disastrous 1960/61 season he lost his place in the side and moved to Darlington.