NUFC - 1970's Attackers [Part 2]
| Gowling | Alan | F | Aug 1975 | £70,000 | Mar 1978 | £120,000 | 122/1 | 52 |
Gangly Gowling was rescued from Fourth Division Huddersfield by Gordon Lee who promptly set the cat amongst the pigeons by stating that he would score more than Macdonald. Incredibly, using every part of his body other than his foot he managed just that in his first season.
With Mac gone he formed an effective partnership with Cannell and Burns but was central in the player insurrection of the Dinnis era and it was no surprise when he was one of the first out the door when McGarry arrived.
| Guy | Alan | CF | Sep 1975 | Internal | Mar 1979 | £5,000 | 7/1 | 0 |
Jarrow born Alan was a regular scorer in the reserves and the juniors but he struggled to reproduce that form in the first team. To be fair he was unlucky to get his chance during a difficult time at the club.
Made his debut just before his 19th birthday. Moved to Peterborough in March 1979.
| Robinson | Stuart | LW | Nov 1975 | Free | Jul 1980 | Free | 13/1 | 3 |
Robinson was signed from Murton Colliery at the age of 16 and played once for the England Youth team.
He made his debut in December 1977 as a replacement for the injured Gowling in what was Bill McGarry's first game in charge. He got a few games in before being replaced by Mike Larnach.
He rarely appeared again and moved to Aldershot on a free.
| Larnach | Mike | F | Dec 1977 | £100,000 | Aug 1978 | £70,000 | 12/2 | 0 |
Twenty five year old Larnach had been a regular goalscorer for Clydebank and McGarry signed him in an effort to pep up United's misfiring attack.
He lacked both height and bulk and after a promising start failed to set Tyneside alight and more importantly failed to score. Shipped back over the wall the following August.
| McGhee | Mark | F | Dec 1977 | £150,000 | Mar 1979 | £80,000 | 102/13 | 36 |
McGhee was signed from Morton on the same day as Larnach but despite showing some clever ball skills he also struggled to adapt to the English game
Rarely featured during the following campaign and he moved on to Aberdeen where his career would take off under Alex Ferguson before returning to United almost 10 years later.
| Parkinson | Andy | F | Mar 1978 | Free | Jul 1979 | Free | 0/3 | 0 |
South African six footer who came to Tyneside as an 18 year old.
Three substitute appearances were all he had to show for his 16 month stay and he was allowed to leave for Peterborough.
| Connolly | John | LW | Apr 1978 | exch | Sep 1980 | Free | 43/8 | 10 |
Twenty seven year old Glaswegian Connolly was bought as McGarry looked to experienced pros to lift the club back to the First
A tricky winger with a decent goal return he performed well in his first season. However, as had occurred so often in his career, he became dogged by injuries and was allowed to move to Hibs on a free.
| Pearson | Jim | F | Aug 1978 | £75,000 | Feb 1980 | Ret Inj | 13/1 | 4 |
Pearson was another Scotsman with considerable first class experience. Unfortunately he was also plagued by injuries and managed only a handful of games before having to retire through injury 18 months after his arrival
| Withe | Peter | CF | Aug 1978 | £200,000 | Jun 1980 | £500,000 | 83 | 27 |
McGarry pulled off a major coup when he paid a record fee for much travelled striker Withe who had been top scorer for champions Nottingham Forest in the previous season.
At 6' 2" with a build to match the scouser was an ideal target man and led the United line with great bravery during his two year stay.
He arrived convinced that he could help United get promoted; after two years of trying McGarry couldn't persuade him to stay and he moved on to Villa.
| Nicholson | Gary | LW | Nov 1978 | Internal | Aug 1981 | £25,000 | 11/5 | 0 |
A free scoring left winger in the juniors the young Geordie was regarded as a bright prospect and made a handful of appearances during the last two campaigns of the decade.
The emergence of the more skilful Nigel Walker and Chrissy Waddle made him surplus to requirements and he was sold to Mansfield in August 1981
| Shoulder | Alan | F | Dec 1978 | £20,000 | Jun 1982 | Free | 106/11 | 38 |
At a time when United kept splashing out big money on experienced pros who couldn't cut the mustard one of their most effective buys was 5' 5" Alan Shoulder who arrived from Blyth Spartans for the princely sum of £20,000 in December 1978.
A tireless worker with a power packed shot he was an immediate hit and formed an excellent partnership with Withe. When the big lad left the goals dried up and he left on a free at the end of the 1981/82 season.
| Rafferty | Billy | F | Oct 1979 | £175,000 | Dec 1980 | £80,000 | 37/5 | 8 |
Scotsman Billy (29) had been around the houses a bit before he arrived at SJP for £175,000 in October 1979.
Brought in to beef up the Withe/Shoulder partnership he was a like a poor man's Alan Gowling, never really fitted into the side and lost his place to Shinton at the end of the 1979-80 season. The departure of Withe gave him another chance but he didn't take it and the arrival of Mick Harford meant he was on his way to Portsmouth| Shinton | Bobby | F | Mar 1980 | £175,000 | Feb 1982 | 47/2 | 10 |
Another £175,000 was paid out by McGarry to bring in brummie Bobby Shinton who had risen to fame through Wrexham's giant killing exploits although he had flopped after a big money move to Maine Road.
He replaced John Connolly for the last couple of months of the 1979/80 season and would form part of United's undynamic 1980/81 forward line. He left for Millwall at the start of 1982