NUFC - 1970's Midfielders - Part 2
| Oates | Graham | Mid | Mar 1976 | joint deal | Mar 1978 | £40,000 | 33/10 | 3 |
Oates was 27 when Gordon Lee returned to Blackburn to sign him. He was thrust straight into the team at centre-back to
replace the injured Pat Howard and marked his home debut with a 25 yarder into his own net.
This was the precurser to an unhappy and gradually deteriorating relationship with the Gallowgate faithful and when Lee and Dinnis had departed it was no surprise that Oates joined the gravy train to America
| Callaghan | Ralph | Mid | Feb 1977 | £100,000 | Aug 1978 | c-exch | 11 | 0 |
Former Scottish youth international whose signing was one of the most controversial in the history of the club.
The scotsman was signed from Hearts behind "manager" Richard Dinnis' back during the anarchic February of 1977. A skilled ball player he found himself frozen out of the first team.
He rarely got an opportunity in the following campaign and was used in exchange for John Brownlie at the start of the 1978/79 season.
| Dennis | Mick | Mid | Oct 1977 | £40,000 | Mar 1978 | £25,000 | 9/2 | 2 |
Dinnis had struggled to make a breakthrough in the transfer market and the United fans were decidedly underwelmed when his first signing turned out to be a 30 year old Carlisle reserve.
Thrust immediately into a struggling side he scored on his debut at Old Trafford and had a decent run until he was dropped during United's Xmas collapse.
A couple of months later and he was on his way to Mansfield.
| Walker | Nigel | Mid | Apr1977 | Free | May 1982 | Free | 69/5 | 3 |
United's fading fortunes offered an opportunity for other local lads in the first team, but a struggling side was not the best place for youngsters to be blooded
Gateshead born Walker made a good start to his carrer on Tyne, but never really fulfilled his early promise.Made his debut during the relegation season of 1977/78 and took over from the departed Tommy Craig. He flitted in and out of the side in the next couple of the seasons without ever really establishing himself.
| Scott | Jamie | Mid | Jul 1976 | Internal | cs 1980 | Free | 9/1 | 0 |
Geordie Scott joined United as a 16 year old and was still only 18 when he made his debut in a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge in March 1978.
He played 8 times in all in 1977/78 without ever enjoying a victory and got another couple of games in the following season when he at last got a win bonus.
Moved on to Berwick after a loan spell at Carlisle.
| Smith | Anthony | Mid | Jul 1975 | Internal | Mar 1979 | joint deal | 1/2 | 0 |
Makem who only mustered a handful of games in his four years on Tyneside
All his games were during the relegation season of 1977/78 and as a result he was on the losing side every time.
Moved to Peterborough without charge.
| Suggett | Colin | Mid | Aug 1978 | £60,000 | Jun 1981 | Ret Inj | 21/3 | 0 |
Bill McGarry's chosen approach to getting United back into the top flight was to buy a number of seasoned professionals. Colin Suggett
was one of his first purchases
Washington born, Sugget burst onto the scene as a striker for Sunderland in the late sixties and had a predilection for scoring goals against United. He drifted back into midfield and was 29 when he came to Tyneside
He failed to set the world alight and an ankle ligament injury meant that he didn't even see out a season.
| Martin | Mick | Mid | Nov 1978 | £100,000 | cs 1983 | Free | 155/8 | 6 |
Tall and rangy but surprisingly comfortable on the ball Martin joined half way through the 1978/79 season. A serious injury in December 1979
put him out for the season and was viewed as the main reason why United slumped from top to ninth.
Became a "cult" figure on Tyneside with his corner taking signals and earned the nickname Zico, after the Brazilian midfielder. Not because he had his skill but because he once played for Eire against Brazil.
| Manners | Peter | Mid | Jul 77 | Internal | Dec 79 | Free | 2 | 0 |
Sunderland born Manners was the next local product to be given a chance in the first team after some decent performances in the reserves.
He played a couple of games at the end of the 1978/79 season as a stand-in for Zico but did not do enough to be considered again and his time was up when he was allowed to leave for Seiko Sports in Hong Kong
| Cartwright | Peter | Mid | Jun 1979 | £2,000 | 1983 | Free | 58/11 | 4 |
Newcastle born Cartwright followed Carney and Shoulder from Non-league football at the age of 21. He was a small (5' 7") midfield worker, who
made up for in graft what he lacked in skill
He graduated into the first team squad in 1979/80, playing in nearly every game. Probably remembered most for coming on as sub in a League Cup tie against Sunderland and scoring with his first touch.
| Cropley | Alex | Mid | Feb 1980 | Loan | Mar 1980 | Loan end | 3 | 0 |
An injury to Terry Hibbitt and a dip in form by the team persuaded McGarry to take former Scottish international Alex Cropley on loan from Aston Villa.
He only played in three games and was hauled off in two of them
| Ferguson | Brian | Mid | Jan 1979 | Internal | Dec 1980 | Free | 4/1 | 1 |
Scot Ferguson had played under United coach Peter Morris at Mansfield and was 18 when he came to Tyneside at the beginning of 1979.
He got his brief run in the team in the last 5 games of the 1979/80 season but never got another chance and moved to Hull at the end of 1980