Malcolm Macdonald
Encyclopedia
Malcolm Ian Macdonald is a former English
football
er nicknamed Supermac, famed for scoring goals for Luton Town
, Newcastle United
and Arsenal
.
, London
, Macdonald started out as a full back before switching to centre forward. After signing from Tonbridge Angels
Bobby Robson
paid £1,000 to sign him Fulham
in 1968 just after their relegation from the Football League First Division
.
A year later he moved to Luton Town
. At Luton he scored 49 times in 88 matches, which caught the eye of Newcastle United
manager Joe Harvey
, who signed him for £180,000 in the summer of 1971. At Newcastle he quickly became a favourite of the fans, scoring a hat-trick
on his home debut against Liverpool
, and was the club's top scorer for five seasons in a row.
While at Newcastle, he made his debut for England
(against Wales
). On 16 April 1975, in a game for England
against Cyprus
he scored all five goals in a 5–0 victory, a record that still stands today (spawning a newspaper headline "SuperMac 5, Cyprus 0".) In total he played 14 times for his country, scoring six times (the only other game he scored in being a 2–0 win over then World Champions West Germany
).
Macdonald left Newcastle for Arsenal
in 1976, for the unusual fee of £333,333.33, and played two full seasons (being the club's top scorer in both), but suffered a knee injury in a League Cup
match against Rotherham
at the start of the 1978–79 season, from which he was unable to completely recover. After having spent a couple of months in Sweden
with Djurgårdens IF he announced his retirement from playing at the premature age of 29 in August 1979. He never won a major honour but was on the losing side in two FA Cup
finals and a League Cup
final, two for Newcastle and one for Arsenal.
between 1987 and 1988. His time at Fulham was initially successful, with promotion to the Second Division being achieved in 1982. In the 1982–83 season, they appeared certainties for promotion to the First Division for the majority of the season, but a slump in the later stages of the season allowed their lead to wither away and they finished 4th. The following season began as a struggle before a second half turnaround saw them into mid-table safety, however he would be replaced by his assistant Ray Harford in April 1984.
He returned to management with Huddersfield in 1987, but his time in charge proved disastrous, including a 10–1 loss to Manchester City as the side were relegated from the Second Division in dismal fashion.
However, after being declared bankrupt following a failed business venture, divorcing his second wife and struggling with the aftermath of his injury, he became an alcoholic. Macdonald said that the pain from his long-standing knee injury led to his increasing dependence on alcohol. He eventually gave up drinking in 1997.
and Micky Horswill.
He also presents "Upfront With Malcolm Macdonald", a thirty minute show consisting of interviews with ex-professional players across the Real Radio
and Century Network. The guests he has interviewed on the show so far are:
He also writes a regular column for the retro football magazine BACKPASS (www.backpassmagazine.co.uk).
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
er nicknamed Supermac, famed for scoring goals for Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
, Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
and Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
.
Football career
Born in FulhamFulham
Fulham is an area of southwest London in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, SW6 located south west of Charing Cross. It lies on the left bank of the Thames, between Putney and Chelsea. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Macdonald started out as a full back before switching to centre forward. After signing from Tonbridge Angels
Tonbridge Angels F.C.
Tonbridge Angels Football Club is an English football club who play at Longmead Stadium in Tonbridge, Kent, since moving from the Angel Ground in 1980....
Bobby Robson
Bobby Robson
Sir Robert William "Bobby" Robson, CBE was an English footballer and manager, who coached seven European clubs and the England national team during his career....
paid £1,000 to sign him Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
in 1968 just after their relegation from the Football League First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
.
A year later he moved to Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
. At Luton he scored 49 times in 88 matches, which caught the eye of Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
manager Joe Harvey
Joe Harvey
Joe Harvey was an English football player and later manager. He spent much of his career at Newcastle United; he was the club's longest serving captain, manager, and, as of the 2009 – 10 season the last to win a major trophy....
, who signed him for £180,000 in the summer of 1971. At Newcastle he quickly became a favourite of the fans, scoring a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
on his home debut against Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
, and was the club's top scorer for five seasons in a row.
While at Newcastle, he made his debut for England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
(against Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
). On 16 April 1975, in a game for England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
against Cyprus
Cyprus national football team
The Cyprus national football team represents Cyprus in association football and is controlled by the Cyprus Football Association, the governing body for football in Cyprus. Cyprus' home ground is the GSP Stadium in Nicosia and the current coach is Nikos Nioplias...
he scored all five goals in a 5–0 victory, a record that still stands today (spawning a newspaper headline "SuperMac 5, Cyprus 0".) In total he played 14 times for his country, scoring six times (the only other game he scored in being a 2–0 win over then World Champions West Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
).
Macdonald left Newcastle for Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
in 1976, for the unusual fee of £333,333.33, and played two full seasons (being the club's top scorer in both), but suffered a knee injury in a League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
match against Rotherham
Rotherham United F.C.
Rotherham United Football Club are an English professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, who compete in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club's colours have traditionally been red and white, although these have evolved through history...
at the start of the 1978–79 season, from which he was unable to completely recover. After having spent a couple of months in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
with Djurgårdens IF he announced his retirement from playing at the premature age of 29 in August 1979. He never won a major honour but was on the losing side in two FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
finals and a League Cup
League Cup
In association football, a League Cup or Secondary Cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament to be called "League Cup" was held in Scotland in 1946/47 and was entitled the Scottish...
final, two for Newcastle and one for Arsenal.
Football management
After retirement from playing, he returned to Fulham to manage them for four seasons from 1980 to 1984, and was later manager of Huddersfield TownHuddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...
between 1987 and 1988. His time at Fulham was initially successful, with promotion to the Second Division being achieved in 1982. In the 1982–83 season, they appeared certainties for promotion to the First Division for the majority of the season, but a slump in the later stages of the season allowed their lead to wither away and they finished 4th. The following season began as a struggle before a second half turnaround saw them into mid-table safety, however he would be replaced by his assistant Ray Harford in April 1984.
He returned to management with Huddersfield in 1987, but his time in charge proved disastrous, including a 10–1 loss to Manchester City as the side were relegated from the Second Division in dismal fashion.
However, after being declared bankrupt following a failed business venture, divorcing his second wife and struggling with the aftermath of his injury, he became an alcoholic. Macdonald said that the pain from his long-standing knee injury led to his increasing dependence on alcohol. He eventually gave up drinking in 1997.
Radio
He has since become a radio presenter on Real Radio's Legends Football Phone In, alongside Bernie SlavenBernie Slaven
Bernard Joseph "Bernie" Slaven is a Scottish-born former Republic of Ireland international footballer. A striker, with 162 goals in 423 league games, in a 12 year career, he also earned seven caps for the Republic of Ireland....
and Micky Horswill.
He also presents "Upfront With Malcolm Macdonald", a thirty minute show consisting of interviews with ex-professional players across the Real Radio
Real Radio
Real Radio is a network of adult contemporary independent local radio stations in England, Scotland and Wales and is operated by . Each station broadcasts local breakfast through to drive time shows and network programming in the evening and through the night...
and Century Network. The guests he has interviewed on the show so far are:
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He also writes a regular column for the retro football magazine BACKPASS (www.backpassmagazine.co.uk).