Comparing football in the 1980s to the shiny product we witness today is a fairly pointless exercise. When Eddie Howe was appointed Newcastle manager in November 2021, he arrived in the knowledge that the Saudi Arabian owners would provide an open cheque book to help the club stay in the top flight. It was a little different for Jack Charlton in the summer of 1984.
Despite being promoted to Division One at the end of the 1983/84 season, nothing was ever straight forward at Newcastle. Kevin Keegan retired, but worse was to follow when manager Arthur Cox departed after a dispute with the board. The club was also reportedly in debt to the tune of £700,000, something that surprised Charlton when he was appointed Cox's successor.
"After the big attendances of last season with Kevin Keegan, I thought I would at least start off on a level footing financially," the new manager revealed. "I thought the money would be there and it has come as a very great shock that it is not."
Without a barrel load of money, Charlton would have to initially make do with the players that had earned promotion, minus Keegan and Terry McDermott, the latter departing the club after a contract row with the new boss. Nevertheless, Charlton did at least have a couple of useful local lads at his disposal.
Both Chris Waddle and Peter Beardsley had impressed in Division Two, and despite Charlton preferring to adopt long ball tactics as the season progressed - witness the signings of George Reilly and Tony Cunningham - the duo would make the step up successfully. Waddle would make his England debut before the end of the season, and before too long his name was linked with a move away from the north east.
Hopes were raised when Newcastle won their opening three matches to top the table, but away defeats at Arsenal and Manchester United reduced any expectations to realistic levels. But the tests just kept on coming for Charlton and his squad, with FA Cup holders Everton arriving at St James' Park in mid-September.
After ending Everton's 14-year trophy drought, manager Howard Kendall immediately set his sights on toppling Liverpool. "What I really want Everton to be is the best. What I really want to win is the championship. The FA Cup is tremendous for the fans and the players. But for me it is just a start."
The quest for their first championship since 1970 did not get off to the smoothest of starts. A shock 4-1 reverse at Goodison Park against Tottenham was followed up with another loss at West Brom, although seven points from the next three matches steadied the ship.
Kendall was boosted by the return of two key men, with Kevin Sheedy and Andy Gray starting their first league matches of the season at St James' Park. The pair had both scored twice in a 5-3 reserve team match against Newcastle in the week leading up to the league fixture and would play a key role on their return.
The fact that Kendall could leave out Kevin Richardson, Terry Curran, and Graeme Sharp highlighted the strength of his squad, although these selection headaches led to Curran voicing his discontent and Sharp attempting to hand in a transfer request. Charlton had no such concerns, fielding the same eleven for the sixth consecutive match, openly admitting that he needed to bring players in.
Played in damp, grey conditions, the match saw a number of tackles attempted on the slippery surface, some less successful than others. One example was John Bailey upending Beardsley with a late challenge, referee Colin Seel going against the general rule of the time by booking the full back for his first offence.
Newcastle would make the breakthrough after 12 minutes, with Beardsley and Waddle unsurprisingly involved. After Derek Mountfield failed to clear Neil McDonald's clearance, Beardsley jinked into the box, before an excellent tackle from Paul Bracewell saw the ball break to Waddle. Everton skipper Kevin Ratcliffe slid in, appearing to win the ball fairly. But Seel pointed to the spot.
Beardsley sent Southall the wrong way to give Newcastle the lead, and for a spell Everton were on the ropes. Southall saved well with his legs to deny Waddle, and McDonald blazed over a decent chance from the corner of the six-yard box. The home team were soon made to pay for their profligacy in front of goal.
A simple long ball from right back Gary Stevens found Adrian Heath in the Newcastle area, and his squared pass set up Sheedy to crunch a left-footed drive past Kevin Carr. After 26 minutes of being on the back foot, somehow Everton were level, and although Waddle continued to threaten, this is how is stayed until half-time.
Within 15 seconds of the second half, Everton were behind once more as the unusually shaky Mountfield completely fluffed a back pass to Southall, allowing Kenny Wharton to nip in and take advantage.
Carr denied Gray an equaliser shortly after, but within eight minutes Everton were back on level terms again. A simple through ball from Ratcliffe saw Trevor Steven ghosting into the area before firing past Carr, and with over half an hour remaining there was ample time for both teams to find a winner.
There were chances at either end, as Southall brilliantly denied Steve Carney, and Carr did well to keep out a Sheedy effort. Turning Mountfield inside out, Waddle may have done better when through on goal, but the chance went begging, and it looked as if it would be a point apiece as the 90-minute mark was reached.
But there was one final twist in the tale, as Everton's recalled duo combined to hand the away team a delicious three points. Sheedy's corner from the right saw an unmarked Gray surge into the six-yard box, the striker gobbling up a headed opportunity that was his trademark. Carr had no chance. It wasn't quite a smash and grab, but it was one of those victories that champions often grind out.
The match was an archetypal 1980s affair. Fully committed players, crunching tackles, moments of quality from the flair players such as Beardsley, Waddle, Sheedy, and Steven. Certainly the crowd of 29,452 were entertained, even if the home fans departed damp and despondent.
"Those who enjoy their football red-blooded and highly seasoned, would have revelled in this rumbustious match at St James' Park," John Dougray wrote in the Guardian. Charlton revealed his admiration for Everton, stating that they "had everything I like about a team." Conversely, some grey clouds were ominously gathering for the Newcastle boss.
Reports of fan discontent had been raised before the fixture, with Charlton missing a training session on the Thursday prior to go on a fishing trip he had booked before his appointment had been confirmed. Then when news broke of Charlton going into the crowd during the Everton match to deal with a fan accused of spitting at the Newcastle players as they went down the tunnel, the seeds of mistrust had been planted.
The supporter in question denied the allegations, with Charlton remaining quiet over the subject. "I don't want to talk about it...I went into the crowd to see a friend," he said in a less than convincing response. As the season progressed, some players and fans started to question Charlton's tactics, and although he led the team to safety and a 14th place finish, he would not be in charge for the next campaign.
Fan unrest at a failure to sign Eric Gates - who went to Sunderland - and protests aimed at Charlton during a pre-season friendly against Sheffield United proved to be the final straw. Charlton resigned, with Willie McFaul taking over, opening up the road that would eventually lead to Charlton's glorious spell in charge of Ireland.
But that was for the distant future. After Everton's last-minute win, both teams would score five goals in their next away matches in the league. Everton's crazy 5-4 win at Watford was another stepping stone towards their ultimate goal, but for Newcastle it was a very different tale. Squandering a 4-0 half-time lead, Charlton was furious as his team drew 5-5 at QPR. It seemed pre-destined that he would be constantly exasperated with events on and off the pitch during his brief spell at the club.
You don't need Marty McFly to tell you that 1984/85 is a long time ago. When Howe and Lampard lock horns next week, the former will be hoping his expensive new signings can inspire his cash-rich club to safety, with his opposition number merely trying to lead Everton away from a relegation dogfight. It's going to be a tense evening. But let's hope the game is as entertaining as it was in September 1984 for the neutrals among us.
great piece of writing!
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