Flashback Friday - NUFC vs Liverpool, 21 August 1971

NEWCASTLE 3 (McDonald 24 pen, 44, 67)

LIVERPOOL 2 (Hughes 11, Keegan 78)

Att: 39,736.

NEWCASTLE: McFaul, D Craig, Clark, Gibb, Burton, Moncur, Dyson, Tudor, McDonald (Cassidy), Young, Hibbitt

LIVERPOOL: Clemence, Lawler, Lindsay, Smith, Lloyd, Hughes, Keegan, Thompson, Heighway, Toshack, Callaghan

***

Like a boomerang that refuses to drop on board the cargo ship that is bound for Australia, the flashback is back and well, quite frankly, I'm spoiled for choice with this fixture.

I was powerfully attracted to us obliterating the Reds 9-2 in January 1934 (still the most they've conceded in a top flight match ). I mean, who wouldn't be. That will be next year, I promise, and of course there's the Cole hat-trick as the Premier League guard changed in 1992 or when Andy Carroll ran riot enough in Alan Pardew's first game in 2010 to persuade Liverpool to send a helicopter and £35m for him.

But, you know, one man will be ingrained in my head on Sunday at kick off.

The King. KK.

KEEEEEEEEGGGGGGGUUUUUUURRRRN.

And although he had the red shirt on in this game, it was very poignant. Plus, we won, and it includes one of the greatest ever centre forward performances in our history, almost to the day, in our first home game, 55 years ago.

United, of course (like now) had failed to build on winning a trophy two years earlier and manager Joe Harvey (managers signed players then, kids) brought in Terry Hibbitt, Tony Green and a raw, albeit prolific powerhouse from second division Luton. Malcolm Ian McDonald.

We probably don't need to say anymore.

The £180,000 fee was big and in the first two games at Palace and Tottenham, Newcastle failed to score or look likely to score. In the first home game they faced a Liverpool side who, although they hadn't won the league in five seasons, would go on to win the title five times in the next eight years. In the previous season, despite finishing 5th, they only lost 8 times and contained some bona fide Liverpool royalty in there. Look at some of the players in that team above.

I’m way too young for this game, but I feel as though I was there, the amount of times my Dad raves about it. For a whole generation, this is THE game.

Keegan had arrived at Liverpool with a goal and a mint haircut. He would continue to do both through his career. McDonald, meanwhile, was described by the man himself as being “anxious” pre-match. Harvey meanwhile had given the match the elbow, preferring a “scouting trip to Scotland” (yeah sure). It would raise eyebrows if Jaissle does this on Sunday.

Liverpool roared out the blocks and took the lead within 11 minutes as Emlyn Hughes cracked in a brilliant 25 yard shot which drew applause from the ground. Check out YouTube for both the goal and the packed to the gunnels ‘Popular Side’. Both are magnificent.

The ground echoed to ‘You’ll never walk alone’, but in the 24th minute, Keegan gave away a pen with a shove. With the pressure on, McDonald stepped up and confidently equalised. It was barely deserved, but he and United were up and running.

Toshack had a goal ruled out from 20 yards after McFaul went walkabout, but two game changing incidents in the run up to half time changed the game.

Firstly, Keegan reeled in Frank Clark for a penalty and Tommy Smith looked certain to put Liverpool ahead at a crucial time, but McFaul brilliantly saved low down. It would have been hard to see us coming back if that had gone in. The ground went mad. Just how we like it.

That had just died down when the ball found McDonald on the left of the area. Without hesitation he lashed a shot which flew past Clemence who didn't even see it.

What a goal. What a hit.

From going in 2-1 down, this slice of genius had us 2-1 up. The second half saw Liverpool push hard from the off and we rode our luck, but we scored a third on 67 minutes and it was a hat trick for Supermac. For some, it was as good as his second.

Hibbitt and Gibb did the hard work finding McDonald who let the ball run in front of him before powering a low shot on the run past Clemence. In front of the Leazes. It doesn't get much better than that.

“Supermac clap, clap, clap” echoed around St James but Keegan got one back in the 78th minute. A deep corner found KK and he nodded in eventually at the far post. He celebrated by almost swinging off the bar like Billy in Kes.

Soon after, McDonald’s day was over. A poor goal kick was seized on by Supermac. He put it just over but was slammed into by Clemence (a la Schumacher/ Battiston) on the edge of the box. McDonald was carried off concussed, as the ground roared his name. A new hero had been found.

We held on for the win, and it was one of the most devastating home debuts in Newcastle history. McDonald went on to score 30 goals in his debut season. To all those lads debuting on Sunday? No pressure .

Of course, after this we won only one game until bonfire night and were second bottom going into November. But as ever at the Toon, don’t let stats ruin two legends' day.

This is a proper flashback. One of our best. Anything like this on Sunday would do me just fine. Just to find someone who will save a pen and get a hat trick. Not asking for much.

Scott Robson