Will someone please find this interesting...

Because I just told the missus and she wasn't interested!

I collect old Reds programmes and have just picked one up from a friendly we played away at Tonbridge Angels in 1967. In the notes it mentions that they had recently played Fulham and one young player stood out for Tonbridge, this being Malcolm MacDonald. Knowing that MacDonald started out his league career at Fulham I checked up and it is the very bloke. Apparently he suitably impressed the Fulham manager, Bobby Robson, who went back and snapped him up for a cool £1,000.

Well I found it interesting anyway...

 

Nice place Tonbridge, lovely Norman castle. Very historic.

 

Roy Hodgson played for them 66-69 is he ont team sheet Gordon.

 

No, and no mention of him in the programme, although it is only a few pages long. It does mention that Mr Streeter, a keen Tonbridge fan, will be working the hot dog stall at all future games though, which is comforting to know!

 

Give us Tarn line up then. Was it pre season?

 

Yes, 12th August. Ironside, Parker, Murphy, Bettany, Winstanley, Hewitt, Evans, Barton, Humes, Thomas and Taylor. According to the line ups they had MacDonald playing left wing back. How old is he? Could he still do a job for us? Has he left the bottle alone yet?

 

Malcolm Macdonald......wish we'd signed him.

 

Humes is the only one I can`t recall.

Supermac will be in his Sixties, he had legs like Annie Sugden you could get a pig through em.

 

1967 Wing back?

 

Well, left half-back or whatever they called it in them days. Same position you'd stick Scott Golbourne in anyway, looking at their formation page.

I remember MacDonald sitting in the director's box for a reserve game when he was Huddersfield boss back in the 80s. He got so much stick from the old boys sitting near him that he upped and left at half time.

 

Malcolm Macdonald started as a full-back with Tonbridge, and signed for Fulham in summer 1968. He played ten games as a makeshift centre-forward for Fulham, scoring five goals, but no one took it as more than a flash in the pan, so he left for Luton Town. It was the late, great Alec Stock who realised his potential, shifted him into a permanent centre forward and he delivered, scoring twenty-five goals in his first season. That was the target Alec Stock had set him. He tells a great story of how Alec went round the dressing-room at the start of the season, giving each goalscoring forward, or midfielder a target for the year. So, when he gave Laurie Sheffield twelve, MacDonald thought he might get the same, but, no, it was twenty-five - he almost fell of his seat, but he got them. Great, great manager, Alec Stock, wherever he went. He really knew the game and was an outstanding judge of a player.

 

In the summer of 71, I was staying with Keith Burkinshaw (went with my mate who was his nephew) for a few days when he was 2nd team coach at Newcastle United. During dinner Keith asked me who I thought was the best centre forward outside the then 1st division. I had no hesitation in saying Malcolm Macdonald. Blimey I nearly fell off me chair when they signed him in the following weeks. Keith never once hinted that they were in for him, mind'st you I was more interested in knowing how Pat and Stewart were doing. Enjoyed my stay with Keith, lovely bloke and family.

 

Remember Malcolm MacDonald as manager of Fulham bringing his team to Oakwell to play the Glavin side. They lined up all across the half way line and went for us. After 20 minutes we were 0-3 down, we won 4-3, one of he best game I've ever seen. Did Tony Cunningham get a hat trick? Can't remember.

 

I remember the last goal, he rose like a salmon to head in the winner. Must have been 9 foot in the air when he headed that in

 

Wasn't Malcolm MacDonlad the manager of Fulham when we beat them 4-3; the game when we went 3 - 0 down.

 

20 minutes? It was 6 or 7 minutes. Cunningham only got one though, as far as I remember. We were ruddy good in them days weren't we.

 

Think that was the game I first saw Ray Houghton and was very impressed and thought he would go on to summat better.