Malcolm Macdonald
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No... it's Supermac!
| Full name: | Malcolm Ian Macdonald |
|---|---|
| Date of birth: | January 7, 1950 |
| Clubs played for: | Fulham, Luton, Newcastle, Arsenal, Djurgardens |
| Clubs managed: | Fulham, Huddersfield |
Club Career
There was little sign of what was to come from Malcolm Macdonald when he started out as a full-back for Fulham in the Third Division. But a change in position and a £17,500 move to Luton saw the striker rapidly develop into one of England's outstanding front men.
After two years with the Hatters, Macdonald was offered a shot at the big time when First Division Newcastle paid £180,000 for the 21-year-old's services. The flamboyant Londoner took the opportunity with both hands and scored a terrific hat-trick on his St James' Park debut against Liverpool. A star was born, and Macdonald's devastating pace and phenomenal exploits in front of goal earned him the nickname Supermac.
The mutual love affair was prematurely curtailed when, following a row with Magpies boss Gordon Lee, Macdonald departed for Arsenal in 1976. The goals went with him - Supermac topped the Gunners' scoring charts for both of his full seasons at Highbury - before a serious knee injury, sustained in the League Cup against Rotherham at the start of the 1978-79 season, spelt the beginning of the end of his career. A move to Sweden followed, but Macdonald never returned to full fitness and eventually retired aged just 29.
Club Stats
| Years | Clubs | App | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968-69 | Fulham | 13 | 5 |
| 1969-71 | Luton | 88 | 49 |
| 1971-76 | Newcastle | 187 | 95 |
| 1976-79 | Arsenal | 84 | 42 |
| 1979 | Djurgardens IF | 9 | 2 |
International Career
Macdonald's impressive scoring rate for Newcastle inevitably earned him a place in the England squad, but surprisingly, he won only 14 caps for his country, scoring six goals - five of them in the same unforgettable European Championship qualifier against Cyprus.
International Career Stats
| Years | Clubs | App | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972-76 | England | 14 | 6 |
Managerial Career
Following his premature retirement, Macdonald returned to first club Fulham as manager. He achieved promotion from the Third Division in the 1981-82 season, but somehow squandered a golden chance to go up again the year after as the Cottagers blew a big advantage to finish fourth. Macdonald was replaced by Ray Harford in 1984, but he had another crack at management with Huddersfield three years later. It proved a - mercifully short - disaster. His side were thrashed 10-1 by Manchester City in the League Cup, and then relegated from the Second Division.
Key Games
Newcastle 3-2 Liverpool (First Division, August 21, 1971)
The game that started the Toon Army's love affair with Supermac. Just weeks after signing from Luton, the striker hit a superb hat-trick on his home debut, leaving the smitten Magpies fans certain they had found their new Jackie Milburn.
Newcastle 2-0 Burnley (FA Cup semi-final, March 30, 1974)
Having struck the winner in the quarter-final defeat of Nottingham Forest, Macdonald opened the scoring in the 65th minute of the semi-final and added the killer second 10 minutes later to send his side to Wembley. Supermac missed out on the chance of silverware, though, as Newcastle were humbled 3-0 by an impressive Liverpool performance in the final.
England 5-0 Cyprus (European Championship qualifier, April 16, 1975)
Macdonald silenced the critics who claimed he couldn't replicate his club form on the international stage with an electrifying performance against Cyprus at Wembley. Supermac smashed all five of the goals himself. Although the critics arguably had the last laugh: he scored only once more for his country, against West Germany in 1975.
Did You Know...?
When Macdonald appeared on the BBC TV show Superstars in 1975, he completed the 100m sprint in an astonishing 10.4 seconds, a time that would have secured him a place in the Great Britain 4x100m relay team at the Montreal Olympics
After Huddersfield had been thrashed 10-1 by Manchester City in 1986, Macdonald claimed that not only had his side been the better team until City scored, but that seven of the 10 goals had been offside
Macdonald descended into alcoholism after leaving the game, something he blamed on the pain from his long-standing knee injury. Happily, he quit drinking in 1997
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