Paying tribute to these Newcastle United full-backs – The best NUFC combinations I have seen | OneFootball

When I first started supporting NUFC, club stalwarts David Craig and Frank Clark were the Newcastle United full-backs.

They had been at the Toon since they were young lads and were part of Joe Harvey’s team that had secured promotion to the First Division in the 1964/65 season.

By the time Newcastle embarked on their remarkable Inter City Fairs Cup fairytale in the 1968/69 season, Craig and Clark were established and respected top division performers.

As we progressed into the 1970s, two new kids emerged on the block.

Irving Nattrass and Alan Kennedy were soon banging on the first team door.

Irving was a very versatile young player and was viewed as David Craig’s potential successor for the right-back berth.

Alan Kennedy was Frankie Clark’s protege. Both were County Durham lads and would go on later to lift the greatest club prize in European football. with Nottingham Forest and Liverpool respectively.

As an impressionable youngster, I really admired all four of the Newcastle United full-back so far mentioned.

David Craig began to have an injury nightmare during the mid 1970s. It’s hard to recall a more unlucky player than David and injury deprived him of appearing in the 1974 FA Cup Final, as well as the League Cup Final of ’76.

In the 1974 Cup Final against Liverpool, Frank Clark was switched to right-back to replace his old mate David Craig, 19 year old Alan Kennedy played on the left against the team where he would later become a legend.

Alan Kennedy and Irving Nattrass were the Newcastle United full-backs against Manchester City in the Final of 1976.

These two were international class and if not for the same injury curse that had blighted his predecessor David Craig’s career, I believe Nattrass would have become established in the England set-up.

Alan Kennedy (who when signing for Liverpool cost a then record amount for a full-back) eventually gained England recognition with a couple of caps in the twilight of his career.

We had to wait until the 1990s for our next memorably excellent full back pairing.

After keeping Newcastle in the second tier in 1992, Kevin Keegan went out and splashed the cash on Portsmouth’s John Beresford and Liverpool’s Barry Venison.

They were inspired signings and both players were outstanding as Keegan’s team blitzed the rest of the old First Division and United fired themselves into the Premier League.

Venison was also versatile and would go on to gain full England recognition, something he hadn’t previously achieved at either Sunderland or Liverpool.

John Beresford was an integral member of the ‘Entertainers’ that came so close to winning the Premier League title in 1996 and represented United in the Champions League.

John even scored twice in Kiev against Dynamo in an unlikely draw, after we had trailed 2-0 heading into the final quarter of an hour.

Roll on three decades and we now have a young full-back pairing that has the potential to become United’s greatest ever.

Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall didn’t come cheap considering their tender ages, there was the best part of £70m splashed, but it is now beginning to look like some of the best money we have ever spent.

After some excellent performances for Newcastle United in the Premier League, Tino and Lewis have forced their way into the England side.

At 22 and 20 years of age these two could be United and England’s full-back pairing for the next decade.

Both excite me when they pull on the famous stripes. They have the exuberance of youth on their side, combined with a willingness to work hard.

They both love getting forward and seem ideal for the style that Eddie Howe wants to implement at United.

I think Tino will have learned a lot working with Kieran Trippier.

The only other United full-back pairing over the last 50 years that I think deserve a mention, is Steve Watson and Robbie Elliott.

They spent a lot of time in the shadows of Venison and Beresford but were both good players in their own right and never let United down.

So how are our former heroes getting on, I may hear you ask?

David Craig was a one club man who came over from Northern Ireland and joined Newcastle United in his teens. He is now happily retired and resides in Northumberland.

Frank Clark played for Crook Town when they won the FA Amateur Cup in 1962 before signing for United. He is one of the most respected elder statesman in the game and also a legend at Nottingham Forest.

Irving Nattrass joined Middlesbrough for a whopping £375,000 in 1979 but his later career was blighted by injuries. Irving now lives in North Shields and has recently done a talk-in to raise funds for North Shields FC, alongside his old United pals Jinky Smith and Paul Cannell.

Alan Kennedy still does some punditry and media work in the North West. He’s also a matchday ambassador at Liverpool.

I bumped into Alan in Chester in the late 90s and we had a couple of pints in a pub called The Oaks. He was good cràic and we shared a few laughs.

John Beresford is an adopted Geordie who loves Newcastle United. You would find it hard to encounter someone with as much enthusiasm as John.

Barry Venison is now a successful businessman in America.

I bumped into Stevie Watson the other day. As I shook his hand I found it hard to believe that he is now 50 years old, having watched him play for Newcastle United as a 16 year old back in the day.

Since 2009, Robbie Elliot has worked for the American Football Federation as Youth Team National Fitness and Conditioning Coach (both male and female organisations).