1884 Bill McCracken born, Belfast.
(1904-23)

Northern Ireland international right back signed from Belfast side Distillery for £50 during August 1904.

Debuting in a 3-0 home victory over Arsenal a month later, Bill would go on to become a major figure in the club's history during a record 19 years of service.

Winning Division One titles in 1905, 1907 & 1909 and an FA Cup winner's medal in 1910 (plus runners-up spots in 1908 and 1911). 

December 1910 saw him appear alongside Frank Hudspeth for the first time as Bradford City were dispatched 6-1 at Gallowgate.

The pair jointly developed an offside trap of such efficiency that a rule change followed in 1925 to reduce the number of stoppages.

Those spoiling tactics didn't endear the duo to supporters who often barracked them, causing him to comment in 1911 that:

"If they knew more about football than we do, there would be 50,000 players and 22 spectators."

With regard to the rule change, Bill went on the record some years later to say:

"People say it was because of me that the rules were changed, but actually I was quite a vociferous full-back so that I was able to push my team up to the halfway line.

"Consequently, when the other team attacked more often than not they were offside. I was an overlapping wing-back before the term was invented."

Playing his final game for United away to Cardiff in February 1923, McCracken left shortly afterwards and was appointed manager of Second Division Hull City.

Serving the Tigers for eight years during which he led them to an FA Cup Semi-Final and relegation in 1930, he stood down and had later spells in charge of Gateshead, Millwall and Aldershot.

Living in the London suburb of Catford following his retirement, Bill acted as United's scout in the South East.

Recommending the signing of Tommy Casey from Bournemouth and Vic Keeble from Colchester United, McCracken later scouted for Watford - reputedly recommending a goalkeeper by the name of Pat Jennings. 

Bill passed away in Hull's Kingston General Hospital during January 1979 - nine days short of his 96th birthday.

2008 saw him drop from fourth to fifth in  United's all-time record appearances list, Shay Given surpassing him to join Frank Clark, Hudspeth and Jimmy Lawrence. 

First capped by Ireland in 1902, Bill's international career was halted after a dispute over match fees and he wasn't considered for selection for over 12 years before the Irish FA relented in 1920.

He'd go on to gain six more caps, boosting his total to 16 before bowing out after facing Scotland in March 1923 - aged 39.

1917 Jimmy Woodburn born, Rutherglen, Scotland. (1935-48)

Left half signed from Lanarkshire non-league side Coltness United, who debuted in a 0-1 loss at Coventry City in October 1938. 

Appearing for Newcastle in the opening weeks of the abortive 1939/40 season, he also represented the club in war time games and kept goal in a friendly match against  Falkirk in January 1940.

Joining the Cameronian Scottish Rifles (and seeing active service in France), Jimmy represented Scotland against England in an Army services match and also guested for both Hibernian and Aberdeen.

Remaining part of the SJP playing staff when post-war league fixtures restarted, he scored twice during the club's 1947/48 promotion campaign, before moving on to Gateshead as a player/coach.

Making over 100 appearances for the Tynesiders, Jimmy also turned out for Consett in local football. He died in 1978.

1963 Tommy Gaynor born, Limerick, Ireland. (1990)

Loaned to United by Nottingham Forest, Tommy appeared in a quartet of bizarrely memorable games when Mark McGhee was injured, but wasn't retained.

Gaynor's debut proved to be his only outing at SJP as Mick Quinn's penalty gave us a 1-0 victory over Watford in November 1990.

The following week then saw an amazing game at Filbert Street as Quinn grabbed a hat trick but didn't leave with the match ball - a certain David Kelly's treble helping the Foxes to a 5-4 victory.

A simply dreadful away game at Plymouth Argyle then followed - Gavin Peacock's late winner delighting those who made the long journey for a Sunday lunchtime start.

Gaynor's final game though was probably his personal highlight, scoring in front of the away contingent at Bath's Twerton Park ground in a 1-1 draw with Bristol Rovers.

He returned to the City Ground and within six months had added an FA Cup loser's medal to a 1989 League Cup winner's gong. 

Our Trent correspondent also supplies a fine anecdote about Gaynor and fellow future Magpie Stuart Pearce having a sparring match separated by Brian Clough - the pair falling out over complimentary tickets....
 
His career had begun with Limerick City and Shamrock Rovers before a move to England with Doncaster Rovers in 1986. 

After being discarded by Forest in 1992 Tommy joined Millwall briefly, returning to Ireland and appearing for Cork City, Kilkenny, Athlone and St.Patricks Athletic.

Working in the sportswear department of Galvins Menswear in Nenagh, County Tipperary, Tommy coached youngsters at Waterford-based side, Bohemians.

1969 Chris Hutchinson born, Jarrow
(1983-88)

Signing schoolboy forms at United, Chris made it through the juniors to the reserve side but was released after twice breaking bones in his foot. 

Dropping into non-league circles with Newcastle Blue Star, North Shields and Whitley Bay, a string of knee operations and surgery on a shoulder problem led to Chris calling it a day - bowing out after appearing for the Crown & Anchor in his home town. 

Moving into coaching, Hutchinson worked in South, Central and North America before returning to the region.

Appointed Head Coach of the Whitley Bay Academy in 2011, Chris also worked for South Tyneside Council and as football development officer for Durham County FA. He later returned to Newcastle as a part-time Academy scout.

1980 Peter Lovenkrands born, Hørsholm, Denmark (2009, 2009-12)

Almost a decade after losing out to Glasgow Rangers when AB Copenhagen sold their prize asset in 2000, Newcastle belatedly got their man in January 2009.

Lovenkrands was out of contract and "signed on a free from Germany" as the chant had it, negotiating his departure from an injury-hit spell in the Bundesliga with Schalke 04.

Peter made his debut in a 2-1 defeat at Manchester City in January 2009 and his first Newcastle goal came shortly after, in a 3-2 success at West Bromwich Albion.

Going on to score twice more in our ultimately fruitless bid to avoid relegation, Peter then departed from SJP after failing to agree a new deal spending the pre-season training at Rangers and Birmingham City.

However, he rejoined in September 2009, signing a three-year deal and making his second debut in the win at Cardiff City.

Appearing mainly as a forward for United (although he has featured on the left wing) he hit a "perfect" hat trick in an FA Cup tie against Plymouth Argyle in January 2010.

However, his father Bent passed away soon after, with the player admitting that his father's worsening condition had affected his form during the second spell at SJP

Returning from Denmark in order to play in a home game against promotion rivals West Bromwich Albion, an emotional Lovenkrands duly scored in a 2-2 draw, raising a finger and looked to the skies in tribute. He later dedicated the goal to his late father.

Peter finished the season with 13 league goals to add to his FA Cup hat-trick and although becoming an irregular starter, he weighed in with six Premier League goals and another four in the League Cup.

His last appearance came in the Tyne-wear derby draw at St. James' in March 2012, arriving as a substitute just before Shola Ameobi's added time leveller.

Released soon after, a two-year deal took him to Championship side Birmingham City. 

Managed by ex-Magpie Lee Clark and in the same squad as SJP old boys Stephen Carr, Steve Caldwell and Darren Ambrose, Peter marked his Blues bow by scoring in a 4-1 League Cup victory over Barnet.

Released by Birmingham at the end of the 2013/14 season, Lovenkrands confirmed his retirement that November.

A media pundit and newspaper columnist, Peter also coached youngsters at Rangers for a time, returning to Denmark to coach Aalborg U19s during October 2023.

Exiting in 2024, he resumed media work.