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Jackie Milburn (1924 - 1988)
| Category: | Male Player |
| Year Inducted: | 2006 |
Profile by Robert Galvin, the author of Football's Greatest Heroes, the official book of the National Football Museum Hall of Fame:
Jackie Milburn has been idolised by generations of Geordies on the strength of his goalscoring exploits in the black and white of Newcastle United.
The name of Milburn is now synonymous with the city; United were the only English club he played for, and his tally of 177 goals in League football is a club-record that stands to this day.
In his heyday, Milburn inspired United to three FA Cup Final wins in the space of five seasons during the club's golden era in the 1950s.
More than five decades on, there are two statues standing in his honour: one in Newcastle, the other in nearby Ashington, his birthplace, in 1924.
Over the years, the number nine shirt has assumed a special importance to fans at St James' Park, with Milburn building on the legacy of Hughie Gallacher, the Scotland international and great terrace hero of the inter-war period. Importantly, ‘Wor Jackie' was one of them: a local, working-class lad who came up from the mines to play for his beloved United, the team he supported as a boy. Playing for his school team, Milburn always followed the advice of Jack Denton, his school headmaster: ‘Toe down, heel up, and you'll score.'
Other stories surrounding Milburn are now part of Geordie folklore, passed down from father to son: how he turned up for a trial carrying borrowed boots in a paper bag; how he scoffed a meat pie before every home game; and how, in his early days as a Newcastle player, he travelled to homes games on the bus, surrounded by supporters, after finishing an overnight shift at the pit.
In the late 1940s, a young Bobby Charlton was one of the multitude on the terraces who watched Milburn help Newcastle win promotion. ‘He used to remind me of a wave breaking,' Charlton recalled. ‘He would just surge past defenders with his incredible pace. Everybody loved watching him.'
A lightning-quick raider, the former professional sprinter scored 10 goals in 13 appearances for England. His team-mate, Tom Finney, said that Milburn was hampered by a mystifying lack of confidence. ‘He simply didn't realise just how good he was,' Finney once said.
That self-doubt surfaced again decades later, when, characteristically, Milburn worried that no-one would turn up for his testimonial, in 1967. On the day, 45,404 people turned up.
Many of them would also have present at Wembley when Newcastle lifted the FA Cup – in 1951, 1952 and 1955.
In 1951, Milburn scored both goals in the 2-0 defeat of Blackpool, including a spectacular shot from range that flew into the corner; later, in celebration of victory, Milburn famously dived headfirst into the communal bath in full kit, boots and all.
A year later, Milburn and Newcastle were back at Wembley again, with Prime Minister Winston Churchill as guest of honour. During the presentations, Britain's wartime leader, spoke to Milburn: ‘Are you going to grab the headlines again this year, Jackie?' Though he failed to find the net this time, his tireless work and clever play in attack helped Newcastle beat Arsenal 1-0.
Three decades later, on the day of his funeral, in 1988, the people of Newcastle lined the streets in their thousands in tribute. As a lasting memorial, the club named the new West Stand after their famous number nine. ‘The name of Jackie Milburn and the stories surrounding him are passed on, generation to generation, by Newcastle fans,' Sir Bobby Robson once said. ‘Now for that to happen says something very special about him as a footballer.'