Open Writing

Like all National Servicemen I tried to get home as often as possible, but this wasn't easy. Getting an Official Pass was the first essential, but that was only the start: then a long walk from the Camp to the local crossroads; then a bus to Wolverhampton; a train to Birmingham, another to Newcastle yet another to South Shields and finally a local bus home. This was to be repeated on the way back. Travelling took a lot out of the weekend. However a solution was in sight.

When in Camp I worked in the Central Registry with a colleague named Reg from Cannock Chase. He told me of a mate of his at RAF Acklington in Northumberland who was looking for an exchange posting to the Midlands. Was I interested? I was more than interested and the RAF soon approved our exchange. I soon found myself at the former fighter station midway between Alnwick and Ashington. It was now a bomber station and housed the Vulcan bomber, a very noisy aircraft. Ask anyone who lived in Broomhill Road!

In my new RAF location I could now get to St. James' Park two evenings a week for training, followed by a short journey to Shields for some home cooking. Going home meant leaving very early the next morning to get the 6am 'milk train' from Newcastle. Sometimes I shared the journey with fellow National Serviceman Jack Finch, a Stanhope Road lad who remembered me from my Mortimer Road days.

Moving back to the North East certainly helped my football career, as possibly did the appointment of new manager Charlie Mitten, at Newcastle during the close season. He was a controversial manager, and introduced a new strip which many of the fans and players didn't like.

I started the 1958/9 season with three consecutive games at centre half for the first team, then another one in November before a game at left half. The same pattern repeated itself in the New Year with six games at centre half before one at left half. United's new utility player then finished the season with two games at outside left and two at left back. Has any other United player occupied four different positions in sixteen appearances?

In January 1959 I had Newcastle United and the RAF arguing over my availability. Obviously the RAF had first call but the Magpies requested my release to play left half in an FA cup tie against Chelsea at St. James' Park. My release was granted but then the game was postponed due to snow and Jimmy Scoular was fit for the rearranged game.

One player the team really admired at this time was Peter Brabrook of Chelsea. Talking to us the previous season he asked, "Had we seen a Chelsea teenager named Jimmy Greaves?" We replied "we hadn't", that was until the rearranged game against Chelsea. Watching in the stands, with Bobby Ferguson, another reserve, we saw Jimmy Greaves take United apart and score a hat-trick in the first twenty minutes. The 57,000 crowd was silent. Bobby and I looked at each other in amazement, obviously relieved we weren't playing that day.

My route to the outside left position was an unusual one and when I got there it caused quite a stir in the Press. In a friendly game against Liverpool — arranged because both teams were out of the FA Cup -I was selected to play at inside left. However, George Eastman, selected at outside left, and I changed positions once the game started. We drew two each and my display caused mini-raptures in the Press. "Smashing Scott"; "Scott should be given extended run" and "Scott is find of season" were typical headlines. Alex Hope in the Evening Chronicle in more detail
wrote:
"Scott was a revelation at outside left and a shining star of the game. He completelycaptivated the crowd at Liverpool with a skilful display of soccer on the wing".

The Club's chairman, Ald. W McKeag, even remarked "Scott's form on the left wing was a revelation". Praise indeed. Nevertheless for the next game at Manchester United - (and what a game that was). I was back at centre half.

The following Saturday was my first return to Old Trafford since my debut in January 1957. The tragic Munich Air disaster had reshaped the Manchester team, which now included Bobby Charlton. In front of the 48,500 spectators we were 4-1 down after 35 minutes and memories of our 6-1 thrashing two years ago were recalled. I don't know what manager Charlie Mitten put in our tea at half time but we came out in the second half and produced one of the greatest fight backs in the history of the Club. Our inside trio of Eastman, White and Allchurch were magnificent and gave the "Busby Babes" the shock of their lives. The game finished four goals each and I believe, given another ten minutes, we would have won. Alex Hope, reporting on the game, concluded "The dual will long live in the memory of those who were privileged to see it".

I had to wait until near the end of the season to get a game at outside left for the first team and apparently I didn't repeat my Liverpool form because after two games, 'play anywhere Scott' was moved to left back to replace the injured Alf McMichael.

At the end of the season, Jimmy Scoular in his column in the local paper wrote "In Malcolm Scott Newcastle have a player of untold value for he is a 'natural' and can play in any position", and I was still only a part time professional completing National Service.

Irrespective of what position or whether I played for the first XI or the reserves, I was paid £6 per game. That was the maximum professional footballers were allowed to be paid whilst completing their National Service, (that was unless you lived in Scotland when, much to our annoyance, it was £20 per week). It doesn't seem much, but it was a luxury compared to the pittance we got paid for serving the Queen in England.