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Magpies Greats Return To Honour Joe Harvey
Written by Newcastle Utd
A memorial to legendary former United captain and manager Joe Harvey was unveiled on Thursday at St. James' Park
Some of the greats of Newcastle United from the 1950s, 60s and 70s were back at St. James' Park on Thursday to unveil a permanent memorial to the man who led the club to FA Cup and Fairs Cup triumphs - legendary Magpies captain and manager Joe Harvey.
Harvey's son, Ken, Fairs Cup-winning captain Bob Moncur and Vic Keeble - the only surviving member of the 1955 cup-winning side of which Harvey was trainer -unveiled a huge 5ft x 3ft bronze plaque in his honour at the Gallowgate End of the ground, close to the statue of his former teammate, Jackie Milburn.
They were joined by Harvey's family and a host of famous ex-players including Wyn Davies, Frank Clark, Malcolm Macdonald, David Craig, Alan Foggon and Dave Hilley, as well the Fairs Club group which spearheaded the project with the support of fundraisers including Newcastle United, who made a significant donation and also paid for all installation costs.
As part of the ceremony, it was also announced that Joe Harvey has been inducted to the Newcastle United Foundation's Hall of Fame, joining revered Club figures including Hughie Gallacher, Jackie Milburn, Bob Moncur, Sir Bobby Robson, Peter Beardsley and Alan Shearer.
A trophy was presented by Bob Moncur to Ken Harvey to mark his father's induction.
Bill Gibbs, chairman of the Fairs Club, said: "We have had a long-standing ambition to see Joe Harvey rightfully remembered with a permanent memorial at St. James' Park and we are delighted to see it come to fruition with this plaque.
"We would like to thank everyone who has supported this project and Newcastle United, who have made a generous donation and paid for its installation. We are very proud to see it in its glory as a lasting reminder of Joe's immense contribution to the Club."
A half-back as a player, Harvey captained the Magpies to promotion from the second tier in 1948 and successive FA Cup victories at Wembley in 1951 and 1952, returning to Wembley as the team's trainer for the Club's third FA Cup success in five years in 1955.
He was appointed as Newcastle United manager in 1962 and after guiding the Club to the Second Division title and promotion in 1965, he led the team to the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup - the pre-cursor to the UEFA Cup (now the UEFA Europe League) - in 1969 courtesy of a 6-2 aggregate victory over Hungarian side Újpest Dózsa.
It remains Newcastle United's most recent piece of major silverware.
After leading the Magpies to another FA Cup Final in 1974, finishing as runners-up to Liverpool, Harvey remained as manager until the following season before loyally fulfilling a backroom role at St. James' Park. He passed away in Newcastle following a heart attack in February 1989.
