Fulham and Luton meet in the Championship this weekend and each team will be hoping that their forwards can emulate the prowess of Malcolm Macdonald, an old boy of both clubs.
He started out as a full-back at Fulham in the late 60s, but a switch to centre-forward was the catalyst for a fine career. However, with Fulham being relegated to the Third Division in 1969, Macdonald was sold to Luton, where he blossomed to such an extent that the Fulham Chronicle newspaper sighed that there “must be no more blunders” like that in its Boxing Day edition of 1969. Naturally, Macdonald had scored the winner when Luton met Fulham earlier in the season. He went on to score something like 58 goals in 101 appearances for the Hatters, attracting the attention of the big clubs. Bill Nicholson of Spurs was rumoured to be interested; if Macdonald had gone to Spurs, it would have been his third club in a row that played in white shirts and black shorts. You sometimes find players who seem to end up at clubs with similar kits: James Beattie, for instance, played in red and white stripes for Southampton, Stoke and Sheffield United. He also played for Everton and Rangers (I think), which disrupts the example, although Everton and Rangers both play in blue shirts and white shorts.
Anyway, Macdonald did stick with the black and white colours, albeit in striped form, heading north (in a chauffeur-driven Rolls no less) to sign for Newcastle. It was here that he would enter the realms of legend, earning the Supermac nickname and becoming the idol of St James’ Park. He finished his Luton career in some style, with a hat-trick – a feat he repeated on his debut for Newcastle. Not bad that.
By 1980, Macdonald was back at Fulham as Commercial Manager, very successfully, and involved in the introduction of professional Rugby League to London as Fulham set up a team to take on the likes of Wigan and St Helens.
On the football side, the Cottagers were looking for a new team manager by November 1980 and, although chairman Ernie Clay said Macdonald would be “crazy” to go for it, go for it he did – and he got it.
The Sunday People sent reporter Brian Madley to see how things were going in the early days. Macdonald was extremely positive and passionate that Fulham would play attractive, attacking football. Sat in the dug-out at Layer Road, with his new team 2-1 down to Colchester and having just missed a sitter (must have hurt a great striker to see that), Macdonald reflected: “I’m sitting in the middle of Essex in the rain. My feet are in a puddle… Ernie Clay was right. I must be bloody barmy!” Fulham went down 3-2 eventually, but Macdonald remained upbeat, believing in his style of play and his team. He told Madley, “I’m tired, I’m cold, I’m wet, but I’ve never enjoyed one week so much in all my life.”
Macdonald led Fulham to promotion from Division Three and to the crest of promotion to Division One. In the 1982-83 season they were neck and neck with Leicester for the third and final promotion slot from Division Two, when a last day defeat under hugely controversial circumstances at Derby County, scuppered their hopes. Fans had been allowed to throng virtually on the touchline and one Fulham player was actually kicked by a member of the crowd. The referee ended the game 78 seconds before the full 90 minutes, with Derby winning 1-0. Fulham appealed, but the result stood.
While Fulham were enduring an afternoon of tension and bitter disappointment, Luton were avoiding relegation from the First with a dramatic 1-0 win over Manchester City – who were thus relegated themselves. Consequently, Macdonald was denied the chance to lead Fulham in the top flight against the club where his goalscoring brilliance was first really noticed.
SteveTLooksBack 