Jim's column 16.3.2019

Graham Newton

22.12.1942 – 25.2.2019

It is sad to report the death of former Coventry City and Walsall player Graham Newton at the age of 76. He played a very small but important part in City's history, playing just eight games that helped the club over the line to the 1963-64 Third Division championship.

At the start of January 1964 City had an eight point lead at the top of the table and looked odds-on favourites for promotion. They had lost only three league games out of 27 and had no FA Cup commitments to hinder their charge to promotion. Then, inexplicably, the wheels fell off and they failed to win any of their next 11 games before finally getting back to winning ways on the last Saturday in March. Lots of theories were put forward for the slump – City had been rumbled by their opponents, the injured pair George Hudson and Ernie Machin were missed, the heavy pitches were blamed – and Jimmy Hill, under pressure for the first time as a manager, tried everything to turn the off-course ship back on course including considering a hypnotist to work on the players. JH wanted to strengthen the squad and bring some new blood in and in February he paid Walsall a small fee for their young inside forward Graham Newton, later spending over £20,000 on the more experienced pair of George Kirby and John Smith. Newton had impressed Hill playing for the Saddlers at Highfield Road in December.

                              1964 promotion team with Newton second from left in middle row.                                    

21-year-old Graham made his debut in a 2-2 home draw with Brentford and Nemo in the Coventry Telegraph described him as 'without question City's most persistent forward, and deserved a goal for his dogged work'. He was involved in the first goal, pressurising Brentford's Matt Crowe to deflect Ronnie Farmer's shot past his own keeper. A week later Graham netted his first City goal in a 1-1 draw at Wrexham as City's lead was cut down to one point and followed up with another goal a week later in a 2-2 home draw with Bournemouth as City put on their best performance since the New Year with 35 shots on goal. After another draw, the fourth in a row, 1-1 at Watford, City got the shock of their lives when Southend came to Highfield Road on Friday 13th March and ran out 5-2 victors despite the return of the talismanic George Hudson. With City knocked off top spot, Hill acted speedily and signed Kirby and Smith, and Graham was left out the following week but returned for the Oldham home game when the Sky Blues suddenly recovered form. George Kirby netted a hat-trick and Graham scored the other in a relief-inducing 4-1 win.

He appeared in two further games as City staggered to the end of the season before taking advantage of their rivals Crystal Palace and Watford losing on the final day, and beat Colchester 1-0 in front of 36,901, and clinched the title. Hudson was back from injury for the Colchester game and Graham watched from the sidelines as George scored the only goal.

The following season with Machin fit, Graham failed to break into the first team and made one appearance in a 4-1 League Cup win over Ipswich. In December 1964 he joined Third Division Bournemouth.

Graham was born in Bilston in the Black Country and kept his trademark accent throughout his life. He was on Wolves' books as a teenager but was released in 1961 and was on Blackpool's books for a few months, playing in their Central League side. A move back to the Midlands and Walsall in 1962 was perfect and he broke into the Saddlers first team a month before his 20th birthday. Walsall were struggling in Division Two and league leaders Chelsea thumped them 5-1 to ruin Graham's big day. He kept his place for one more game but was then out of the team until Easter Monday by which time Walsall were rock bottom. His re-appearance sparked a mini revival as the Saddlers lost only two of nine games with Graham netting six goals. On the morning of the final game, at home to Charlton, they needed a single point to stay up and send Charlton and Luton down. It was a disastrous day with Graham playing on after breaking his ankle and goalkeeper Alan Boswell also injured and a 16,000 crowd watched Charlton win 2-1 and send the Saddlers down.

After leaving Highfield Road Graham had three seasons at Bournemouth making 30 odd appearances before taking up an offer to play in the USA with Atlanta Chiefs. One of the pioneers of US Soccer, Phil Woosnam, signed Graham and in the 1967 season he netted eight goals in 15 games. In 1968 playing alongside former British stars such as Peter McParland and Ray Bloomfield he netted 10 goals as Atlanta won the League title. Apart from a brief sojourn at Port Vale in 1968-69, Graham stayed in the states and in 1970 was a member of the Atlanta team that played the touring Coventry City side, the Sky Blues winning 2-1. He always talked about his time in the US and the great lifestyle he and his wife enjoyed.

In the early 1970s Graham was still playing non-league football in the West Midlands at clubs such as Hednesford, Worcester City and Stourbridge. He later returned to the USA, running very successful soccer schools.

In retirement he played golf enthusiastically and was captain at Patshull Park, his local golf club. I played with him on a number of occasions and he was great company as well as being very positive about life in general. He was a tireless fund raiser for the Teenage Cancer Trust, was a regular attendee at Former Players events at both Coventry and Walsall and was at the Jimmy Hill Celebration day at the Ricoh in December. He died whilst on holiday in Spain.

It was also sad to hear last week of the death of former Coventry City director Micky French at the age of 89. Micky was one of a rare breed to play for the club and join the board – he represented City Reserves as an amateur in the early 1950s (he was a nippy winger) before combining an accountancy career with turning out for Lockheed Leamington. A keen cricketer, he was brought on to the board by Derrick Robins in 1969 and was a director up until 1992 serving under various chairmen, including Peter Robins, Phil Mead and John Poynton. Poynton, City's chairman at the time of the 1987 FA Cup triumph described him as a hard-working director of the club and a massive City fan. 'He always had the club's interests in everything he did as a director and wholeheartedly supported me at all times'.

                                 City's directors in 1987 with French standing third from left.