Hughie Gallacher

Hugh Kilpatrick Gallacher (2 February 1903 – 11 June 1957) was a Scottish football player in the 1920s and 1930s. In 597 senior club games, Gallacher scored 419 goals, playing league football for Airdrieonians, Newcastle United, Chelsea, Derby County, Notts County, Grimsby Town and Gateshead. Prior to this he also played and scored for then non-league Queen of the South. James remains credited with the goal in some sources (including the Scottish Football Association website profiles as of 2021) while others such as the Scottish Football Hall of Fame include the contradictory statement that Gallacher's total was 23 goals but that he scored a record five in a match against Ireland. Gallacher was one of the Wembley Wizards who beat England 5–1 at Wembley Stadium in 1928. He began a long friendship with Alex James when both were students at Bellshill Academy.

His Irish father had moved to Scotland in search of work in the vast coal mining areas the country had to offer. He soon settled and married a local woman, raising a family with a strict Protestant upbringing. This didn't stop the diminutive Gallacher son from having Catholic friends.

He had been down the Hattonrig Pit at the age of 15, working 10-hour shifts. Aged 16, he left Lanarkshire junior league side Tannochside Athletic to join Hattonrigg Thistle. However fate played a part in his next move up the football ladder. As a spectator he attended to watch Bellshill Athletic (who had previously rejected Gallacher and James for being too small) playing St Mirren Juniors. Bellshill were a man short and Gallacher was asked to play. After hitting his side's goal in the 1–1 draw, he was asked to join the club. Gallacher hit the Glasgow equaliser with a fine header with two minutes remaining in the 1–1 draw. Among those at the game was James Jolly, secretary of Dumfries club Queen of the South. In 1925–26 Airdrie had their third straight second place league finish; Gallacher was credited with 35 goals.

Gallacher was only 5 ft 5 ins tall and was often on the receiving end of rough treatment. However, because he tended to seek his own retribution, he was often in trouble with the authorities. There was much speculation about a number of English clubs that were out to sign him. The Airdrie fans were incensed and threatened to burn the wooden stand down if he was sold. His last game for the club came on 5 December 1925 in a 2–1 defeat to Morton. In 129 games for Airdrie, he hit 100 goals. He scored 36 league goals in 38 appearances, still the highest number of league goals in one season by a Newcastle player.

Whilst at Newcastle United, he scored 143 league and cup goals in 174 appearances. His strike rate of over 82% is the most prolific in the club's history. Whilst at Gateshead, he recorded double figures for English league goals for the 14th successive season. He retired from football with the outbreak of World War II.

International career Gallacher represented Scotland 20 times, hitting 24 goals. Only two players, Denis Law and Kenny Dalglish with 30 each, have scored more goals for the full Scotland team than Gallacher, who averaged 1.2 goals per game from his 20 caps. By coincidence in February 1929 he scored a record five times for Scotland in the same city and with the same final scoreline during the 1928–29 British Home Championship (having also scored three against Wales four months earlier in the same competition.)

When the Scottish FA undertook a tour Canada & America in 1935, Gallacher scored ten times in six matches for an unofficial Scotland XI against club & representative sides.

Retirement and death Gallacher continued to live in Gateshead, trying a number of careers, one of them being a sports journalist, a role that led to him being banned from St James' Park for his outspoken remarks about Newcastle United. However, he continued to be a popular character on Tyneside. He turned out in charity matches even at the age of 52. With no savings from his footballing days, he took numerous unremarkable jobs, often menial, to earn a living to support his family. His second wife died in December 1950 from heart disease.

One evening in May 1957 Gallacher's son, Hughie Jr. (by his father's second marriage), said in a press interview, "Dad had been drinking that night when the trouble started. Up until then he had never laid a finger on Mat. But on this particular night Mat had ignored Dad and Dad had reacted. He had picked up an ashtray and threw it across the room, maybe in temper, but I'm sure only to frighten the lad. But it hit Mat on the side of the head and drew blood. Basically this had been a domestic situation that had got out of hand and it should have been left at that, but a neighbour who had come on the scene asked if she should get the police and, without thinking, I said yes. That was a stupid thing for me to do. If I'd only given myself a minute to think I wouldn't have said it. Yes, I was upset, but I obviously wasn't prepared for the consequences."

For weeks after the alleged assault, Gallacher began wandering the streets. Many people spoke to him including Newcastle players and staff offering support and assuring him that no one would believe the press and their scandalous statements. Many offered to speak on his behalf. On 22 February 2023, his grandson Andy Gallacher was present to unveil a further memorial plaque at Gateshead Redheugh F.C.; both tributes were organised by author and historian Kal Singh Dhindsa. Owing to his importance in the history of Newcastle United, it was suggested on Tyneside that a similar memorial could be erected at St James' Park.