1885 James Kirkcaldy born, Newcastle.
(1904-07)

Left half who joined United in November 1904 from local football, having featured for both Westwood and Northern Temperance.

Debuting for the first team in a 3-1 home win over Aston Villa in March 1906, his only goal came in a 5-1 defeat of Sheffield Wednesday at SJP six months later.

Suffering a knee injury, James returned to local football at the end of the 1906/07 season, joining Scottish side Kilmarnock on a month's trial the following November.

A return to senior football came in April 1909 with Huddersfield Town before a brief spell with Kilmarnock.

By 1910 Kirkcaldy was back on Tyneside with amateur side Benwell Adelaide, before injury forced him into retirement a year later.

His death was recorded during 1913. 

1929 Death of Albert Shepherd, 44.
(1908-14)

The former Magpie was found dead at The Crown and Cushion Hotel in his home town of Bolton, where he was the landlord. He had been suffering from an illness. 

Albert was laid to rest at Christ Church in Walmsley, members of the Bolton Wanderers squad acting as pall bearers. Newcastle United were also represented. 

1946 Roger Jones born, Upton, Hampshire. (1976-77)

Goalkeeper who began his playing career as an apprentice with Portsmouth, although he failed to make a senior team appearance for them before joining Bournemouth in 1965.

After five years at Dean Court that saw him win one England U23 cap, Roger signed for Blackburn Rovers in 1970.

Following Lee to SJP in March 1976, Jones took over from Eddie Edgar after his one and only first team outing - both men acting as understudies to the injured Mick Mahoney.

Five outings that season saw Jones keep two clean sheets and finish on the winning side twice. Failing to get back into the side the following season, Jones injured his knee playing for the reserves in November 1976.  

Gordon Lee acted to bring in goalkeeping cover for Mahoney in the shape of Steve Hardwick from Chesterfield. Jones was then handed a free transfer and became a Stoke City player during February 1977.

That angered former club Blackburn, who claimed that United avoided fielding Jones in order to evade making appearance- related transfer payments due to them.

However their arguments cut little ice with the Football League, whose President was Newcastle Chairman, Lord Westwood.

Later playing for Derby County, Birmingham City (on loan) and York City, Roger finally hung up his gloves in 1984, having played almost 700 senior games in his career,

Remaining at Bootham Crescent as a coach, Roger followed Minstermen Manager Denis Smith to Roker Park, ultimately serving as assistant boss to the mackems.

Later reports had Jones working as a painter & decorator in Keele, before becoming kitman at Swindon Town in 2000, after accepting a job offer from former mackem coaching colleague Malcolm Crosby.

1979 Aaron Hughes born, Magherafelt, Northern Ireland. (1997-2005)

Popular defender who came through the junior and reserve ranks at SJP to make a senior team debut away to Barcelona in the Champions League back in November 1997.

However he almost became a Manchester United player, playing for Portadown Boys from the age of 12 and attending the Red Devils Belfast School of Excellence.

That association ended when Hughes was selected for the Boys Brigade side for the annual Milk Cup and played against his Newcastle counterparts - doing enough to win a trial at St.James' Park.

Spending the final year of his schooling travelling to Tyneside every weekend to appear for United's junior sides, Hughes became a regular first team substitute following his Nou Camp baptism.

However it took until Sir Bobby Robson's arrival in September 1999 for Aaron to become a regular starter - after the new manager had questioned his appetite and revealed that he had an option to sign Blackburn Rovers defender Colin Hendry.

Hughes convinced Robson to let him start alongside Alain Goma in the home game against Sheffield Wednesday - and within 11 minutes had scored his first senior goal.

United went on to win 8-0 and Hughes became a permanent fixture, looking set to become another of United's long serving Northern Irishmen like Willie McFaul, Alf McMichael and David Craig. 

However, manager Graeme Souness had different ideas and sold him to Aston Villa for a paltry £1m late in the 2004/05 season.

Falling victim to the squad rebuilding plans of Martin O'Neill, Hughes moved again in 2007 for £1m again, donning his familiar number 18 shirt for Fulham.

Making over 200 appearances for the Cottagers, Aaron lost his place in the side and played his final game in January 2014, moving on loan to QPR days later.

And along with fellow Toon old boys Danny Simpson and Joe Barton, Hughes helped the R's gain promotion back to the Premier League - although he wasn't involved in the playoff final win over Derby at Wembley.

With no contract offer forthcoming at QPR and his deal up at Fulham, Hughes became a free agent in July 2014 and soon agreed a contract at Championship side Brighton.

After a season at the Seagulls, he was then tempted by a one year contract offer from Australian A-League side Melbourne City.

And another exotic playing destination was confirmed in July 2016, Indian Premier League side Kerala Blasters taking Aaron as their latest Marquee signing.

By the following January he was back in the UK, agreeing a deal with Scottish Premiership side Heart of Midlothian, playing 42 league and cup games - the last of which came against Celtic in May 2019.

Aaron finally retired in June 2019, having never been sent off in 455 Premier League games - the second most behind Ryan Giggs.

He was awarded the MBE in the New Year Honours List 2020 for services to football and served as Elite Football Development Consultant for the Irish FA.

November 2022 then saw him promoted to the role of IFA Technical Director.

Full international honours first came his way in March 1998 - he'd been in Portugal with the senior squad to learn the ropes a month before his full Magpies debut. 

First named captain of his country in 2002, Hughes retired in June 2018 with 112 caps - a groin injury ending hopes of bowing out against Italy in Belfast. 

43 of those came as a Magpie, but it took until August 2011 for him to break his duck, scoring against the Faroes at Windsor Park.

The arrival of ex-Magpie Michael O'Neill as Northern Ireland boss tempted Aaron out of retirement and he passed the century mark ahead of the Euro 2016 finals - second only to Pat Jennings in the NI all-time list. 

Former NI boss Bryan Hamilton once aptly described Hughes as:

"A quiet professional who goes about his job with the minimum of fuss, but also does it to a very high standard."

1983 Mike Williamson born, Stoke-on-Trent. (2010-16)

Arriving initially on loan from Portsmouth in January 2010, central defender Williamson was thrown straight into the Newcastle first team, replacing the injured Steven Taylor in a home victory over Crystal Palace. 

A permanent deal was then quickly tied up for the player, who went on to make 16 appearances as the Magpies clinched the Championship title - finishing on the losing side just once (away at Derby County).

Beginning his career at Torquay United in 2001, Williamson joined Southampton but was loaned back to the Gulls when unable to break into the Saints side.

A further loan spell at Doncaster Rovers in 2004 also saw him fail to make a single appearance, before joining Wycombe Wanderers in a further loan deal.

After becoming a regular at Adams Park in 2004/05, Mike signed permanently for Wycombe on a free transfer, remaining there until joining Watford in January 2009.

Unhappy at the Hornets, Williamson submitted a transfer request - having already scored twice in the opening weeks of the 2009/10 season - and was soon linked with a move to Newcastle.

He chose Pompey instead, making the switch in the final hours of the August 2009 transfer window for an initial £2m. However, he was never to play a first team game in five months at Fratton Park.

Having helped United return to the top flight at the first time of asking, Mike agreed a new extended contract in December 2010 - just days before Chris Hughton was ousted.

At the time Williamson had just served a suspension for a red card in a defeat at Bolton, Steven Taylor returning from injury to partner Fabricio Coloccini.

A hamstring strain suffered by Taylor in January 2011 then saw Williamson get back in - until breaking his arm in a freak training ground incident that ended his season three games early.

Missing out on United's pre-season tour of the USA, Mike joined the reserves in Holland instead - leaving him a shorter distance from his heavily pregnant wife on Tyneside.

However, his first team pitch time proved to be brief - a five minute cameo in the win on wearside followed by a start in the League Cup win at Scunthorpe United that ended at half time after he picked up an ankle injury.

A bad Achilles injury to Steven Taylor meant that Williamson returned to the first team fold in the 2011/12 season, with similar absences for Fabricio Coloccini and Taylor again earning recalls in the following two campaigns.

2014/15 began with him partnering Colo (rival Mapou Yanga Mbiwa having departed on loan to AS Roma), only for injury to rule Williamson out and Taylor return as the side enjoyed a run of wins.

But another injury for Taylor saw Williamson restored to the side and become a regular under caretaker boss, John Carver.

But as things started to unravel for the relegation-threatened team they did so for him - a red card at Leicester for a second bookable offence seeing Carver publicly claim Mike did it deliberately.

Williamson made an equally public denial and returned to the side for the crucial final game of the season, beating West Ham 2-0 at SJP to stay in the top flight.

Failing to make a PL appearance under Steve McClaren, he did play twice in the League Cup and scored against Northampton Town.

Loaned to Championship side Wolves in October 2015, Mike played five games and agreed an extension - only to be recalled to Gallowgate that December.

Quickly reported as being unavailable due to injury, he signed an 18 month deal at Wolves during January 2016 but fitness issues delayed his comeback for a year.

Six appearances - and a red card - followed before his release in summer 2017, joining League One Oxford United on a one year deal after a successful trial.

In August 2018 Mike signed a one-year contract with Gateshead and after they suffered relegation and financial chaos, became player-manager in June 2019.

Williamson steered the Tynesiders back to the National League in May 2022 and then to Wembley for the FA Trophy final in May 2023, losing 0-1 to Halifax.

Leaving Gateshead that October to take charge of League Two side MK Dons, he unexpectedly exited in September 2024 to become manager of League Two Carlisle United.

After just five wins from 25 games Williamson was sacked the following February and was then appointed as first team coach by Russell Martin at Rangers. They lasted barely three months before being dumped in October 2025.

1990 Matthew Grieve born, Ashington. (2007-11)