Happy Birthday David Kelly

[Nobby]

1965 David Kelly born, Birmingham.

(1991-93)

 

Republic of Ireland international striker Kelly was a popular figure on Tyneside, as the club was transformed during his three year stay.

 

Getting off on a good foot by turning down the Mackems to join us, Kelly proved to be an all-round good egg:

 

A personal Kelly Top 5:

 

5. Greeted like a returning hero as he took his place among the Toon fans at Coventry in our first Premiership away game - despite having been transferred by Newcastle just weeks before.

 

4. Celebrating with Toon fans on the touchline at Ayresome Park in a cup game - then pushing those fans back into the stand to keep them from the clutches of the rapidly-approaching Cleveland Constabulary.

 

3. Three first half goals (and a song, "David, David Kelly - scored a hat trick on the telly...") on what proved to be his final NUFC appearance - against former club Leicester.

 

That in itself made the moment extra sweet for Kelly - having been forced to seek shelter in the away section at Filbert Street 12 months previously after City fans invaded the pitch and tried to set about him at the end of our game.

 

2. Applauded on to the field when appearing as sub at Newcastle in 1997  - despite wearing the red and white shirt of you know who.....

 

1. There really can be only one winner:  to anyone who didn't guess this, you either weren't born, were being held hostage somewhere or are a bona-fide JCL.

 

April 25th 1992 and we were all aboard the Oblivion Express, heading for Division Three at full speed.

 

Portsmouth were the visitors to St.James' in a game of colossal importance. 0-0 going into the dying minutes, Kelly took Quinn's knockdown to bury the ball into the Gallowgate goal. Cue absolute bedlam.

 

We won 1-0, went on to win at Leicester the next week and avoided the drop. A year later we were en route to the Premiership - but without Kelly, sold on to Wolves by Keegan, who believed he wasn't Premiership class.

 

He may have been right - but at the time we needed him he'd been there, scoring goals that were crucial to the very survival of the club.

 

Whether Kelly left Tyneside whispering the words "my work here is done" isn't recorded, but in the weird world of NUFC.com we'd have a statue in his memory outside SJP.   

 

Appearing for Alvechurch, Walsall, West Ham, Leicester, Newcastle, Wolves, mackems, Tranmere, Derry City, Sheffield United, Motherwell and Mansfield, "Ned" is now assistant boss of Preston.

 

http://www.nufc.com/2004-05images/kelly-nufc.jpg

 

www.nufc.com

 

 

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my all-time favourite player

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Kelly_%28footballer%29

http://www.newcastle-online.com/nufcdownloads/wallpaper/davidkelly_800_600.jpg

http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football-heroes/displayhero_club.asp?HeroID=8406

[Big Geordie]

Happy Birthday Ned.

 

That Portsmouth goal will live long in my memory.

[Keefaz]

[Nobby]

http://editorial.jpress.co.uk/web/Upload/PRES/5720065nedkelly.JPG

[Guest Geordiesned]

Ned Kelly was pure class - up there with my favourite ever players.

 

Name the commentary (TV highlights);

 

"...they're on the pitch from every quarter .....they'll have to get off!"

[Guest BooBoo]

Grimsby away what a glorious night ?

 

[Guest Geordiesned]

Grimsby away what a glorious night ?

 

 

Correct! It was an absolutely mint night!

[merlin]

In so many ways, Ned summed-up the whole spirit of the club when Keegan took over - his 110% effort, even when not at his best, his relationship with the fans, his crucial goals, not just against Pompey but all through the promotion season and the fairy-tale end to his NUFC career make him a legend for modern supporters.

SJH personally thanked him for his efforts for the club and told him he would always be welcome at SJP.

He received a special pen , engraved with his time of service and with the club's crest on it - something which previously had only been given to the likes of Albert Stubbins, Bobby Cowell etc and they had been great players..

Wish Ned every success in the future - he was crucial in the making of NUFC's Premiership tenure.

[Guest Pugwash]

Aye, all the best, Ned, and many more of them.

 

He ranks up there among the best in my eyes; as well as some of the more obvious reasons, I'll always remember him for his performance against Derby away when we went down to eight men.

 

The man is a class act.