# 1990–91 Newcastle United F.C. season

During the 1990–91 season, Newcastle United participated in the Football League Second Division.

## Season Synopsis

After the disappointment of the previous season to gain promotion at the first attempt, the Magpies started the new season slowly. Injuries to key players Mark McGhee and John Gallagher did little to help manager Jim Smith's cause and, after a tussle with the board, Smith left the club in early 1991, branding the club 'unmanageable'. He was replaced as manager by the former Tottenham Hotspur and Argentina player, Ossie Ardiles. With the change of manager came a change of style, with a passing game where the ball rarely left the ground replacing the more direct style. It also marked the appearance of several promising youngsters, including Steve Watson, Alan Thompson and Robbie Elliott, alongside the more established youngsters, Lee Clark and Steve Howey. However, the gap between Newcastle and the top teams was too much to be breached and the team finished in mid-table.

## League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 9 | Bristol City | 46 | 20 | 7 | 19 | 68 | 71 | −3 | 67 |
| 10 | Oxford United | 46 | 14 | 19 | 13 | 69 | 66 | +3 | 61 |
| 11 | Newcastle United | 46 | 14 | 17 | 15 | 49 | 56 | −7 | 59 |
| 12 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 46 | 13 | 19 | 14 | 63 | 63 | 0 | 58 |
| 13 | Bristol Rovers | 46 | 15 | 13 | 18 | 56 | 59 | −3 | 58 |

## Appearances, goals and cards

    (Substitute appearances in brackets)
| Pos. | Name | League | League | FA Cup | FA Cup | League Cup | League Cup | ZDS Cup | ZDS Cup | Total | Total |
| Pos. | Name | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| GK | John Burridge | 39 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ? | 0 | ? | 0 |
| GK | Pavel Srníček | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ? | 0 | ? | 0 |
| DF | Roy Aitken | 37 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ? | 0 | ? | 0 |
| DF | John Anderson | 27 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ? | 0 | ? | 2 |
| DF | Matty Appleby | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ? | 0 | ? | 0 |
| DF | Darren Bradshaw | 6 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ? | 0 | ? | 0 |
| DF | Robbie Elliott | 5 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ? | 0 | ? | 0 |
| DF | Steve Howey | 3 (8) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ? | 0 | ? | 0 |
| DF | Bjørn Kristensen | 39 (1) | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ? | 0 | ? | 1 |
| DF | Alan Neilson | 2 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ? | 0 | ? | 0 |
| DF | Ray Ranson | 24 (3) | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ? | 0 | ? | 0 |
| DF | Kevin Scott | 42 | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 | 2 | 0 | ? | 1 | ? | 0 |
| DF | Mark Stimson | 23 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ? | 0 | ? | 2 |
| DF | Paul Sweeney | 8 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ? | 0 | ? | 0 |
| DF | John Watson | 0 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ? | 0 | ? | 0 |
| DF | Steve Watson | 22 (2) | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ? | 0 | ? | 0 |
| MF | Billy Askew | 1 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ? | 0 | ? | 0 |
| MF | Kevin Brock | 36 (2) | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ? | 0 | ? | 5 |
| MF | Lee Clark | 13 (6) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ? | 0 | ? | 2 |
| MF | Kevin Dillon | 19 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ? | 0 | ? | 0 |
| MF | Wayne Fereday | 6 (2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ? | 0 | ? | 0 |
| MF | John Gallacher | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ? | 0 | ? | 0 |
| MF | Archie Gourlay | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 | ? | 0 | ? | 0 |
| MF | Lee Makel | 1 (2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ? | 0 | ? | 0 |
| MF | Liam O'Brien | 23 (10) | 3 | 0 (2) | 0 | 2 | 0 | ? | 0 | ? | 3 |
| MF | Gavin Peacock | 27 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ? | 0 | ? | 7 |
| MF | David Roche | 5 (3) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ? | 0 | ? | 0 |
| MF | Neil Simpson | 1 (3) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 | ? | 0 | ? | 0 |
| FW | Tommy Gaynor | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ? | 0 | ? | 1 |
| FW | Andy Hunt | 13 (3) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ? | 0 | ? | 2 |
| FW | Mark McGhee | 17 (4) | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | ? | 0 | ? | 6 |
| FW | David Mitchell | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ? | 0 | ? | 1 |
| FW | Paul Moran | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ? | 0 | ? | 0 |
| FW | Micky Quinn | 43 | 18 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | ? | 0 | ? | 20 |
| FW | David Robinson | 0 (3) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 | ? | 0 | ? | 0 |
| FW | Scott Sloan | 11 (5) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ? | 0 | ? | 1 |

### Coaching staff

| Position | Staff |
| Manager | Osvaldo Ardiles |
| First Team Coach | Derek Fazackerley |
| Development Coach | |
| Reserve Team Coach | |
| Chief scout | |
Last updated: 3 May 2011 Source: