Is this man more deserving of a statue that Alan Shearer?

toonsy

Joe Harvey - A legend in his own right
Alan Shearer is set to be honoured with a life size statue of himself just a stones thrown from St James’ Park if reports in The Chronicle prove to be correct.

It is understood that Jackie Milburn will also be honoured in the same way with the two statues being located on St James’ Boulevard in time for the Olympic competition next year.

I realise I’m probably going to get hammered for this as people will read this line and go into meltdown without listening to the reasoning behind it, but I personally feel that there are a other people ahead of Alan Shearer who deserve to be commemorated in statue form.

One of them being Joe Harvey. The term legend is thrown around easily these days, and whilst it mustn’t be forgotten that Shearer was a playing legend for us, it must also not be forgotten what the likes of Joe Harvey and others have done for us in days gone by.

Harvey spent 21 years at the club as a player and then as a manager. He played 224 games for us and won two FA Cups, one in 1951 closely followed by another in 1952. After retiring in 1953 he then became a trainer and watched from the sidelines as the team lifted yet another FA Cup in 1955.

Sitting on the sidelines was to be a a recurring theme for Harvey as he spread his wings and took to management. Brief spells managing Barrow and Workington went with varying fortunes but it wasn’t long before he returned to NUFC and in 1962 he was confirmed as manager – seven years after he left.

He then led us to promotion back to Division One before taking us to Europe and bringing home the Fairs Cup in 1969. That remains our last “top” honour although he did guide us to another FA Cup final in 1974 which we lost to Liverpool before resigning in 1975. In total he managed 591 games at Newcastle United.

I’m not saying that Shearer isn’t a legend. He is. The stats back him up and the service he gave us over ten years was fantastic. To me he kept us up on our own sometimes and helped us mix it with the best for a brief few years. His time will come.

However in a week where people have been keen to point out the history and nostalgia of Newcastle United, would it not make sense to honour one of the older all time greats? A great who had a direct influence on three of our last four major honours?

Personally I’d say so…

About toonsy

A lifelong Newcastle fan and current webmaster of this very 'blog who has the sole aim of creating a place by Newcastle United fans, for Newcastle United fans.

View all posts by toonsy →

You may like these posts

109 thoughts on “Is this man more deserving of a statue that Alan Shearer?”

  2. Joe Harvey should definitely be remembered in some way – he was Black & White through and through and achieved success as both a player and a manager. He deserves any accolades he gets

      (Quote)

  4. Sy,

    I don’t think someone should have a statue made of them until after they’re pushin up daisies, so I defo agree with you on this one.

      (Quote)

  5. SJP hosting olympic games football so we need a statue of Alan Shearer?

    What rubbish!!

    A statue of Brendan Foster would be far more appropriate.

      (Quote)

  6. ICE: Hope your well, won 4-3 on sunday had my best ever game at LB 😀

    I’m not sure about giving Shearer a statue he should be honoured in some way but as you say there are others who should not be forgotten

    Toonsy: Typo for you ‘that’ should be ‘than’ 😉

      (Quote)

  10. Joe Harvey and probably Kevin Keegan more deserving than Alan Shearer.

    He was bloody well paid for his loyalty and while his goal scoring record is superb his goals per game does not match Wee Hughies.

      (Quote)

  11. Spot on Toonsy. Joe Harvey is ahead of anyone else in my book. A tribute to Joe is years overdue – he was a great player and a great manager. His only sin is that he did it in the past. But why should that matter?

      (Quote)

  13. Dont need to feed Shearers ego any further.. lets face it he is rich enough (as result of having to be the clubs highest earner) to have bought the naming rights to keep the ground as SJP.

    On the other hand he would have called it the Alan Shearer Ground!

      (Quote)

  14. Joe was manager when I first started supporting the toon and his teams were always attack minded. I am sure he was the son in law of director Stan Seymour somebody might correct me if I am wrong. Seymour was part of the Westwood clique that many fans thought were running NUFC for their own benefit. How nothing has changed over nearly fifty years. Those facts shouldn’t hide the fact that Joe was black and white through and through and is probably deserving of some recognition in or around the ground

      (Quote)

  15. Woah! (that’s English for ‘stop a horse’)

    Alright, Harvey deserves it more than Shearer maybe, let’s stop any Shearer bashing though!

      (Quote)

  16. Shearer has made his own bed Moreno his love for Newcastle is not as strong as the love of the money!

    Numerous men contributed more to the history of this club than Shearer but he is adored with unrequited love

      (Quote)

  18. MORENO@15 aye mate most dont want any bashing of AS yes hes made a few quid good on him,he could have easy made it elsewhere too,but stuck with his home team putting up with a lot of ***** along the way i may add

      (Quote)

  19. ZOE lol dare not on a blog,i played right wing,but played with a guy that was a scottish international C/H he showed me what to aviod things i never dreamed of as a kid 🙄

      (Quote)

  22. All the players sang the national anthem tonight. Not seen that for a while. 😯

    #areuwatchingwazza #nationalpride

      (Quote)

  23. Wehey….the Man Utd fans are up in arms today regarding lower than expected profits………and on another issue hotly disputed issue……..”The issue of what happens to the £80million received from Real Madrid for Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009 has been of huge significance for United fans.”…..

    Sounds somewhat familiar ?

      (Quote)

  25. Toonsy…I was more having an ironic larf at the missing Andy Carro….oops Christiano Ronaldo wedge.

    I’m pretty sure that lots of fans are not happy with their owners. And our owners seem to go just that little bit further 🙄 😥

      (Quote)

  26. Toonsy….a bit naughty pitting Alan Shearer against Joe Harvey in the “statue challenge”.

    In my opinion they are or where both Geordie Legends, and both deserving of statues. At the same time I was surprised that there is a commission for a Shearer statue, and that it will go ahead. Seems a little early to me, I mean the bloke has just hung his boots up ffs. Not that that should affect his legendary status though, just a bit too early imo.

      (Quote)

  27. are we forgetting the one man who deserves one the most?

    Sir Bobby Robson.

    I, for one, think its a travesty that the east stand has not been re-named after him.

      (Quote)

  28. Sorry to be sentimental, but I honestly believe Joe Harvey deserves one more than Sir Bobby even. The honours list is there for all to see.

    This is not to say that Sir Bob or Sir Al don’t deserve to be commemorated, but the achievements and commitment of Joe Harvey have not been rivalled by anyone at Newcastle IMO. Apart from the selection committee of course 😆

      (Quote)

  32. I’ve always considered Bobby Moncur a Newcastle Legend, as well as those already mentioned of course.

      (Quote)

  35. Bertie Mee said to Joe Harvey
    ‘”Have you heard of the North Bank at Highbury?'”
    ‘”No'” says Joe, ‘”I don’t think so.'”
    ‘”But I’ve heard of the Leazes End aggro!!!'”

    Joe! Joe! Joe Harvey!
    Joe! Joe! Joe Harvey!
    Joe! Joe! Joe Harvey! 😛

      (Quote)

  37. fecks sake… shearers already got a bar named after him. what more does he want lol

    make the statue of Joe Harvey

      (Quote)

  38. Intresting comments here. For me Joe Harvey does deserve a statue. He is from the past times tho which means less people know about him or what he done.

    Alan Shearer has the stats for a statue tho. He didnt have to stay with this club, im sure Man United would have paid him more money.

    Why not let them both have a statue :mrgreen:

      (Quote)

  39. Me brothers in borstal,
    Me sisters got pox,
    Me mothers a *****
    On the Hartlepool docks,
    We are the Geordies,
    Both mental and mad,
    And Jack The Rippers’s me dad !

    La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, …..,….. 😛

      (Quote)

  40. I mean the bloke has just hung his boots up ffs. Not that that should affect his legendary status though, just a bit too early imo.
    ————————-
    True, what happens if he decides to manage us and gets us relegated? 😉

      (Quote)

  41. Oh man…Germany are absolutely destroying a full strength cloggy team 3 -0 WITHOUT Schweinsteiger, Lahm and Gomes…get yer money on them noo for the euros… 😯

      (Quote)

  43. MDS….that escapade was the only black spot on an impeccable toon career. I’m not sure if Shearer will ever recover from that to be honest 🙁

      (Quote)

  44. Why in making a case for one NUFC legend to be imortalised in statue form do you feel the need to put another down? why not state Shearer, Milburn, Gallacher AND Harvey should all have statues made in their honour .. they are all worthy.

      (Quote)

  45. seems to me that a few people are brainwased by idiots who love to knock our real club icons while making a case for scum like Llambias and Ashley, thank god sites like True Faith still represent the feal hard core NUFC fans,.

      (Quote)

  46. @ zoe do not listen to the owld dog i played at a decent level myself and everything he taught me was ILLEGAL !!!!!!! believe me dont ask !!

      (Quote)

  47. And what exactly are ‘real hard core NUFC’ fans?

    All true faith seem to do is **** & moan about anything & everything

      (Quote)

  48. Can you point out whereabouts in the article Shearer was put down? Unless suggesting that a man who actually won something, numerous times, should be honoured ahead of him counts as putting him down?

      (Quote)

  49. a example to grass him up to the blog and to show how bad he was !!!!!!!

    was to jump late for a header land on the guys feet on the way down pushing him backwards while u still standon his feet

    it basically does all the ligaments in the ankles !!!

    then u can pick him up and twist his skin in the process

    he is evillllllllllllllllllllll im pleased i never played against the owld git

    and this is the stuff i can list !!!!!!!!!!

      (Quote)

  53. Munich Mag says:
    November 15, 2011 at 21:15
    MDS….that escapade was the only black spot on an impeccable toon career. I’m not sure if Shearer will ever recover from that to be honest
    ————————
    And by the way, before I get hammered on here I was only joking. He’s my favorite player of all time. Though I wish in retospect he hadn’t of come back to manage us, it didn’t diminish his legendary status for me in the slightest.

    I regards to the article, I agree that there are others deserving, and you make a great case for Harvey getting one first. I would imagine if this is for the olympics they are looking for names that are currently better known

      (Quote)

  55. @53 i agree players now adays are a brand beckams roonys ronaldos messi’s are a brand as much as a player now a days NON football people know them and im sure this is very much the case with Alan he was global news when we spent 15Mil

      (Quote)

  56. NTERNATIONAL: Yohan Cabaye played the full 90mins with no problems for France in a 0-0 draw with Belgium in tonight’s friendly #NUFC
    1 minute ago

      (Quote)

  57. in the same breathe id be proud of a statue to him and of course theres others that deserve it but u cant have a ground full of statues either

    if one person is recognised its a bonus in my eyes =D

      (Quote)

  58. MDS – I thought that, about recognised names for the Olympics. If that was the case though why not go for Sir Bobby instead of Jackie Milburn? Sir Bobby is easily more well known than Jackie Milburn to the global audience surely?

      (Quote)

  59. MDS@53…no probs mate, I agree with you about Shearer. He’s a legend in my eyes for what he has achieved at the toon, a real legend.

    I meant it sympathetically about the black spot on his career, cos the bloke is a Geordie through and through, and really thought he could rescue the club from relegation (and the fans had hoped he could too), he didn’t manage it.

      (Quote)

  60. Oh man…now Cabaye has come through the France game unscathed, we’ll have our two main midfielders back for the Citeh game. Howay the Lads !!

      (Quote)

  61. @58. True enough about Robson. But maybe it’s because he is known from other jobs as well where as Jackie really belongs to NUFC alone? Fair question though.

      (Quote)

  62. To me the relegation has had no bearing on Shearer at all. He is still a local hero and an ill-fated spell in charge of a group of players who were disjointed and couldn’t give a toss about the club won’t change that.

    The fact is that we were dead and buried before he rolled up. maybe not mathematically, but definitely mentally

      (Quote)

  63. @59. Aye, I bet he regrets it. But for me he had an impossible job. Had he pulled it off, I would have chiseled the statue myself (it wouldn’t have looked like much mind)

      (Quote)

  64. Toon Toon Toon Toon Toonarmy
    Toonsy I dont see the point in having a statue for Joe H he is way in the past and sure History etc means fuk all 😉 atleast most of us can remember seeing Sir Al playing at the great St James’ Park, so imo its a no brainer.
    Selby mag @ 16 what a lot of sh1te if he was more interested in money im sure he could have made more than he did with us, and would have had a lot of medals to go with it.

      (Quote)

  65. Agree Toonsy,

    Sir Alex could have taken over at the same stage and we would have gone down.
    Just as likely, most managers could have brought us back up the following season, not saying Hughton didn’t do a good job, just saying he isn’t the legend some people made him out to be.

    Looking at the squad he had its scary. Harper, Simpson, Taylor, Colo, Enrique, Barton, Nolan, Guthrie, Jonas, Carroll, Best.
    Thats pretty much the same squad thats now lying third in the prem, with the absence of a 35mil striker, a 4mil midfielder and a 6mil left back.

    Not a bad squad to bring up…

    As for a statue, surely Sir Bobby derserves one… Absolute gentleman and legend of this club.

      (Quote)

  66. Personally I’ve never liked statues anyway. I’ve not seen one that does any kind of justice to the memories I have of the people they are portraying. What I am saying is that if they are going to go ahead and do it then they need to really think about who deserves it the most.

    I don;t need a statue to remember Bobby or Shearer or anyone. The memories I have of them at Newcastle are in my head. In my heart. That is the safest place for them.

      (Quote)

  67. Also agree with Big Dave

    Shearer is not about money, he could have earned more at Man United, at Barcalona, and could have played wherever he wanted.

    Sure he is confident and a bit arrogant at times. But all the great sportman are, otherwise they wouldn’t have to confidence to get to where they did.

    He just needs to learn that when it comes to being a manager, he needs to start from scratch, as he did as a player.

      (Quote)

  73. The council should commission the guy who produced the soldier statues round the Haymarket.
    They could put hundreds of them down St James Boulevard , paint nufc strips on them with past nufc legends name on the back. Surely this would inspire current and future players to strive to be legends and get their name on a statue.
    We could have St James boulevard of the legends – like the Hollywood walk of fame.

      (Quote)

  75. i dont know go off the blog for a while and get stabbed in the back @49,thats what you get for showing son the finer points of the game :mrgreen:

      (Quote)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *