Colin Veitch
Encyclopedia
Colin Campbell McKechnie Veitch (22 May 1881 – 26 August 1938) was an English football
player in the early 20th century for Newcastle United
and manager of Bradford City
.
area of Newcastle upon Tyne
. At school he was both a gifted scholar and footballer, becoming the first captain of Newcastle Schools in 1895.
After enrolling at the city's Rutherford College, Veitch appeared for the College team, regarded at the time as one of the finest amateur teams in North East England
, where he attracted the attention of Newcastle United
for who he at first signed for as an amateur before turning professional in the summer of 1899.
Veitch made his debut in October 1899, a match which Newcastle United
lost 1-0 to Wolverhampton Wanderers
.
For a short spell, Veitch considered giving up his football career to pursue an academic career, but after a spell in the reserves, playing under the pseudonym of 'Hamilton' he changed his mind.
Renowned for his versatility, Veitch captained the successful United side which won League Championships in 1905, 1907 and 1909, the FA Cup
in 1910 and were FA Cup
finalists in 1905, 1906, 1908 and 1911, and also represented England
on six occasions.
Despite a dispute with Newcastle United
in 1911, Veitch continued to play for the club until the outbreak of World War I
. After the war, he returned to St James' Park
to become a coach, and in 1924 formed the junior side, Newcastle Swifts, the pioneers of the current Newcastle United
juniors system. Veitch was sacked in 1926, ending a 26 year association with United.
. In his first season the club was relegated to Division Three (North)
. The following season City recorded their then record victory, 9-1 over Nelson
and were mounting a promotion challenge. But in January 1927 Veitch resigned, deciding that football management was not for him.
, Newcastle upon Tyne in 1911. He was also an accomplished playwright, composer, conductor and producer, and counted George Bernard Shaw
amongst his circle of friends.
Veitch was also very politically aware and was approached to stand as a Member of Parliament
for the Labour Party
. Although he turned the proposal down, he did become a union activist for the Professional Footballers Association and was the PFA's chairman for a number of years.
After resigning from Bradford City he returned to Tyneside
and became a journalist with the Evening Chronicle
. In 1929 he was banned from the St James' Park
press box.
In 1938, Veitch contracted pneumonia
and died aged 57 in Bern, Switzerland whilst on a recuperation holiday.
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player in the early 20th century for Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
and manager of Bradford City
Bradford City A.F.C.
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....
.
Newcastle United
Veitch was born in the HeatonHeaton, Newcastle
Heaton is a residential suburb and is split into two electoral wards located in the east end of Newcastle upon Tyne, England, about from the City Centre. It is bordered by the neighbouring areas of Benton and Cochrane Park to the north, Walker and Walkergate to the east, Byker to the south and...
area of Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
. At school he was both a gifted scholar and footballer, becoming the first captain of Newcastle Schools in 1895.
After enrolling at the city's Rutherford College, Veitch appeared for the College team, regarded at the time as one of the finest amateur teams in North East England
North East England
North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
, where he attracted the attention of Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
for who he at first signed for as an amateur before turning professional in the summer of 1899.
Veitch made his debut in October 1899, a match which Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
lost 1-0 to Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
.
For a short spell, Veitch considered giving up his football career to pursue an academic career, but after a spell in the reserves, playing under the pseudonym of 'Hamilton' he changed his mind.
Renowned for his versatility, Veitch captained the successful United side which won League Championships in 1905, 1907 and 1909, the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
in 1910 and were FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
finalists in 1905, 1906, 1908 and 1911, and also represented England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
on six occasions.
Despite a dispute with Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
in 1911, Veitch continued to play for the club until the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. After the war, he returned to St James' Park
St James' Park
St James' Park, known for sponsorship reasons as the Sports Direct Arena, is an all-seater stadium in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is the home of Newcastle United Football Club and is the sixth largest football stadium in the United Kingdom with a capacity of between 52,387 and 52,409.St James'...
to become a coach, and in 1924 formed the junior side, Newcastle Swifts, the pioneers of the current Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
juniors system. Veitch was sacked in 1926, ending a 26 year association with United.
Bradford City
In August 1926, Veitch was appointed manager of Bradford CityBradford City A.F.C.
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....
. In his first season the club was relegated to Division Three (North)
Football League Third Division North
The Third Division North of The Football League was a tier in the English association football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran parallel to Third Division South with clubs elected to the League or relegated from a higher division allocated to one or the other according to geographical position...
. The following season City recorded their then record victory, 9-1 over Nelson
Nelson F.C.
Nelson F.C. are an English football club, based in Nelson, Lancashire. They are currently members of the North West Counties Football League Division One, who played their home matches at Victoria Park, Lomeshaye Way. They are full members of the Lancashire County Football Association.-Early years:...
and were mounting a promotion challenge. But in January 1927 Veitch resigned, deciding that football management was not for him.
Personal life
Away from football, Veitch was a great lover of the arts and co-founded the People's TheatreThe People's Theatre, Newcastle upon Tyne
The People's Theatre is a theatre in Newcastle upon Tyne, England.The People's Theatre originated from the Newcastle branch of the former British Socialist Party, who started to stage dramatic productions in 1911 in order to raise money to fund their political activities. One of the theatre's key...
, Newcastle upon Tyne in 1911. He was also an accomplished playwright, composer, conductor and producer, and counted George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw was an Irish playwright and a co-founder of the London School of Economics. Although his first profitable writing was music and literary criticism, in which capacity he wrote many highly articulate pieces of journalism, his main talent was for drama, and he wrote more than 60...
amongst his circle of friends.
Veitch was also very politically aware and was approached to stand as a Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
. Although he turned the proposal down, he did become a union activist for the Professional Footballers Association and was the PFA's chairman for a number of years.
After resigning from Bradford City he returned to Tyneside
Tyneside
Tyneside is a conurbation in North East England, defined by the Office of National Statistics, which is home to over 80% of the population of Tyne and Wear. It includes the city of Newcastle upon Tyne and the Metropolitan Boroughs of Gateshead, North Tyneside and South Tyneside — all settlements on...
and became a journalist with the Evening Chronicle
Evening Chronicle
The Evening Chronicle is a daily, evening newspaper produced in Newcastle upon Tyne, covering Tyne and Wear, southern Northumberland and northern County Durham. It was founded in 1885 by Joseph Cowen...
. In 1929 he was banned from the St James' Park
St James' Park
St James' Park, known for sponsorship reasons as the Sports Direct Arena, is an all-seater stadium in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is the home of Newcastle United Football Club and is the sixth largest football stadium in the United Kingdom with a capacity of between 52,387 and 52,409.St James'...
press box.
In 1938, Veitch contracted pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
and died aged 57 in Bern, Switzerland whilst on a recuperation holiday.
As a player
Newcastle UnitedNewcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
- Football League First DivisionFootball League First DivisionThe First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
: 1904-051904-05 in English footballThe 1904–05 season was the 34th season of competitive football in England.-Events:Stockport County were replaced by Doncaster Rovers in the Second Division....
, 1906-071906-07 in English footballThe 1906–07 season was the 36th season of competitive football in England.-Honours:-First Division:-Second Division:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GA = Goal average; Pts = PointsReferences...
, 1908-091908-09 in English footballThe 1908–09 season was the 38th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Tottenham Hotspur played their first ever season in the Football League, gaining promotion to the First Division in the process... - FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
winner: 1910 - FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
finalist: 1905, 1906, 1908, 1911, 1912