OK, so some of you will never have heard of Kevin Brock. And those of you who have heard of him will almost certainly be questioning his status as any kind of hero. Look, indulge me. Bear with me. I mean, no one’s asking you to write this, but if you could give it a few minutes to read, it might make a little more sense.
Kevin Brock joined Newcastle from Queens Park Rangers in 1988 for £300,000. This was in the December of what would turn out to be a miserable season in the old Division One.
Brock was a slightly built, but skilful central midfielder. He promised a bit of flair and creativity that had been sadly lacking. He wanted to be on the ball, wanted to get his head up and play and was partial to running with it too. Like me, he was small, thin and didn’t look like he could fight his way out of a wet paper bag. I liked him immediately.
Newcastle would finish dead last in the old Division 1 in Brock’s first season having been woeful throughout. Kevin played 21 times and scored twice, but offered a little bit of light in among the darkness of a terrible season.
I enjoyed watching him play, especially the fact that it felt like he wanted to take a risk at a time when the majority were scared to have the ball.
Brock would make 50 appearances in the following season as we finished third in the second division before falling at the first hurdle in the play offs. He was often the provider for our dynamic front duo of Micky Quinn and Mark McGhee who scored 59 goals between them.
Fast forward a couple of seasons and with Kevin Keegan in charge we would finally gain promotion to the Premier League (or Premiership as it was back then). And while Brock wouldn’t be the star of the show, his eye for a pass still made plenty of chances for the likes of David Kelly, Micky Quinn and eventually Andy Cole.
Other notable Brock memories would include him going in goal against Birmingham in a 3-2 away win after keeper Tommy Wright was injured. And from my memory of the local news report the following night, he had an amazing game. I also seem to recall him scoring a fantastic goal away at West Brom when we ran out 5-1 winners in the 89/90 season.
My final memory of Brock also comes from the fateful 89/90 season and a charity cricket match at Blaydon Cricket Club where I was fortunate enough – as a very nervous teenager – to meet both Kevin and Micky Quinn. Both signed my green and yellow away kit which I still have to this day!
With Newcastle in the Premier League, Brock failed to make an appearance with Keegan preferring Rob Lee, Paul Bracewell or Lee Clark in his midfield slot. Heading out on loan to Cardiff City, Kevin would make only 14 appearances scoring 2 goals.
After 6 years on Tyneside, Kevin was released and went on for a number of seasons in the lower leagues at clubs like Stockport, Yeovil and Oxford City.
For me though, Brock was something of a hero. I enjoyed watching his style of play and always felt that there was more to come from him. In the end he was just at the latter end of his career and pushed out of the action by better players in a team that was finally on the up. It would be churlish to say that he didn’t play his part in the upturn in fortunes, but I’m sure that some will disagree with my verdict on his time in Toon.
So maybe I’ll have to compromise and call him a ‘Small Part of the Gallowgate Cult Hero’?
Middle Age Fanclub 