Malcolm Ian Macdonald (born 7 January 1950) is an English former professional footballer, manager and media figure.
[2] After playing for non-league side Tonbridge, his schoolboy hero Bobby Robson paid £1,000 to sign him for Fulham in 1968 just after their relegation from the Football League First Division.
They finished the league eleventh, with Macdonald scoring 30 goals in 52 games in his first season to be Newcastle's top scorer in 1972.
[9] Macdonald set up an equalising goal for Alan Gowling in the 1976 League Cup final at Wembley, but Newcastle went on to lose 2–1 to Manchester City.
Macdonald, at the time not fully fit, got to the FA Cup final of 1978 after scoring twice in the semi-final against Orient at Stamford Bridge.
[11][7][12] After completing the English First Division season with Arsenal, Macdonald was lured to Australia in 1977 to play for South Melbourne Hellas in the National Soccer League.
[13] He played three games during the middle of the 1977 National Soccer League season, scoring on his debut against West Adelaide, playing at home against Brisbane Lions and most notably scoring twice against St George (who fielded former Arsenal star Charlie George), which drew a capacity crowd to Middle Park, providing a rare high point to an otherwise poor season for Hellas.
[14] Macdonald spent a couple of months in Sweden with Djurgården, after which he announced his retirement from playing at the premature age of 29 in August 1979.
[17] He returned to management at Huddersfield Town in 1987, but his time in charge proved unfruitful as the side were relegated from the Second Division in dismal fashion, including a 10–1 defeat to Manchester City.
[19] Macdonald worked extensively for Real Radio North East, presenting, firstly in 2000, the Legends Football Phone-In, alongside Bernie Slaven and Micky Horswill.
[citation needed] In 2011, Macdonald was strongly critical of Newcastle United's decision to change their stadium name from St James' Park to the Sports Direct Arena.