Paul Anthony Cannell (born 2 September 1953) is an English former footballer, who played as a forward for Newcastle United between 1972 and 1978.
[3] Cannell began playing for Montague and North Fenham Boys Club while attending school and was approached by Charlie Ferguson, who was working for Sunderland as a scout, after scoring six times during a youth match.
He began playing for the club's reserve sides but manager Alan Brown suggested that Cannell needed "toughening up" and arranged a loan spell with Whitley Bay in the Northern Football League.
[4] This came to light after the match when Cannell was approached by Newcastle manager Joe Harvey who visited his parents' home and offered him a deal with the club to be completed after he had sat his A-levels.
[5] In the North American Soccer League (NASL) he played for the Washington Diplomats[6] for three different spells, and also for the Memphis Rogues.