By Leipziger
July 15 2007

Conveniently, exactly 15 players have made 100 or more starts for the Falcons since the start of professionalism, and although I have had to juggle some positions, I think it’s still a half-decent team. Only six now remain with us however, with a number also having retired.

15 Dave Walder

Players come and players go, but the release of the loveable black-bleeding Geordie in 2006 saw an emotional outcry from Falcons fans as never before.  The presence of Jonny Wilkinson saw the darling of the North Stand become an accomplished attacking full-back in 2000, the position from where Dave steamed onto a Jamie Noon pass to win the 2001 Cup Final, and no returning player has received a better reception than when his name was read out before the Wasps game in February 2007. 

14 Michael Stephenson

The Mackem Express, Stevo’s Falcons career ended with a broken leg at Northampton after several years of being an understated winger, whom I feel we fans never really appreciated until he wasn’t there.  Only Tom May and Jamie Noon have scored more tries for the Falcons. 

13 Jamie Noon

It is ironic that, after being criminally ignored by England for years, when Noony did make himself a fixture in the national side two of his club-mates, Mathew Tait and Toby Flood, are now amongst his strong competition.  Along with Tom May, he’s one of only two players to have made over 200 competitive starts for the Falcons, including a record for successive Premiership starts, and he has the valuable ability to play either the strong, territory-winner, or the creative runner and passer when required. 

12 Tom May

Part of the furniture at Kingston Park, the highest-appearance maker of the professional era and the joint-highest try scorer, Tom was tipped for an England call-up after scoring two tries in the 2001 Cup Final, before injury and the signing of Mark Mayerhofler in 2002 saw him moved from inside centre to the right wing.  His 15 tries in the 2003/04 season have not been matched since, however he rarely misses a game and is the only Falcon to have started in all three of our Cup Finals in the professional era. 

11 Hall Charlton

Narrowly missed out on an England cap when he was an unused replacement in the autumn of 2004.  Hall and James Grindal have always suffered because whilst the former boasts more strength, the latter is the nippier passer, and so neither have been able to command a regular first team place since the departure of Gary Armstrong in 2002.  Hall is seemingly third-choice scrum-half at Kingston Park following the emergence of England A’s Lee Dickson, but has recently signed a new contract indicating a commitment to fight for his place. 

10 Jonny Wilkinson

Perhaps the most famous rugby player in the world, Rob Andrew had enough faith in Wilkinson to give him his first Premiership start in the crunch meeting with Saracens in March 1998 in his unfamiliar position of centre.  Since then he has become England’s record points-scorer, scored well over 1,000 points for the Falcons, and despite his sporadic appearances is guaranteed to be the main story whenever our club is mentioned. 

9 Gary Armstrong

In many people’s eyes, probably the best player the club has had since turning professional in 1995.  Gary scored an impressive 23 league tries in the promotion season of 1996/97, including a haul of four at Nottingham, and his commitment and speed marked the wee Scot out as a real treasure until he left for Borders in 2002.  His last season at KP saw him often kept out of the team by Hall Charlton, but the former trucker did start in the Cup semi-final of that year. 

1 Ian Peel

Peely was signed as a stop-gap tighthead prop in 1998 to cover for injuries until the arrival of Marius Hurter in the autumn, however his work with Andrew Blades turned him into the Falcons’ top loosehead before an injury against Bristol in September 2005 cruelly ended his career.   

2 Micky Ward

I think he took a lineout once, so the loveable Wallsender is the hooker of this team.  Micky is a humble character who gives his all on the field and always has time for the fans off it, being rewarded with his own song.  Trained as a tighthead by Andrew Blades after years at number 1, Micky has played for England against the Barbarians at Twickenham and is also an A international. 

3 Marius Hurter

The horror felt by Falcons fans when it was announced Marius would leave at Christmas 2004 said it all about probably the best tighthead in the club’s history.  The amount of tries he scored in over 150 appearances could be counted on one hand, but his strength and power were an invaluable asset in the scrum and were missed dearly, so much so that it has taken the signing of the world’s best prop for us to properly replace Marius. 

4 Stuart Grimes

Never in the limelight, Grimy was a world-class lock who could be relied on to dominate the lineout when the team were in need of possession, and is one of the most-capped Scotland internationals ever.  His powerful runs with ball in hand as well made him one of the Falcons’ most important players until his final season, 2005/06, when the development of the Andy Perry-Geoff Parling partnership, and a back injury, cruelly robbed him of a strong final season at Kingston Park.

 

5 Doddie Weir

Like Gary Armstrong, Doddie’s final season was one of sporadic starts and replacement appearances as Hugh Vyvyan and Stuart Grimes made the second row positions their own.  However, he was captain of the 2001 Cup Final-winning team and a top lineout player, forging a successful partnership with Garath Archer in the 1997/98 Champion side, as well as being an important player in the Scotland side. 

6 Va’aiga Tuigamala

Strong as an ox, a heart as big as he is, and the man Doddie Weir once called “quite simply the best rugby player in the world”.  Inga’s £1m transfer in 1997 was a signal of the harsh new world of professional rugby union where cash was ever more important, however his skills and 100% committed attitude took him into the heart of every Falcon, so much so that he was one of the first two professional players inducted into the club’s Hall of Fame.  Nothing less than was deserved for a man who delayed an arm operation to put in a man-of-the-match performance in the 2001 Cup Final. 

7 Richard Arnold

A genuine legend, playing across both the amateur and professional eras, and the first Falcons player to be granted a testimonial match, against Glasgow in August 2001.  It could be said Arnie was sometimes not appreciated as much as he should have been, being shunted to blindside in 1998/99 by Jimmy Cartmell, and then left out of the 2001 Cup Final side before replacing Rob Devonshire in the second half, however whatever back row position he occupied (having joined Newcastle Gosforth as a lock) his power was always an asset.  Injury greatly affected his final season as a player, 2002/03, but he was able to take the field for the final game at Bath to end his career in the team. 

8 Hugh Vyvyan

Initially a lock, Huge was moved to number 8 by the signing of Mark Andrews and then the return of Garath Archer, and his ball-carrying ability from the back of the scrum became a real asset in the fight against relegation in 2002/03.  Captained the 2004 Cup-winning team, scoring a try, charging down a Charlie Hodgson kick to set up Phil Dowson’s match-winning try, and producing a great defensive kick in an inspirational performance, to leave Kingston Park in style.