The Mighty Wyn - My Hero
Today we publish two personal tributes to the great Wyn Davies from those who watched him play. First, Michael Ord remembers his first great black and white hero.
When you reach a certain stage in your life (I’m 67) the people you grew up admiring (even in some cases worshipping) reach the end of their mortal lives. 17 July 2025 saw news of the passing of my first real football hero when we said a sad goodbye to Wyn Davies. Wyn the leap or, as Duncan Hamilton called him, “the footballer who could fly”.
Wyn (his first name was Ronald but nobody ever called him that) was 24 when Joe Harvey, who certainly knew how to identify a footballer, brought him to Newcastle from Bolton in 1966. He had played for Wrexham then Bolton, and whilst there formed a very solid combination with Francis Lee. Joe wanted them both but Lee didn’t want to leave Lancashire at the time as he had started his paper business. Our loss, Manchester City’s gain. The £80,000 we paid for Wyn was a then club record, and he joined a newly promoted Newcastle who were finding life hard in the top flight.
His debut was against Sunderland… We lost 3-0 and I have a vivid memory of looking at the cover of that night’s “Pink” with the headline “Wyn so near and yet so far”. His first goal came in his fifth game, but Wyn wasn’t really about goals scored, but goals made, either with his ability to disrupt and at times terrify defences making space for others or by his heading providing chances for, in particular, Pop Robson.
Plain fact is that we struggled for two seasons, finishing 15th in 1966 and 20th in 1967, but then, over two seasons, the hero became the legend.
In the 67/8 season we finished 10th and thanks to the odd rules of qualification of the Fairs Cup, United were in Europe. Given little or no chance of making much of an impact (in particular by the odious Don Revie) we went on the rampage, with Wyn leading the line in a way which the defences we faced couldn’t cope.
At home we were terrific. 4-0 v Feyenoord, 1-0 V Sporting Lisbon, 2-1 v Real Zaragoza, 5-1 v Vittoria Setubal (who, it was said, had never played on snow before) put us in a semi final against Rangers. By this time, Mannfred Mann had taken a Bob Dylan song into the charts and we adopted it. “The Mighty Wyn” rang out from the Leazes and at every away ground.
Rangers were put to the sword and so, famously were Ujpest Dosza who had beaten “mighty” Leeds home and away in round 4, prompting Revie to declare we had “no chance” in the final. Of course with Wyn leading the line and Bob Moncur scoring in both legs, we beat them home and away.
Get stuffed, Don.
The following season my favourite Wyn moment occurred against Inter Milan. Somewhere there is a photo of the goal at the Gallowgate end. The Italian keeper is in the net. So are two defenders. All three are on the ground. Wyn is standing over them and I am sure he is laughing. More easily found is a photo of Wyn with arms outstretched holding off Stiles and Law while Alan Foggon lies on the deck. And those were examples of the moments that made us love Wyn.
Prodigious in the air, but all round a strong leader of the line, physically overpowering defences in a way not seen since in black and white until Shearer came along. Wyn was a hero, not admired so much as loved by the faithful as a true torch bearer of our centre forward tradition that started with Bill Appleyard in the Edwardian era and continues today, 120 years later.
Youngsters who will read his bare statistics might wonder what all the fuss is about, but Wyn wasn’t about numbers. He was about presence, about making defenders nervous. He made things happen just by being there.
His 53 goals in 216 games (10 in 24 in Europe where he was seen at his most threatening) only tells a quarter of the story.
When Wyn was sold to Manchester City in 1971 I was a very upset teenager. My “Ty-Phoo tea” card of my hero remained on my bedroom wall but my first real football hero had left us. He had later spells at Manchester United, Crystal Palace and down the leagues at Stockport and Crewe, before returning to his native Wales with Bangor City.
Internationally Wyn was part of the “Welsh Air Force” with Ron Davies and John Toshack: 34 caps, 6 goals. All superb headers of the ball (and underrated on the deck) they were a formidable trio.
For such a brave, battling and physical player, Wyn was a gentle and quiet soul off the pitch. Imagine a player today who had graced the top flight for several years, played internationally and won a European medal working as a baker at the end of his career. Not pontificating on TV or driving a posh SUV. I only met him once, still a strong, commanding presence but a gentle, humble man. What a player. What a HERO.
Up in heaven they will all be singing. “come on without, come on within”. They honestly have “not seen nothing like the mighty Wyn”
R.I.P. Wyn. And thank you.
Ronald Wyn Davies. 20 March 1942 – 16 July 2025. My hero.
Michael Ord
He was centre forward when I started going. As you say it was really in European games when he came into his own. They didn't like it up em, or more precisely Wyn terrified them in the air..
Immensely privileged to have see Wyn play. A true Newcastle ledgend!