Last month was the 75th anniversary of the death of former Newcastle United captain and one of the founding members of the Professional Footballers' Association, Colin Veitch.
To honour an accomplished man, both on and off the pitch, today Newcastle City Council placed a blue plaque at Veich's past home in Stratford Villas, Heaton.
Veitch made his first appearance for the Tynesiders aged 17 and went on to make 321 appearances during a 15-year playing career stretching from 1899 to 1915. He also won six England caps in four different positions.
He became an integral part of United’s Edwardian masters who won the league on three occasions and appeared in five FA Cup finals, with Veitch the captain when the Magpies lifted the trophy for the first time in 1910.
Off the pitch, Vieich was a scholar of high intellect and a lover of the arts, he was an accomplished actor, musician, playwright, producer, conductor and composer.
Following his playing career and before going on to become a football reporter at the Newcastle Chronicle, Veitch was Chairman of the Professional Footballers' Association between 1911 and 1918.
Gordon Taylor, Chief-Executive of the PFA says: 'The PFA were pleased and very proud to help fund the blue plaque in recognition of one of the founder members of the PFA.'
Colin died aged just 56, on August, 27, 1938, recuperating in the Swiss Alps after suffering pneumonia.
The English press carried many obituaries, with The Guardian declaring: 'One of the finest footballers in Britain, Colin Veitch’s name was synonymous with honesty and good fellowship'.
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