Iam McFaul

  1. Home
  2. Wiki

Iam McFaul
Personal information
Full name William Stewart McFaul[1][2]
Date of birth (1943-10-01)1 October 1943[2]
Place of birth Coleraine, Northern Ireland[2]
Date of death 4 October 2025(2025-10-04) (aged 82)
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[3][4]
Position Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1961–1966 Linfield
1966–1975 Newcastle United 290 (0)
International career
Northern Ireland 6 (0)
Managerial career
1985–1988 Newcastle United
1989–1992 Coleraine
1998–2003 Guam
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

William Stewart "Iam" McFaul (1 October 1943 – 4 October 2025) was a Northern Irish football player and coach. He spent most of his career with Newcastle United.

Playing career

[edit]

McFaul was born in Coleraine on 1 October 1943. He joined Newcastle United from Linfield in 1966 after impressing in a friendly match. It took two years for him to establish himself as Newcastle's goalkeeper, a position he held until after the 1974–75 season; he made 386 appearances for the club.[5] A notable moment in his career came when he helped Newcastle to the 1974 FA Cup Final at Wembley. Newcastle were beaten 3–0 by Liverpool, whose first two goals were from shots by Kevin Keegan and Steve Heighway that McFaul got his fingertips to but was unable to stop. McFaul won only six times for Northern Ireland, the goalkeeping position being held by Pat Jennings, one of the era's finest goalkeepers.[6] McFaul was part of the Newcastle team that won the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1969.[7]

Coaching career

[edit]

McFaul was appointed caretaker manager of Newcastle United in August 1985 after Jack Charlton had resigned. He gave Paul Gascoigne his first-team debut.[5]

Radio work

[edit]

McFaul was an occasional summariser on BBC Northern Ireland's coverage of the Irish League.

Death

[edit]

McFaul died on 4 October 2025, at the age of 82.[8]

Honours

[edit]

Newcastle United

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Player search: McFaul, WS (Iam)". English National Football Archive. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  2. ^ a b c "Willie 'Iam' McFaul". NIFG. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  3. ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Willie McFaul (Player)". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  4. ^ "Iam McFaul". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  5. ^ a b Graham Luney, 'Michael O’Neill and Tommy Wright lead tributes to former Northern Ireland goalkeeper Iam McFaul'. Belfast Telegraph, 6 October 2025. Retrieved 6 October 2025
  6. ^ 'Former Newcastle and NI goalkeeper McFaul dies at 82'. BBC Sport, 5 October 2025. Retrieved 6 October 2025
  7. ^ "Fifty years on: Newcastle's 1969 Fairs Cup triumph remembered". thenorthernecho.co.uk. 11 June 2019. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  8. ^ "In Sympathy – Iam McFaul". 4 October 2025.
  9. ^ Vernon, Leslie; Rollin, Jack (1977). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1977–78. London: Brickfield Publications Ltd. p. 491. ISBN 0354-09018-6.
[edit]