#9 v3 | Page 19

FAIRS&CLUB:&PREBEN&‘Benny’&ARENTOFT
Although(only(at(St.(James’(Park(a(couple(of(seasons,(and(
making(less(than(seventy(appearances(in(a(Black(and(White(
shirt,( Dane( Preben( ArentoA( conjured( up( enough( magic( in(
the( number( ten( jersey( of( Newcastle( United( to( endear(
himself,(forever.((
Born( in( his( naFons’( capital( of( Copenhagen( in( November(
1942,( ‘Benny’( as( he( was( affecFonately( known,( became( a(
midfielder(to(be(reckoned(with.(He(was(to(be(the(only,(real,(
recognised( name( to( emerge( from( the( Scandinavian(
amateur(football(scene(during(the(sixFes,(and(a(one(which(
the(folk(of(Tyneside(will(never(forget.((
In(his(homeland,(ArentoA(began(his(footballing(career(with(
local( side( Bronshoj( Boldklub,( before( moving,( along( with(
numerous( compatriots,( to( the( delights( of( Scotland( in( the(
midSsixFes.( Whilst( there( the( midfielder( would( put( in(
regular( impressive( performances( for( Greenock( Morton,(
even( claiming( a( ScoVsh( Second( Division( championship(
during(his(Fme(there.((
That(Ftle(success(was(claimed(midway(during(his(four(year(
sFnt(with(the(club((1967)(and(was(seen(as(being(the(only(
player( of( his( ilk( to( become( an( actual( success( at( this( Fme(
when(south(of(the(border.((
The( February( of( 1969( would( see( ArentoA( swap( the( south(
coast( of( Scotland( for( the( east( coast( of( England( when,( in(
joining(Newcastle(United(for(a(fee(of(around(£18,ooo,(the(
now( Danish( InternaFonal( player( was( seVng( a( new(
challenge(for(himself.((
Then(United(manager,(the(legendary(Joe(Harvey,(fought(off(
the(a_enFon(of(Chelsea,(To_enham(and(Southampton(for(
ArentoA’s( signature,( he( was( that( sought( aAer.( It( was( to(
become( a( chance( worth( taking( for( the( now( 27( year( old,(
who,(upon(his(arrival,(was(to(be(one(of(the(earliest(foreign(
imports(at(the(club(–(and(he(went(on(to(claim(a(European(
Ftle(aAer(just(half(a(season.((
DebuFng( in( a( 1S0( victory( over( one( of( his( former( suitors,(
To_enham,(in(April(`1969,(Benny(would(need(just(a(further(
seven(days(to(score(his(first(goal(for(his(new(club,(neVng(
the(opener(in(a(3S2(home(win(against(Sheffield(Wednesday.(
The(Dane(would(only(find(the(net(four(more(Fmes(during(
his( spell( on( Tyneside,( the( tenacious( midfielder( though(
being(remembered(for(much(more(than(that.((
Although( Benny( would( make( eleven( appearances( in(
European( compeFFon( during( what( was( heady( Fmes( for(
the( football( club,( even( scoring( the( equalising( goal( in( the(
second( leg( of( the( victorious( 1969( Fairs( Cup( final( 9aAer(
opponents(UjpesF(Dosza(had(gone(2S0(up(on(the(night).(

Peter Mann

It(was(to(be(though,(
another( occasion(
for( which( United(
fans( of( the( Fme(
remember( him( by.(
In( a( League( match(
in( April( 1970,( with(
Newcastle( opposing(
Manchester( United,(
the( Magpies( were(
shorn( of( ‘keeper(
Iam( McFaul( during(
the( game.( ArentoA(
would( step( up( to(
the( plate( and( take(
M c F a u l ’s( p l a c e(
between( the( sFcks(
and( take( a( starring( role( as( the( goals( flowed,( at( the( other(
end,(from(‘Pop’(Robson((two(penalFes(in(a(hatStrick),(Smith(
and(Davies.(Newcastle(ran(out(impressive(5S1(winners.((
ArentoA’s( Fme( with( the( Tyneside( club( was( ulFmately(
shortSlived(though,(around(twentySone(months(in(fact.(His(
final( appearance( in( a( Black( and( White( jersey( came( in( the(
2S1(reverse(at(home(to(NoVngham(Forest.(That(was(in(the(
January( of( 1971,( his( eighteenth( appearance( of( a( season(
(1970S71)(in(which(United(would(turn(over(one(of(Europe’s(
finest(sides.(ArentoA(played(a(part(in(both(legs(of(the(Fairs(
Cup( Fe( which( saw( Italian( giants,( Internazionale( of( Milan,(
dumped( out( of( the( Fairs( Cup( by( a( ba_leShardened(
Newcastle(side.((
Upon( leaving( Newcastle,( and( aAer( eight( months( in( the(
wilderness( there,( ArentoA( would( spend( five( years( at(
Blackburn( Rovers( (1969S74)( following( a( £25,ooo( move.(
From(there(it(was(home(to(Scandinavia(when,(aAer(nearly(
a( decade( on( BriFsh( shores,( he( joined( Swedish( side(
Helsingborgs( IF,( becoming( their( manager( for( a( period(
between(1977(and(1980.((
As( a( Danish( InternaFonal,( the( midfielder( would( appear(
nine( Fmes( for( his( country,( the( last( of( which( was( against(
World( powerhouses,( West( Germany,( in( June( 1971.(
Following( reFrement( from( the( game,( aAer( some( two(
decades(as(a(footballer,(ArentoA(had(been(known(to(try(his(
hand( at( a( number( of( career( paths( –( a( Senior( Manager( of(
the( Copenhagen( City( Council’s( Child( ProbaFon(
Department,(an(Art(Dealer,(Journalist,(and(an(Accountant.((
It’s( been( a( long( and( varied( career,( and( life,( for( a(
midfielder( known( not( only( on( Tyneside,( but( across(
Europe(as,(quite(simply,(Benny.((

19