Newcastle United's famous Robledo brothers honoured with blue plaque at former Tyneside home

Ted Robledo is pictured in the back row (second from right). George Robledo is sat down in the front row (second from right) and scored the only goal in a 1-nil win over Arsenal in the FA Cup final in 1952. Credit: PA

A blue plaque is set to be unveiled at the former Newcastle home of two international footballing brothers from Chile who became record breakers in this country.

George and Ted Robledo, who were the first South Americans to play professional football in Britain, starred with Newcastle United in the early 1950s, with George a prolific goalscorer for the club, including a Wembley winner. 

Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Ted Ditchburn dives at the feet of Newcastle United's George Robledo in 1951. Credit: PA images

The unveiling of the plaque at their former home in Fenham marks 70 years to the day since George scored the winner in the 1952 FA Cup Final for Newcastle against Arsenal - a goal immortalised by John Lennon. 

When he was 11, Lennon drew a sketch of the goal from a photograph and later used it on the cover of his album, Walls and Bridges, in 1974.

The brothers, who came to England as children from Chile in the early 1930s, were professional footballers at Barnsley FC, and moved together in 1949 to Newcastle Unitedwhere George set a goalscoring record which stood for nearly 50 years and another whichstill stands today.

George’s daughter Elizabeth is flying over from Chile for the event which was postponed two years ago due to the pandemic and a diplomat from the Chilean Embassy in London will be at the unveiling.