10 Surprising Revelations About Newcastle Players You'd Never Believe

4. Paul Cannell Dated A President's Daughter

It's not just an urban myth - former Newcastle forward Paul Cannell attempted to woo then-President Gerald Ford's daughter Susan upon having signed for US side Washington Diplomats on a loan deal in 1976.

''There was a bar called Winston's - it was the place to be in those days. I get in there with a couple of other lads and we're just hammered. And I notice there's a lot of attention around this blonde girl. I walked up to her, s**t-faced, and said, 'Fancy a dance?'. Just like that. I noticed some people around her in suits who didn't seem too happy about! I was telling her about soccer and what not. She said, 'I love your accent!', and of course when says that I become 100 percent more English. The accent thing - it works!" - Paul Cannell, August 2012.

Alas, it would never blossom into the romance to stand the test of time, with the former Toon stalwart unable to build on the novelty of his accent during their sole date a couple of days later, citing his sobriety for his failure to 'close the deal'. Although, apparently the Secret Service weren't much of a help either.

"The goon squad was horrible. The thing that really struck me was - why do the f***** Secret Service have Secret Service written on their cars? How stupid is that?" - Paul Cannell, August 2012.