5 Classic Games In Newcastle United History
Newcastle United has an extensive history that dates back to 1892 when Newcastle’s West End and East End merged, and since then, there have been thousands of matches played by the club. Out of all of those matches, some stand out as being the best in the club’s history. From winning major trophies to beating rivals that had gotten the upper hand on them before, these matches highlight the peaks of Newcastle United.
Biggest Premier League Win
Newcastle United has had a lot of success throughout its history, but they’ve never really been the type of club to completely decimate another club in Premier League play. That would change on the eighth matchday of the 1999-2000 season, however. On that day, Newcastle took on Sheffield Wednesday, and Aaron Hughes made it a 1-0 match in favor of Newcastle in the 11th minute.
Alan Shearer then added three more goals in the first half, including a penalty kick in the 33rd minute. Newcastle didn’t let up in the second half, with Shearer scoring two more goals while Kieron Dyer and Gary Speed each netted one. Newcastle United wrapped up the match with an 8-0 victory, which would be their largest in Premier League history. Of course, Sheffield Wednesday would be relegated at the end of the season while Newcastle finished 11th.
1955 FA Cup Final
Newcastle United has won the FA Cup six times throughout its history, but those came many decades ago. Newcastle last won the FA Cup in 1955, and the finals went down as one of the best matches in Newcastle’s history. The club joined in the tournament during the third round, defeating Plymouth Argyle 1-0. They then went on to defeat Brentford, Nottingham Forest, Huddersfield Town, and York City to reach the finals.
There, Manchester City awaited them after defeating Sunderland. Newcastle stunned all 100,000 people at Wembley in the first minute of the finals when Jackie Milburn scored a goal in the first minute. Just before the half, Robert Johnstone tied it up, but Newcastle came out strong in the second half. Robert Mitchell and George Hannah scored in the 52nd and 59th minute, respectively, giving Newcastle United the FA Cup.
Fairs Cup Champions
Prior to being replaced by the UEFA Europa League Cup, teams played for the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. The tournament was held in cities that hosted trade fairs but then blossomed into a popular tournament before being replaced in the early 1970s. During one of the final Inter-Cities Fairs Cup tourneys, Newcastle United won the title.
On their way to the final, Newcastle defeated Sporting Clube de Portugal, Real Zaragoza, Vitoria de Setubal, and Rangers FC on their way to the finals. They faced Hungarian team Ujpest FC, and in the first leg of the finals all but clinched the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. After no goals from either club in the first half, Robert Moncur scored twice in 10 minutes while James Scott netted a goal to make it a 3-0 victory.
Reaching the EFL Finals
In 1976, Newcastle United reached the finals of the Football League/EFL Cup, but it would take nearly a half-century until the club returned. Finally, in 2022-23, Newcastle had a great run during the tournament that took them all the way to the finals. Newcastle joined in the second round, defeating Tranmere Rovers.
They then advanced past Crystal Palace on penalty kicks before beating Bournemouth and Leicester City. Newcastle didn’t win the finals against Manchester United but had a semifinal to remember. In the first leg, Newcastle defeated Southampton 1-0 with Joelinto netting a goal in the 73rd minute. In the second leg, Sean Longstaff made sure that Newcastle made it to the finals by scoring in the fifth and 21st minutes. Southampton scored in the 29th minute, but Newcastle hung on to advance.
Revenge Against Man U
Manchester United, one of the biggest names in the Premier League, has often been the thorn in Newcastle’s side while the club tries to make its way to the top of the standings. The 1995-96 Premier League season was no exception, as Man U kept Newcastle from winning its first Football League/Premier League title in nearly 70 years. Not only that, but Man U had beaten Newcastle 4-0 to win the 1996 Charity Shield.
On the 10th matchday of the 1996-97 Premier League season, Newcastle got its revenge. Riding a six-match win streak into the game, Newcastle got off to a good start when Darren Peacock scored in the 12th minute. The club added four more goals, all of them scored by different players, finishing the revenge match with a 5-0 win in front of a sold-out St. James’ Park crowd.
