NEWCASTLE UNITED
GOLDEN MOMENTS OF THE PAST
IF you where to look at the history books, you could be forgiven for
thinking Newcastle United are a sleeping giant. They haven't topped
the pile at the end of a season since the 1920's, while silverware of any
description has been a rare sight in the St. James' Park boardroom in recent
years. But winning isn't everything, and the entertainment provided
by the Magpies over the last century and a bit has been breathtaking, with
players from Hughie Gallagher through Milburn to Keegan, Waddle and Gascoigne
and of course £15 million man Alan Shearer.
Click here to look back on the golden years that came within the Keegan
era.
GOALS GALORE!
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Newcastle have recorded double figures in a game on a number of occations,
notably 16 in the Alberta game where Milburn bagged six. Only once
has this been acheived in the league, a 13-0 scoreline agaisnt Newport
County in 1946 which seems unlikely to ever be beaten agaisnt todays well
drilled defences. That season Newcastle scored 109 goals in league
and cup, yet when they bettere it in 1951-52 with 113, they surprisingly
only finished eighth in division one. The FA cup was some consolation.
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When Andy Cole racked up his 40th goal of 1993-94 to break George Robledo's
and Hughie Gallagher's long-standing club record of 39 goalsin a season,
he confirmed his status in Geordie Folklore. Cole's stay at the club
was reletivaly brief and he found initially goals more difficult to come
by after his move to Manchester United, but his Magpies, total of 55 in
70 league appearences compares favourably with any of the club greats.
In more recent years although Newcastle have shown poor form in the domestic
league they have had a good run in the FA cup, when in 1998 and 1999 they
made the FA cup final. However with the success in the FA cup 'The
Toon Army' has been able to maintaine european football, and at times have
shown some amazing football
Newcastle United 3 Barcelona 2
17 September 1997
European Cup Group C
Having been hammered 3-1 by Wimbledon in the Premiership four days
earlier, and the Chairman Sir John Hall announcing his retirement, Newcastle
went into there clash with mighty Barcelona in chastened mood. Yet
such was their command that a local Spanish radio station back home reported
'Barcelona have been destroyed by wave upon wave of newcastle attacks'.
And faustino Asprilla's hatrick in 26 minutes will remain in the
minds of Geordies for evermore.
Newcastle United 5 Manchester City 0
29 October 1983
League Division Two
Goals and victories were not uncommon events doring the promotion season
of 1983-84 but this victory over City is regarded as being as good as anything
seen during Keegans first comming. This was a game where everything
seemed to come together at the same time; the defence rock-solid, and Peter
Beardsley's performance, where he scored a hat-trick, the first by a Newcastle
player at St. James's Park since Alan Gowling in 1976.
United were a goal up within ten minutes through
Beardsley but suprisingly it took untill nearly half-time before Keegan
added the secound to the score sheet after a cross from Waddle. The
secound 45 minutes found the magpies playing some devastating football
and, on the hour, Beardsley snapped up a rebound from the goalkeeper for
number three.
