I have been a Newcastle United supporter since the early 1970s. As fate would have it, my fifty-year stretch of fandom just happens to have coincided with the least successful period in the club's history. Whilst the teams of England's north-west have basked in the glory of limitless success in this time, their contemporaries across the country in the poor old north-east have virtually nowt to show for their endeavours. Sunderland last tasted success in the 1973 FA Cup Final, Middlesbrough's only major trophy, ever, was the 2004 League Cup, and as for 'The Toon', well, let's not think too hard about it, shall we?
I was a mere four-years-old when NUFC lifted their last piece of genuine silverware, the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, in 1969. So, of course, I can't remember it. When a Supermac-inspired Newcastle reached the FA Cup Final in 1974, I was sat in front of the telly with my full B&W kit on fully expecting us to wallop Bill Shankly's Liverpool. I was to be sorely disappointed, of course. Keegan hit two for the Reds in a three-nil humiliation, and the die was cast for my football-following career.
The 1976 League Cup Final wasn't even shown on the telly. I occupied myself with a visit to Whitley Bay Pool (with its wave machine!), only to find upon exiting the changing rooms that Newcastle-born and ex-Sunderland player Dennis Tueart had scored a particularly spectacular winner to send the Geordies home on the end of a 2-1 beating at the hands of Man City. More disappointment. Maybe I should try to get myself to Wembley in person next time, I thought. Perhaps I will bring them some luck.
Wind forward exactly twenty years and I was still waiting for another major Wembley final for my team. By this time, the national stadium's days were numbered: a new Wembley was in the offing, and it seemed likely that I would never get to go to the old ground before its revamp. Then, after we spectacularly blew our chance of winning the Premier League title in the spring of 1996, we were invited to take part in the summer's Charity Shield match ... at Wembley. In case you don't know, this season-opening, glamour friendly is usually played between the previous term's league champions and FA Cup winners. But as Man United had done the league and cup 'Double', we got the invite for the London showpiece in August 1996.
As I thought that this would be my last chance to visit the old Wembley Stadium, I pulled out all the stops to secure myself a ticket and get to the game. Now, the story is a long and complex one, but suffice to say it was quite possibly the worst experience of my football-following life. We lost 4-0, and I really would just like to leave it there, if you don't mind.
After the Wembley rebuild was put back a couple of times, I somewhat unexpectedly found myself back at the stadium in both the 1998 and 1999 FA Cup Finals ... only to see The Lads lose out again, both times (2-0 to Arsenal, then 2-0 again, to Man Utd). Amazingly, in 2000, I was back AGAIN: this time we at least managed to score a goal, but lost 2-1 to Chelsea in the FA Cup Semi-Final. Four visits, four defeats, one goal for, ten against. I was beginning to think it was my fault.
The club was, no doubt, initially delighted to learn that I decided to stay away from this year's League Cup Final at the 'new' Wembley Stadium. But it didn't make any difference as we lost once again without my help - this time 2-0 to Man United. But then, just a couple of weeks ago, I found myself London-bound for another visit. This time it was to see my 'other' team, Gateshead FC - or 'The Heed', as they're known. It was my wife's idea, actually, and the two of us sat for twelve hours on a coach for the return day-trip to the capital ... and I needn't tell you, but my team LOST AGAIN, 1-0 v Halifax in a God-awful game. Deary me.
Afterwards, as we sat on the bus in the coach park waiting for everyone to board, I overheard a conversation in which a chap (who must, like me, have been a Toon and Heed fan) make a startling confession to his mate. Turns out that he'd been to Wembley NINE times in his lifetime to watch Newcastle/Gateshead, and he'd witnessed NINE defeats. I'm guessing it was this little lot:
1974 FA Cup Final - Newcastle 0, Liverpool 3
1976 League Cup Final - Newcastle 1, Man City 2
1996 Charity Shield - Newcastle 0, Man Utd 4
1998 FA Cup Final - Newcastle 0, Arsenal 2
1999 FA Cup Final - Newcastle 0, Man Utd 2
2000 FA Cup Semi Final - Newcastle 1, Chelsea 2
2014 Conference Play-Off Final - Gateshead 1, Cambridge 2
2023 League Cup Final - Newcastle 0, Man Utd 2
2023 FA Trophy Final - Gateshead 0, Halifax 1
Honestly, you couldn't make it up.
No comments:
Post a Comment