'Field of dreams for 50,000 Newcastle United fans with first domestic trophy since 1955'
Mirror March 17, 2025 07:39 AM

So this is what it feels like. After a lifetime of near misses, and 70 years of hurt since our last domestic trophy, I must admit that I had to choke back the emotions as the second goal went in.

Before this hard earned 2-1 victory over Liverpool, had lost on every visit to Wembley since Jackie Milburn led them to a 3-1 win against Manchester City in the 1955 FA Cup final.

Finally, it was the Toon fans who were there to cheer at the final whistle as Eddie Howe's side celebrated a well deserved victory with the team captain Bruno Guimaraes holding the Carabao Cup aloft.

The Toon's losing streak was enough to test the loyalty of arguably the most devoted football fans in the land. And yet still they kept coming, in their tens of thousands, to see the United of the modern era attempt to write their names into club history.

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I was here two years ago when they lost to Manchester United in the same fixture, and saw two consecutive defeats in the FA Cup finals of 1998 and 1999 to Arsenal and Manchester United respectively.

This time around, it was typical of United that they should do it when we least expected it, after losing two key players, Anthony Gordon and Lewis Hall, to suspension and injury, as we faced the best team in the Premier League.

Ant and Dec danced with delight as the goals went in and there was a huge cheer before the game for Alan Shearer as he appeared on the Wembley scoreboard, not with his name on the goalsheet this time but clapping and cheering for his team.

There were unforgettable scenes as the Geordie faithful roared at the final whistle. For the first time in a lifetime, the 30,000 supporters in the stadium, and thousands more around the world, saw a Newcastle United team climb the steps as winners.

I was at junior school, in the Toon scarf I wore here, when a Kevin Keegan-inspired Liverpool beat us 3-0 in the 1974 FA Cup final.

I was at the League Cup semi-final in 1976, but did not get a ticket to see a Dennis Tueart overhead kick break our hearts with a spectacular winner in the final at the old Wembley.

Alan Shearer's debut turned into a nightmare in the 1996 charity shield when we lost 4-0 to Man Utd.

Arsenal clinched the League and Cup double with the 1998 FA Cup; Kenny Dalglish's team were well-beaten. As a reward, then Mirror editor and Arsenal fan Piers Morgan sent me to cover the Gunners' victory parade for the paper. My how I laughed at that one.

In 1999, Manchester United were en route to a historic treble with their 2-0 victory. And I was at Wembley again when Rob Lee scored in the 2-1 FA Cup semi final defeat to Chelsea.

So this has been a long time coming. The fans went wild as manager Eddie Howe held the cup above his head at the final whistle. There are already calls to give him a knighthood, but he will always be a 'Sir' on Tyneside.

To see giant Geordie Dan Burn score in the week he was chosen for England for the first time really was the stuff of fairytales.

He had the Man of the Match trophy along with a Sam Fender Toon top at the final whistle, and few deserved it more.

Burn worked his way up from hometown club Blyth Spartans, and doing shifts in his local Asda at 16, to be a winner for the team he has supported since childhood.

He wrote his name into Geordie folklore, as Toon fans prepared for a 'Burns Night' like no other.

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