Newcastle United Football Club: A Tradition Of Passion And Pride

Newcastle United Football Club: A Tradition Of Passion And Pride

Newcastle Football Club, also known as the toons, is a well-supported club in England and across the globe. The club is based out of Newcastle upon Tyne and Wear and plays all home games at St. James’ Park. The current owner of the club, Mike Ashley has been involved in several spats with club fans. The club has seen most of its success at the start of the 20th century and at the end of the same century (the first and last decade of the century). Newcastle United was founded at the end of the 19th century in 1892. The club formed as a result of the merger between the West End and East End. With such a long history, the club has managed to stay in the top division for more than 88 seasons. In the Premier League era, the club played every season barring three years. Newcastle’s trophy cabinet includes four League titles, six FA Cups, and several other domestic cups. The highest goalscorer for the club is still Allan Shearer with 206 goals. Some of the other club legends include Shay Given, Nicky Butt, Coloccini, Krul, Andy Cole, LeeClark, Paul Gascoigne, Kevin Keegan, Micky Burns, etc.

Newcastle Football Club’s Past

The club was founded in 1881 as a cricket club and a sports club. The East End and West End operated as two different clubs until the West merged with the East because of financial trouble. The name Newcastle United signifies the unification of both teams.

1. The 1900s – this was the most successful period in the club’s history. The club secured promotion to the first division only in 1899 or almost 10 years later. The club managed to win the First Division title three times in the decade, during 1905, 1907, and 1909. They managed to win the FA Cup in 1910 after losing in three previous finals in 5 years. The real success of the club during this timeframe can be attributed in large part to the intelligent signings that they were able to make at the turn of the century. Between 1903 and 1904, Newcastle signed the most skillful players that they were able to lay their hands on. They complemented to sign these stars with a panache for helping players reach their fullest potential both on and off the pitch. During this timeframe, players like Albert Shepherd, Jackie Rutherford, and Colin Veitch signed deals with the club. The abundant array of stars that the club had at its disposal was what gave them the push they needed to secure so many trophies. Sadly, they lost almost as many as they won as they repeatedly missed opportunity after opportunity to set a record in the FA Cup.

2. WW2 – During the 1930s, the club was relegated twice leading up to WW2. It took the club until after the war to secure promotion to the first division again. The club managed to win an FA Cup three times in five seasons in the early 1950s. Post these wins, the club started to decline again and got relegated in the 1960s. The period from the 1960s to the 1990s saw the club fluctuate between the top, first and second divisions of English Football. Again, for most of the club’s spell during this period, astute signings played a significant role in giving them a boost over the rest of their counterparts. With Jackie Milburn, Bobby Mitchell, Ivor Allchurch, and Len White to count on, the sky was the limit for the Magpies. Sadly, it was around this time that the club would start to recline as a result of less than stellar management efforts. The team, which was at the time still brimming with massive potential would slip into the First Division in 1961 due to the preferred management tactics of Charlie Mitten. Joe Harvey, a veteran of the club stepped in not long after and partnered with Stan Seymour to propel the club to the top as winners of the Second Division Champions. All would be well again and the image of the club even restored thanks to the energizing performance of star man, Malcolm Macdonald. But even with this, a major title remained elusive. Things began to look up after Gordon Lee stepped in as coach of the club before taking a nosedive again after the coach left the club to go and coach Everton.

3. The 1992-Era – 1992 was the start of the Premier League-era and it also meant new hopes for Newcastle Football Club. The club managed to finish 3rd in the league in their first season after promotion to the League. In the following years, Newcastle finished 2nd (1996 and 1997) and missed out narrowly on the Premier League. Some of the best players that featured for the club during this period include Les Ferdinand, Ginola, Shearer, etc. The club also qualified for Champions League football on several occasions (even beating Barcelona under Dalglish). This period in the club’s history might’ve ended on an even better not if numerous occurrences like the selling of some of the team’s very best players and a fierce power struggle in the boardroom hadn’t taken place. In the end, the club was left with a massive debt and was saved from a fall into third tier football only by the smart move of the new chairman of the club, John Hall, in appointing Kevin Keegan as coach of the Magpies. The combined efforts of these two individuals proved to be just what the team need to get back on its feet and become a major force in the second division.

Newcastle’s Present

When Mike Ashley took over Newcastle Football Club, he paid 5p/share on the LSE to become the owner of the club. The club has been relegated twice in the Premier League era, however, securing qualification back to the EPL the next season. The owner has been accused by fans of not investing in the club, facilities, or players. In fact, the owner planned to sell the club on three separate instances but rescinded his offer at some point. The club was recently in talks to be acquired by a Saudi consortium, but the deal was blocked by British MPs. Steve Bruce was the manager of Newcastle United and was supposed to be appointed until 2022. However, following the takeover of the club by Public Investment Fund, PCP Capital partners, and RB Sports & Media, Bruce was relieved following some poor performances on the pitch. He was replaced by Eddie Howe in November of 2021. Some of the key squad players include Longstaff, Carroll, Maximin, Ritchie, Wilson, Manquillo, Fraser, Yedlin, Almiron, etc.

Newcastle’s Future

Newcastle Football Club has had ups and downs, and a lot of successful periods in between. However, given where things stand, it’s important that the club has an owner not only motivated by financial incentives but also wants his club to compete on a higher level. For Newcastle to finish in the top half of the table, it’s going to take consistency before they can mount a top-7 and then a top-4 finish. Newcastle will have better luck at domestic competitions and trophies over the next few years before they can cement themselves as a top Premier League club again.