19-Sep-1999 + Premier League + Attendance 36,619
Newcastle United 8 Hughes 11, Shearer 30, 33(p), 42, 81, 84(p), Dyer 46, Speed 78
Sheffield Wednesday 0
SIR BOBBY ROBSON ushered in his reign with an eight-goal haul in a remarkable first home game at St James Park - and thus began the transformation which would ultimately take United from the depths of the relegation zone to the last 16 of the Champions League.
Taking place the day before my 16th birthday, I listened to the radio in amazement as a team of apparent no-hopers had the game won by half time. Alan Shearer, of course, was vital to the resurgence and, on this afternoon, he scored five goals for a Premier League record which he still jointly holds with Andy Cole, Jermain Defoe and Dimitar Berbatov.
The rout actually began with a header from Aaron Hughes on 11 minutes before Shearer then added a 12-minute hat-trick. Normally, that would be it - but Kieron Dyer ensured the goalscoring continued straight after the break and, while Sheffield Wednesday were able to stem the tide for over half an hour, they were powerless to stop a final wave of attacking, the late Gary Speed scoring a trademark header before Shearer added two more.
What a turnaround! Heading into the match, Shearer was out of the team and United had picked up just one point from 21 to sit second bottom. The only team below them was Wednesday who went down at the end of the season, and have yet to return to the top flight. By contrast, Newcastle finished their campaign in 11th place, 19 points clear of the drop on 52, having scored 63 goals, more than anyone outside the top two of Manchester United and Arsenal.
18-Dec-2001 + Premier League + Attendance 38,012
Arsenal 1 Pires 20
Newcastle United 3 O'Brien 60, Shearer 86(p), Robert 90
NEWCASTLE arrived at Highbury having failed to win in London since 1997 - a 30-match streak which included three defeats in three seasons at Wembley in two FA Cup Finals and an FA Cup semi. It therefore came as no surprise when United went 1-0 down to Arsenal in the opening 20 minutes. Here we go again, we all thought - but United's comeback in their previous home game against Blackburn Rovers was a sign of things to come and Robson's men were handed a lifeline when Ray Parlour was sent off for a second booking on the stroke of half-time.
Invigorated, the Magpies were like a different team after the break and scored a well-deserved equaliser through the unlikely source of Andy O'Brien as the big defender flicked in a near-post header. In a testy match, however, referee Graham Poll then evened up the sides by giving a straight red card to Craig Bellamy for catching Ashley Cole in the face on the turn - even though television replays showed the contact to be accidental. With the fastest outlet in Bellamy now off the pitch, hopes of ending the London hoodoo appeared to go with him.
Not so. Instead, with time running out, Sol Campbell was harshly adjudged to have brought down Laurent Robert and Alan Shearer scored the resulting spot-kick. Then, with Arsene Wenger's men chasing an equaliser, it got even better as Robert himself cracked in a third. The two-goal victory was enough to take Newcastle to the top of the Premier League on goal difference and Robson's side stayed there for Christmas Day after beating Leeds United 4-3 at Elland Road in another thrilling comeback win.
Indeed, Newcastle maintained a title challenge until early March when a side, weakened by injury, lost successive games to Arsenal at St James Park and Liverpool at Anfield - and, even then, the Magpies still recovered to finish fourth and qualify for the Champions League...
13-Nov-2002 + Champions League group phase + Attendance 45,000
Feyenoord 2 Bombarda 65, Lurling 71
Newcastle United 3 Bellamy 45, 90, Viana 49
NEWCASTLE made Champions League history - and in fact still hold the honour of being the only team in the competition to lose their first three group games and yet still progress to the next stage. Yes indeed, the early forays into that season's competition had not been a success as a 2-0 defeat away to Dynamo Kiev was followed up by a 1-0 home loss to Feyenoord and then a 2-0 reverse in the Stadio delle Alpi against Juventus.
The turnaround began against the Turin club at St James Park as full-back Andy Griffin scrambled home a second-half winner - before Kiev were also beaten at home thanks to Speed and Shearer. Somehow, Newcastle had survived until the final matchday - but still needed to win while hoping already-qualified Juventus accounted for Kiev.
The Italians held up their end of the deal, winning 2-1 in Ukraine - but Newcastle looked like blowing their chance of a place in the Last 16 despite taking a 2-0 lead with goals either side of half time from Bellamy and Hugo Viana. Deep into stoppage time, Newcastle launched one last attack as Shearer knocked down a Nikos Dabizas punt to Dyer who beat his man and shot towards goal. Goalkeeper Patrick Lodewijks saved but could not hold the stinging effort - instead, the ball rebounded to Bellamy - and the Welshman slammed home a winner in Rotterdam from close range. Glorious.
11-Mar-2003 + Champions League second group phase + Attendance 53,459
Internazionale 2 Vieri 47, Cordoba 60
Newcastle United 2 Shearer 42, 49
THE SECOND stage of that season's Champions League was also in a group format and, again Newcastle started badly, losing 4-1 to Internazionale at home and 3-1 to Barcelona in the Nou Camp before Christmas.
On the resumption, in February, things turned around somewhat with back-to-back wins against Bayer Leverkusen featuring an Alan Shearer hat-trick at St James before the Lion of Gosforth would take centre stage at the San Siro in the return match against Internazionale.
Ultimately, this was not a victory - but Shearer strained every sinew in attempting to make it so, converting a Bellamy cross to give United a half-time lead, and then restoring the advantage almost immediately after Christian Vieri had equalised early in the second half.
Inter scored a second equaliser from a dubious free-kick and Newcastle then officially went out of the competition in a 2-0 home defeat to Barcelona. But, while the outcome still tastes bittersweet, that night in the San Siro will generally be remembered as the peak of Robson's reign at Newcastle.
A month later, a decent title challenge collapsed in a 6-2 home defeat to Manchester United - and, though the Magpies went onto finish third, a reverse in the Champions League qualifiers to Partizan Belgrade at the start of the 2003-04 season sent Newcastle out of Europe's premier competition early. United have not played in it since...
22-Apr-2004 + UEFA Cup semi final, first leg + Attendance 52,004
Newcastle United 0
Olympique Marseille 0
INSTEAD, Newcastle were given the consolation that season of a place in the UEFA Cup, making serene progress in the knockout competition against the likes of NAC Breda, FC Basel, Valerenga and Real Mallorca. The 3-2 aggregate quarter final success over PSV Eindhoven was tougher - but victory in that tie had set up Newcastle's first major European semi final in 35 years.
Marseille lay in wait - and, spearheaded by a certain Didier Drogba, the French side would eventually prevail in the tie 2-0 on aggregate after winning by that score in the second leg on the south of France. Despite that ultimate outcome, though, I will never forget the tangible feeling of one last bit of hope when walking out of St James Park after a goalless first leg.
In fairness, this match only gets included for that context as Newcastle did not play all that well even at home. Marseille largely dominated proceedings and Drogba hit the inside of the post. Nevertheless, their lack of an away goal meant Newcastle would be favourites to go through if they could score the first goal at the Velodrome.
Of course, a Drogba double snuffed out that fairytale and then several others after he joined Chelsea that summer. Meanwhile, Robson never managed another European game again for Newcastle as he was sacked just four games into the new campaign.
It was a sad end for Robson - but these matches - among some others of the same era - are likely to stay my happiest, and certainly most raucous days as a Newcastle fan. As a student, I remember them as largely carefree days - and the fact that Robson provided a team which could challenge, if not quite succeed, at home and abroad, made the whole period feel extra special. Halcyon days, indeed.
Even now, five years after his death, Sir Bobby continues to contribute to the goodwill of the region, the charity founded by him and still bearing his name having raised £7.3m for cancer research. Truly, another brilliant achievement from an outstanding man.
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