England and India feel the agony and ecstasy in equal measure

20-24 June	INDIA 471 & 364 ENGLAND 465 & 373-5	ENGLAND won by five wickets	Headingley
2-6 July	INDIA 587 & 427-6 dec ENGLAND 407 & 271	INDIA won by 336 runs	Edgbaston
10-14 July	ENGLAND 387 & 192 INDIA 387 & 170	ENGLAND won by 22 runs	Lord's
23-27 July	INDIA 358 & 425-4 ENGLAND 669	DRAWN	Old Trafford
31-4 August	INDIA 224 & 396 ENGLAND 247 & 367	INDIA won by six runs	The Oval

INDIA pipped England by six runs to secure a 2-2 draw as an engrossing five-Test series concluded in thrilling fashion at the Oval. 

At 11:56am on the 25th day of cricket in the series out of a possible 25, player of the match Mohammed Siraj breached Gus Atkinson's defences - and the Indian fielders huddled together in joy as they celebrated their closest ever win in Tests. 

In fairness, across the seven weeks as a whole, a draw was a fair result - and both sides will be left to reflect on several spurned opportunities each. 

First, the ghosts of 2022 returned to haunt the tourists as England chased down an unlikely target of 371 to take the opening match at Headingley. 

Back in the early days of Bazball in July 2022, England chased 378 for the loss of only three wickets in a rearranged match against India at Edgbaston as Joe Root (142*) and Jonny Bairstow (114*) shared a glorious unbeaten stand of 269. 

This time, the damage was done at the top of the order as Zak Crawley (65) and Ben Duckett (149) set up the pursuit brilliantly before Root (53*) and wicketkeeper Jamie Smith (44*) finished things off. 

In the second Test at Edgbaston, though, the tourists made no mistake as their new captain Shubman Gill enjoyed something of a magnum opus. 

Gill headed into the series with an underwhelming average of 35.05 - but, having already scored 147 in the first innings at Lord's, the 25-year-old propelled his team to a comprehensive victory in Birmingham with 269 and 161. 

As such, Gill became the first player to record scores in excess of 250 and 150 in the same Test - as India made 587 and 427-6 declared to thrash England by the huge margin of 336 runs. 

Yet Stokes's men then responded brilliantly in a nerve-shredding third Test at Lord's where the teams were level on first innings and the sparks really began to fly. 

In a fascinating turn of events, India's innings ended at 6.14pm, shortly before the close of Day Three, leaving England openers Crawley and Duckett with around 10 minutes of batting during which they had very little to gain and their precious wicket to lose. 

And so we entered pantomime season. 

From the fifth ball of the England innings, delivered by Jasprit Bumrah, Crawley was hit on the glove and received treatment for long enough that only a measly single over was possible, much to the annoyance of the Indians. 

“Grow some f**king balls!” screamed skipper Gill to Crawley as the Kent man indulged in his delaying tactics. 

If anything, though, Crawley's time-wasting merely served to fire up the Indian bowlers on the following day as England struggled their way to a score of 192 - and fellow opener Duckett received an aggressive send-off from Siraj for which the seamer was fined 15% of his match fee. 

Notably, that was not Siraj's last contribution to this match as India then similarly struggled on a deteriorating Day Five pitch. 

At 112-8 on the stroke of lunch, the tourists were still 81 short of their target and England looked to have the win in the bag. 

Wily Ravindra Jadeja remained at the crease, however - and the 36-year-old expertly managed the strike with tail-enders Bumrah and then Siraj. 

But the prospect of the second new ball seemed to spook Jadeja into a change of tack with runs taking on a greater emphasis as the victory line moved ever closer.  

To be fair to him, Siraj largely batted well and did his job - until suddenly he didn't. 

Facing Shoaib Bashir, who was bowling his off-spin with a broken finger sustained while batting, Siraj looked to have made another safe block from the fifth ball of the 75th over. 

As the ball hit the pitch though, some wicked back-spin took it past the unsuspecting Siraj and clunked into leg stump, removing one of the bails to bring a decidedly odd end to a fantastic match. 

Elated England thus squeaked the win by 22 runs, regaining the lead in the series at 2-1 with two matches to play - and the hosts set about pressing home their advantage after winning the toss for the fourth time out of four at the start of the Test at Old Trafford. 

However, Manchester decided not to play ball - and a slow flat pitch produced a largely mind-numbing encounter as an aggregate of 1,452 runs were scored for the loss of 14 wickets in only the second draw out of 33 matches in the Bazball era. 

Old Trafford was also the venue for the first draw which arguably cost England their greatest Ashes series comeback of all time as typical Manchester rain intervened to wipe out almost two days of play. 

Notably, all six Lancashire matches at the ground in the County Championship have also ended in draws. 

Simply put, Old Trafford might not be able to do much about the rain - but, for all the tradition at the venue, it can also do so much better. 

There were still some notable moments as Root compiled a 38th century - fourth on the all-time list - and went second on the all-time list of Test run scorers. 

For the record, the Yorkshireman finished the series with 39 tons and 13,543 career Test runs, 2,378 behind legendary Indian record-holder Sachin Tendulkar. 

But perhaps the match will be most remembered for Jadeja rejecting Stokes's handshake on a draw as he approached a fifth Test century on a ridiculously placid surface. 

Now, normally Stokes can be generally considered to have good judgement on a cricket field - and, in this matter, he was only acting in line with the ingrained tradition that a captain offers his hand after deciding victory was no longer possible. 

At the same time, Jadeja and Washington Sundar were well within their rights to bat on, especially the latter given that the pitch pretty much guaranteed him a maiden Test century. 

Indeed, this was an incident rather blown out of all proportion - compared to the rather more questionable behaviour of the India coach Gautam Gambhir as he ended up in an unsavoury row with pitch curator Lee Fortis ahead of the fifth Test at the Oval. 

Then again, it was perhaps no surprise Gambhir wanted a closer look at the first proper green-top of the series - and, under the clouds, it was equally unsurprising that England opted to bowl after winning the toss yet again despite fielding a much-changed bowling attack. 

Over the course of the series, England selected no fewer than nine frontline bowlers with only Chris Woakes appearing in all five matches. 

Even he eventually ended up as a complete wreck after sustaining a suspected dislocated shoulder on the opening day at the Oval. 

So, while not exactly helped by such docile surfaces in a sun-baked summer, the English attack without James Anderson and Stuart Broad is a major cause for concern - especially ahead of an away Ashes series. 

Jofra Archer bowled well when called upon but remains largely wrapped up in cotton wool given his horrendous injury record. 

Meanwhile, the only other genuine 90mph bowler, Mark Wood, did not feature at all as he continues to recover from a crocked knee. 

As such, it was skipper Stokes, an all-rounder, who was often the most threatening England bowler - but, having taken on 35 overs in the fourth Test, he also ruled himself out of playing the finale. 

England missed him badly at the Oval - bowling erratically and fielding worse - though the hosts were understandably damaged by a further injury, this time to Woakes, as they were left effectively with just a three-man seam-only attack. 

Indeed, at 177-2 and 229-4 in their second innings, India had the chance to bat England out of the contest entirely - but, the improving Josh Tongue earned a second Test five-for as the visitors were dismissed for 396. 

The mouth-watering target for England was 374 - historically difficult but in exactly the same ballpark as the chase at Headingley and several others in the Bazball era. 

At lunch on Day Four, the hosts were rebuilding with Root and Harry Brook at 164-3 following another under-par second innings effort of 27 from stand-in captain Ollie Pope. 

Twin centurions Root and Brook extended their partnership to 195 as Siraj had another moment to forget after stepping on the boundary rope while catching Brook at fine leg. 

In keeping with the series though, India roared back as Brook lost control of his bat while holing out shortly before tea and the returning Jacob Bethell was bowled by Prasidh Krishna shortly after. 

However, before a heavy shower and bad light brought a premature close of play, India put themselves right back in with a chance as Root feathered behind with England still 37 runs short. 

Smith, Jamie Overton and Tongue offered only limited resistance on Day Five - and Woakes, with his arm in a sling under his whites, made his way tenderly to the crease to join Atkinson. 

Then, amazingly, India - on top at last - briefly lost their nerve as Atkinson slogged Siraj for six, then Woakes managed to get to the other end off the last ball for a bye to stay off strike. 

From the next over, bowled by Prasidh, Woakes somehow defied absolute agony to run two before another single off the last again kept Atkinson on strike with seven runs needed to win. 

But Siraj, who had an extraordinary series of ups and downs, was too good for his English counterpart - and, as the ball clattered into off-stump, the Indian's rollercoaster campaign finished on a big high with a fifth career five-for in Tests. 

It ensured, of course, that India matched their 2-2 series score from 2021-22 - while the last Ashes series also finished 2-2. 

So, while England certainly make a conscious effort not to play for draws, there is a frustrating irony in the fact that their three biggest home series since 2022 have all finished level.


CENTURIES
  INDIA 12-9 ENGLAND

269	Shubman Gill	India	Second Test, Edgbaston (1)
184*	Jamie Smith	England	Second Test, Edgbaston (2)
161	Shubman Gill	India	Second Test, Edgbaston (3)
158	Harry Brook	England	Second Test, Edgbaston (2)
150	Joe Root	England	Fourth Test, Old Trafford (2)
149	Ben Duckett	England	First Test, Headingley (4)
147	Shubman Gill	India	First Test, Headingley (1)
141	Ben Stokes	England	Fourth Test, Old Trafford (2)
137	KL Rahul	India	First Test, Headingley (3)
134	Rishabh Pant	India	First Test, Headingley (1)
118	Rishabh Pant	India	First Test, Headingley (3)
118	Yashasvi Jaiswal	India	Fifth Test, The Oval (3)
111	Harry Brook	England	Fifth Test, The Oval (4)
107*	Ravindra Jadeja	India	Fourth Test, Old Trafford (3)
106	Ollie Pope	England	First Test, Headingley (2)
105	Joe Root	England	Fifth Test, The Oval (4)
104	Joe Root	England	Third Test, Lord's (1)
103	Shubman Gill	India	Fourth Test, Old Trafford (3)
101*	Washington Sundar	India	Fourth Test, Old Trafford (3)
101	Yashasvi Jaiswal	India	First Test, Headingley (1)
100	KL Rahul	India	Third Test, Lord's (2)

FIVE-FORS
  INDIA 5-3 ENGLAND

6-70	Mohammed Siraj	India	Second Test, Edgbaston (2)
6-99	Akash Deep	India	Second Test, Edgbaston (4)
5-33	Gus Atkinson	England	Fifth Test, The Oval (1)
5-72	Ben Stokes	England	Fourth Test, Old Trafford (1)
5-74	Jasprit Bumrah	India	Third Test, Lord's (1)
5-83	Jasprit Bumrah	India	First Test, Headingley (2)
5-104	Mohammed Siraj	India	Fifth Test, The Oval (4)
5-125	Josh Tongue	England	Fifth Test, The Oval (3)

Glastonbury 2025: Work hard, play harder

GLASTONBURY Festival provided for an altogether different experience in 2025 even though this was my eighth visit to Worthy Farm.

This year, for the first time, I volunteered as an Oxfam steward, taking on three eight-hour shifts - and, as such, I felt an even more heightened sense of anticipatory anxiety ahead of the Festival than usual.

What if I quite frankly was not fit enough to do a full week in a tent? What if I was rubbish at what I was being asked to do?

What if it rained all week and I just could not hack being damp and miserable for that long?

But I really needn't have worried - particularly with regards to any prospect of a washout.

WORK HARD

OXFAM requires its volunteers to arrive at Glastonbury Festival by Tuesday at the latest - and, better still, by Monday evening.

Therefore, I booked the 11:31 train from Newcastle to arrive at Castle Cary - the nearest station to the Festival site - at 18:14 on Monday 23 June.

An early problem presented itself at Doncaster where my connecting Hull Trains service to London Kings Cross was cancelled as a result of industrial action - and so I hastily gathered all of my stuff on the platform and reboarded my initial train all the way to the capital.

In London, I diverted from the direct route between Kings Cross and Paddington to buy some tent pegs on Tottenham Court Road - and so it was only once I boarded the service to Somerset that I was able to feel a little more relaxed about everything.

From Castle Cary, I bit the bullet and took a rather expensive taxi to Blue Gate near the Oxfield but gladly made it on time to register.

There, I received my all-important luminous tabard, my briefing pack including my shift times, my ID lanyard and wristbands, and my meal and shower vouchers.

My shift times and areas were confirmed as follows:

• Wednesday 25 June - Pedestrian Gate A - 05:45-14:00
• Thursday 26 June - Vehicle Gate 5 - 13:45-22:00
• Saturday 28 June - Pedestrian Gate D - 21:45-06:00

In short, I had hit the jackpot!

These were great shifts to be allocated with two of them completed even before the main stages kicked off and an overnight stint during which the only significant artist appearances were the Saturday night headliners.

For the rest of Monday, I took a whistle-stop wander around bits of the site before, tired from the long journey from the North East, I got myself cozied up in my sleeping bag for my first night in a week of tent-dwelling.

At that stage, my mind was still racing about just what I had let myself in for - but an entertaining, though mandatory, hour-long briefing - delivered on Tuesday at 3pm - provided some guidance and reassurance.

During the briefing, we learned about the different roles to be undertaken, the security features of the various tickets, and the support available to us.

However, there was a disappointing lack of specific information about working on Vehicle Gates (see shift 2 below).

Nevertheless, we were advised that a far more detailed briefing would be delivered by a supervisor at the start of each of our shifts during which our exact roles would be allocated.

The remainder of Tuesday was unquestionably a time to try and relax, and I made a quick tour of a few of the crew bars available to staff and volunteers before the Festival gates open such as Maceos, the Tow and Hitch, and a couple of others.

Still, I returned to the tent around 10pm for a responsibly early night ahead of my first ever work at Glastonbury Festival, starting at 5.45am!

Shift 1 - Wednesday 25 June
at Pedestrian Gate A - 05:45-14:00

Now, anyone who has ever known me will be aware that my attendance at a pre-6am shift was almost a miraculous effort in itself.

However, I quickly realised that this was the place to be for my first ever shift. Pedestrian Gate A almost always attracts the television cameras and Glastonbury glitterati for its proximity to the Festival bus station.

Allocated a standard ticket-checking and scanning role, there was palpable feeling of nerves and excitement ahead of the official opening of the gates shortly before 8am.

And then came a real lump-in-the-throat moment as Emily Eavis helped her father Michael out of a vehicle in a wheelchair to acknowledge the crowds as a small band played the theme from Chariots of Fire.

Thereafter, it was down to work - except it did not really feel like work to offer a warm welcome to everyone who had waited so patiently outside.

The shift was notable for one runner who appeared to evade Security - and a couple of other punters who, without the correct credentials, were dealt with effectively.

But, while part of the role of the Oxfam steward was to be on the lookout for anything that did not look or feel right, most of the eight hours passed by steadily, with only the sharply-rising temperature beyond midday causing any sort of discomfort.

The end of the first shift produced a little surge of confidence in myself - and I knew, after a decent rest, that I could enjoy the rest of Wednesday in the knowledge that I had done my bit to get the party started...

Shift 2 - Thursday 26 June
at Vehicle Gate 5 - 13:45-22:00

From a busy Pedestrian Gate on Wednesday to a nearby busy Vehicle Gate on the following afternoon - this was a rather different, and initially extremely confusing, experience as a team of four of us managed two lanes of traffic heading into the Festival.

My senses were heightened by the constant hum of idling engines as they waited at the checkpoint with some larger vehicles - trucks and tour buses, most notably - having kicked up a lot of dust on yet another scorching afternoon.

For sure, there was a different type of clientele on this shift than the excited punters on the day prior with the arrival instead of loads of production staff, delivery workers as well as site worker and hospitality tickets.

Performers and their guests were also beginning to arrive - including Joe Goddard of Hot Chip and some friends of the Alabama 3 - though presumably the Oxfam volunteers over the weekend had the opportunity to be a little more star-struck.

In another notable difference to the Pedestrian Gate, though, the Vehicle Gate had its own dedicated staff - and dealt with some of the tickets themselves.

Nevertheless, there was still no shortage of stubbing and scanning of EPOs for us volunteers.

Following a late break, the remainder of the shift brought the far more laidback responsibility of liaising with the Security staff and literally using a blue marker pen to write the number of occupants of a vehicle on its windscreen.

But, as the last of the evening sunshine disappeared behind the treeline and the temperature cooled, the end of the shift was a welcome feeling especially as there was now almost 48 hours to indulge in the Festival as a punter.

Shift 3 - Saturday 28 June
at Pedestrian Gate D - 21:45-06:00

Fully into the swing of the Festival by this point - and on an emotional high following the glorious performance of Pulp on the Pyramid Stage - the overnight shift had the reputation for providing its own challenges.

Notably, depending on exactly where you are stationed, I was warned that the shift would drag if there were not a lot of people to deal with.

Moreover, it would have the potential to seem even longer if the temperature dropped significantly as is often the case in the Mendip Hills even at the very height of the summer.

As such, I took a jumper, wore my warm, waterproof trousers and three pairs of socks and mentally prepared myself for a long night.

Instead, cloud cover ensured the night remained mild with little to no breeze - and, although I decided on my break that I still needed my jumper for the second half of the shift, there was little time to think about anything else.

From towards the end of the headliners at around 11pm, it was a remarkably busy shift as a steady stream of people - in varying states of drunkeness and joy - passed through the Gate D throughout the whole of the night right until 6am.

Hopefully they all remembered their Pass Outs for re-entry on Sunday - though, in reality by 6am, my own thoughts had rather drifted to dropping off for a full morning of sleep to a soundtrack of light drizzle against the canvas of the tent.

Still, before I hit the sack, I embraced my good friend Jonathan for prompting this opportunity to attend Glastonbury which never would have been possible without his regular gentle arm twists.

Work for the weekend was now completely over - and once again the whole of the Festival was ours to enjoy! 

PLAY HARDER

Wednesday and Thursday

I really scored on my Oxfam shifts which effectively offered the opportunity to have fun on all the major nights of the festival between Wednesday and Sunday, except for the overnight Saturday. 

Additionally, there was plenty of time for fun throughout Friday, on Saturday afternoon, and the whole of Sunday. 

Back to Wednesday - and, with the majority of the attendees having arrived, the Pyramid hosted its first Opening Ceremony since 1990 as the acrobats and jugglers from the Theatre and Circus area took centre stage at 10pm.

Sadly, their technically-outstanding show was something out of a damp squib, suited to a much smaller audience than that which appeared in the Pyramid field with little else on around the site.

Without a music licence on the main stages until Friday, the audience was encouraged themselves to participate by humming and providing vocals. 

However, a lack of clear messaging left the crowd largely oblivious to what they were meant to be doing and the sense of bafflement led to the show itself not getting the attention which it deserved. 

Instead, approximately 24 hours later on Thursday, a far more engaging - albeit completely unofficial ceremony - took place on the Sensation Seekers stage thanks to the excellent Oh My God, It's The Church.

A downpour of mild rain - or waam waata - fell from the Heavens provided no great discomfort - and merely added to the atmosphere being generated by band preacher Michael Alabama Jackson. 

This rain was indeed the only time that the festival site got a bit of a soaking - and was one which made pretty much no impression on the parched ground.

By contrast, Oh My God, It's The Church made a brilliant impact as usual, though - and provided a key message for all to follow throughout the remainder of the weekend. 

The remainder of Thursday night brought a true Glastonbury pursuit of largely directionless bimbling in search of something foot-tapping, enchanting or both. 

We found it in the Toad Hole in the Green Fields where the Berlin-based psychedelic outfit Tolstoys livened everyone up in a joyous hour to wrap up this particular chapter. 

Friday

In an unexpectedly sprightly start to Friday, I made my way back to Pyramid for the opening act proper on the stage as Supergrass started things off with their up-tempo brand of Britpop.

Irish singer-songwriter CMAT followed and showed beauty truly lies in the eye of the beholder with an engaging performance.

From there, I headed straight back to the Britpop 1990s for the searingly underrated York-based band Shed Seven who recaptured that bittersweet era with their anthemic hits Going For Gold and Chasing Rainbows.

Already on target to be one of my favourite sets of the weekend, the frontman of Elvana capped it off by randomly turning up halfway through and joining Rick Witter for a duet of Suspicious Minds. It was wonderful stuff.

Frantic Friday then stepped up yet another gear as Lewis Capaldi made a previously unconfirmed emotional return to complete the 35 minutes of the set which he had been forced to abandon in 2023.

A quick blast of early-2000s post-punk from Franz Ferdinand on Other Stage included an unexpected twist as the other Capaldi - former Thick Of It and Doctor Who actor Peter - made a guest appearance to duet on Take Me Out with Alex Kapranos.

Then it was back to the Pyramid for the awesome and angsty-as-ever Alanis Morrisette. 

The Canadian delighted the main stage by recapturing the iconic soundtrack for so many 1990s teenagers with Hand In My Pocket, Hands Clean, You Learn, Ironic (of course), and You Oughta Know, before finishing - appropriately enough - on Thank U. 

Next was a first trip up the hill to the Park Stage where Self Esteem supplied a welcome chilled-out vibe - though, disappointingly at times, seemed more interested in creating something special for her audience on TikTok than the one right in front of her. 

Then again, perhaps I am just getting a bit old and grumpy about this sort of thing - especially in red-hot weather. 

Saturday

After being frazzled throughout Friday - and with my shift coming at the end of the day - I was fairly unambitious with my Saturday plans and so missed the return of the Kaiser Chiefs to Pyramid. 

Instead, buoyed by some extra rest, I made my way to the Acoustic tent for the first time for a heartfelt tribute to Bob Dylan - my dad's favourite artist and mine too. 

A collection of Dylan aficionados, including veteran folkie Ralph McTell, combined to contribute a couple of songs each - though there were one too many obscure tunes and McTell sang his entries like he was going to burst out any second into his famed Streets of London.

Nevertheless, to finish, the troupe prompted a really emotional moment between myself and my friend John - a true Dylan fanatic - with 1967 song I Shall Be Released. 

From the legend of Dylan to Pyramid for a true pioneer of rock-n-roll John Fogerty - and the former Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman was in fine fettle, celebrating his recent success in regaining the global publishing rights to his band's songs following a 50-year legal battle. 

Mystery band Patchwork was next on Pyramid - though, when Pulp's Jarvis Cocker bounded on stage in his inimitable style, there was a sense of relief, rather than surprise. 

In perhaps the worst kept secret of all-time, Patchwork was indeed Pulp - and, restricted to an hour, had to squeeze in all of their hits - Disco 2000, Do You Remember The First Time?, Mis-Shapes, Babies, and more. 

There was little-to-no filler - and the set concluded with the anthemic Common People as the Red Arrows roared overhead on cue. 

With the entertainment curtailed by work, this potentially iconic Glastonbury moment was a spectacular way to head into shift - and nothing on Sunday really promised to match it. 

Sunday

Nothing did, as it happens - but, with all my shifts completed, it was still a fantastically fun day. 

The Libertines on Pyramid promised a riotous start - but, as well as a relatively early set time counting against Pete Doherty, Carl Barat et al, their undoubtedly necessary mellowing unsurprisingly means that I no longer hear the music in the same way as I did at the peak of the band's powers. 

 

Elsewhere, on the Avalon stage, there was better news as the Horne Section - fronted by the genuinely clever humourist Alex Horne - furnished this adorable corner of the festival with an hour-full of genuine belly laughs. 

Then, next of course, came Rod Stewart in the fabled Sunday afternoon Legends' slot on Pyramid.

"If you want my body, and you think I'm sexy" crooned the 80-year-old midway through his set - not really Rod thought the vast majority of the crowd, surely.

At least, though, Sailing - a reliable set-closer if ever there was one - genuinely went down a storm. 

Instead, I was far more enthused by the appearance of Nile Rodgers and Chic in the following set - and, as always, the New Yorker had the Pyramid field on their feet for a boogie.

Legendary songwriter and producer for the likes of Diana Ross, David Bowie, Madonna and more recently Daft Punk among many others, Rodgers really is a must-watch at a big Festival to make you forget about tired feet. 

Would The Prodigy without the glorious Keith Flint still be worth a watch was a big question of mine on Sunday night?

The answer unquestionably was affirmative - the music and the light show was as good as ever, and a stunning show from the Braintree act set the vibes just right for Sunday night. 

The feelgood factor continued back on Avalon where The Alabama 3 had their audience in the palm of their hands - and there was still more fun at The Levels in the Silver Hayes area where Groove Armarda drew a huge crowd.

Now, at 3am on Monday morning, the festival was over for many - but, in what is fast becoming a bit of a Glastonbury tradition, the final night does not feel as if it is over until the New York Brass Band have sounded out their final note.

Chugging back a Guinness from the can at 5am while bouncing around in a busy and friendly crowd - this truly had been another Glastonbury Festival which had the absolute maximum of fun joyfully squeezed out. 

More than that, though, this will always be an especially memorable visit to Worthy Farm for me as, for the first time, I can say that I made a genuine contribution to the running of this huge operation. 

Better still, I can say that I made my contribution with pride - and, even better again, volunteering with Oxfam added to my experience, rather than detracting from it - even if it was pretty hard graft at times.

OTHER GLASTONOTES

Headliners

As always, it was a Glastonbury Festival involving some firsts - and, notably on this occasion, this was the first edition in which I did not see a single minute of any of the headliners on Pyramid stage. 

Apologies can be offered to Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts who I would have seen if I had not been on shift. 

However, by all accounts, The 1975 - a painfully overrated band, in my opinion - unsurprisingly gave an underwhelming performance. Meanwhile, at the tender age of 22, it is a wonder that Olivia Rodrigo had enough songs to fill the 90-minute slot.

Then again, Glastonbury is about so much more than the headliners - and I am no doubt just getting a bit old and grumpy. 

Politics

Glastonbury Festival is an inherently political place - it always has been and hopefully it always will be. Notably this year, there was a couple of excellent tributes of the 40th anniversary of the Battle of Beanfield in the Green Fields and the South East Corner - read more here. 

More notably, two artists - Kneecap and Bob Vylan - made the biggest headlines of the festival in the print media, at least. 

For the record, I went to neither of the sets - Bob Vylan clashed with the Songs of Bob Dylan on Acoustic while hip hop act Kneecap isn't my vibe, and I wasn't interested in going along for the sake of it. 

Bob Vylan in particular were strongly criticised for leading a chant of "Death, death to the IDF [Israel "Defense" Force]" - but, while I agree with Emily Eavis's statement that Glastonbury Festival should be used as a positive force for change, "Death to the IDF" on an organisational level - and a complete reassessment by the Israeli government of its values - is simply a must if there is ever going to be peace in the Middle East given its ongoing murderous action. 

Certainly, if I were in the UK government, I know which one I would be more disgusted by. 

Crowds

With a capacity well in excess of 200,000, much has been made about crowd management at the festival - and there have been some past mistakes by the organisers, in 2024 in particular, where relatively large-name acts ended up on stages which were far too small for them. 

In response, there was a slight drop in capacity this year - but, to be honest, the well-publicised reduction made no noticeable difference to me. After all, a few thousand less is a drop in the ocean in Glastonbury terms, and there was not a noticeable difference to the naked eye. 

Nevertheless, communications on the official app in particular were better than ever with specific and timely information given about which acts were likely to reach capacity. Matrix signs for the raucous overnight South East Corner were similarly informative. 

Now, it is always going to be extremely difficult to manage crowds at an event with the size of Glastonbury Festival - but it is clear from the vast improvement in comms that Emily Eavis and team have listened to concerns and are doing their best to manage some extremely difficult situations. 

Litter

Related to the above, the sheer size of Glastonbury Festival inevitably means there will be some "unintentional" littering - stuff left in a genuine emergency and empty cans which unknowingly fall out of pockets, for example. 

However, the amount of litter around the festival site cannot all be down to accidents - and indeed I have witnessed punters stamp on their can to flatten it then leave it on the ground. 

There are plenty of bins available so there is genuinely no excuse - and, even when the receptacles are overflowing, the waste will no doubt be collected more easily if it is propped up against the bins.

Truly, the festival is blessed by the litter-pickers and recycling crew - and I am aware that this is a societal issue, rather than something which is specific to Glastonbury. 

Nevertheless, Glastonbury punters and the festival itself really should be held up as a standard-bearer for this sort of thing - and the Love The Farm, Leave No Trace message can sound rather hollow sometimes.

Slot delivers in first season as rivals flounder

PREMIER LEAGUE

LIVERPOOL lifted a record-equalling 20th English league title as the Reds made good on a strong first two-thirds of the season.

In his first campaign in charge on Merseyside, Arne Slot led his team to 14 league wins, three draws and just one defeat at home to Nottingham Forest on 14 September to establish a near-impregnable advantage by the turn of the year.

Thereafter, it could be argued that Liverpool rather laboured their way to the trophy - and they also failed elsewhere.

Defeat to Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup ended hopes of a quadruple - before, in the space of a few days, the Reds were eliminated from the Champions League on penalties by Paris Saint-Germain before losing the League Cup Final to Newcastle United.

Nevertheless, Liverpool always had enough in hand in the league and celebrated the title with four matches to spare after putting five goals past Tottenham Hotspur amid a party atmosphere at Anfield.

There was a similar festival-like feel on Bank Holiday Monday as thousands of people lined the streets of Liverpool for a bus parade - only for disaster and near-tragedy to strike.

Seventy-nine people - including four children - were injured, some seriously, when a driver rammed a car into the crowds.

A 53-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, dangerous driving offences and driving while unfit through drugs.

Thankfully, all of the injured attendees are said to be recovering well - but the shock of the incident undoubtedly will take longer to get over.

Now, back to less important matters - because, whatever Bill Shankley meant by what he said, football is always less important than life and death.

Arsenal finished runners-up for a third year running - and yet never really got close to a first Premier League crown since their Invincibles season in 2003-04 after four defeats and a startling 14 draws.

Manchester City eventually settled in third - despite falling as low as seventh following a 1-1 home draw against Everton on Boxing Day.

But, having surrendered a Premier League title held in their cabinet since May 2021, Pep Guardiola's men failed to compensate elsewhere, after defeats to Real Madrid in the Champions League, and Tottenham Hotspur in the League Cup.

Additionally, Man City lost to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup Final as the solidly mid-table Eagles won the first major honour in their history thanks to Eberechi Eze's superb 16th-minute finish.

All this meant the focus on the final day came down to the last two Champions League places as Newcastle, Chelsea, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest battled it out.

Adding intrigue to the situation, Forest faced Chelsea at the City Ground - but, in keeping with their recent unconvincing form, Nuno Espirito Santo's side went down to a fifth defeat since April including a FA Cup semi final loss against Man City.

With Chelsea in the Champions League despite a bumpy first campaign under Enzo Maresca - and the Tricky Trees confirmed in the Conference League, a fifth Champions League placing via the league came down to Newcastle or Villa.

Both games headed to half time at 0-0 but Unai Emery's men found themselves down to 10 men after Emi Martinez wiped out Rasmus Hojlund.

While Villa could not have any complaints about that decision by inexperienced referee Thomas Bramwell, head coach Unai Emery was incensed by what transpired as the match headed into the closing stages.

Morgan Rogers thought he had put Villa ahead but it did not count as the referee judged incorrectly that the forward kicked the ball out of goalkeeper Altay Bayindir's hands.

Worse still for Villa, Bramwell blew his whistle before the ball reached the net - and so the video assistant referee was unable to intervene. 

However, the first twist of the day actually went in the Villains' favour as Carlos Alcaraz nodded into the Gallowgate net in the 65th minute for Everton to stun St James Park.

Newcastle continued to struggle but Manchester United - who finished trophyless in 15th place - unexpectedly stirred to come to the Magpies' rescue.

Former Sunderland loanee Amad Diallo put the Red Devils ahead with a looping header on 76 minutes before he was brought down for an 87th-minute penalty converted by Christian Eriksen.

Yet this really was a rare success for Man United who lost 18 league matches, including nine at Old Trafford, as the change of coach from egghead Erik Ten Hag to Ruben Amorim in November had no impact whatsoever.

Indeed, the Europa League final in Bilbao between Amorim's men and Spurs was a battle between the two lowest-placed teams ever to contest a European final.

Spurs won a predictably low-quality contest through a scrappy Brennan Johnson's goal late in the first half - but the result justified the brash promise made by Australian head coach Ange Postecoglou that he always delivers silverware in his second season at a club.

On this occasion, though, Postecoglou also delivered a 17th-place finish and a barely-believable 22 league defeats out of 38 as Spurs failed to hit 40 points in a season for the very first time in the three-point era.

Not that Tottenham were ever actually in any genuine danger of relegation.

Instead, for the second season in a row, all three teams promoted from the Championship failed to make the top level grade - and, this time, each of them by some distance.

Southampton, in fact, only narrowly escaped being the worst team in Premier League history, scraping 12 points from their 38 matches - only one more than that truly hapless Derby County side in 2007-08.

The Saints still broke the record for the most defeats in a Premier League season - 30 - while Leicester City also booked an unwanted place in the record books.

The fruitless Foxes failed to score a single home league goal between Christmas and Easter as the mid-season change of coach from Steve Cooper to Ruud van Nistelrooy simply never looked like working.

By contrast, Ipswich Town have emerged with a little more credit with their supporters having thoroughly enjoyed a first top-flight campaign in 23 years.

Having beaten Chelsea 2-0 at home on 30 December to go within a point of safety at the halfway mark, though, the Tractor Boys endured a disappointing second half to the season, winning just once at Bournemouth and losing 14 times out of 19.

Defeat to Leicester on the penultimate weekend even left the Suffolk club in second bottom - and, with main striker Liam Delap certain to leave Portman Road, a rebuild will be required at all three demoted teams.

CHAMPIONSHIP

LEEDS UNITED took the Championship title in truly dramatic style after Manor Solomon slammed in a stoppage time winner against relegated Plymouth Argyle. 

It looked as if the Whites were going to have to settle for a runners-up spot after toiling against the Pilgrims, even falling behind through a Sam Byram own goal in the 18th minute. 

But, following Willy Gnonto's equaliser, Solomon's strike ensured the Yorkshire club finished on a century of points for the first time ever. 

Burnley, to their credit, also reached the 100-point mark after piecing together a magnificent sequence of 31 league games unbeaten from the start of November onwards.

The Clarets defended their season-long unbeaten record at Turf Moor on the final day with a 3-1 win against Millwall - and, certainly, defend was an apposite word when it came to Scott Parker's men. 

Mihailo Ivanovic's goal for the Lions moved Burnley onto 16 league goals conceded across the whole of the campaign, just one more than record-holders Chelsea in 2004-05 under Jose Mourinho. 

And, in all, the Clarets kept out the opposition on 30 occasions, including 12 in a row between 21 December and 21 February. 

However, 12 of those 30 shut-outs came in 0-0 stalemates leading to understandable doubts about whether such a style is sustainable back in the Premier League. 

For now, though, the Turf Moor outfit can bask in the knowledge that they are making an immediate return to the top flight - while the same was not the case for 90-point third-placed finishers Sheffield United. 

The Blades were in the thick of the title chase for much of the campaign until a devastating run of four defeats in five in April - although Chris Wilder's side belatedly recovered their form ahead of the playoffs. 

Their Wembley opponents sunderland, meanwhile, headed into the post-season on the back of five defeats in a row. 

Worse still, the Wearsiders had to face bogey side Coventry City in the semi finals and must have feared the worst when Ephron Mason-Clark struck a deserved equaliser for the Sky Blues to take the tie to extra time. 

Instead, Dan Ballard produced a towering header from Enzo Le Fee's cross in extra time stoppage time to prompt a massive pitch invasion at the Stadium of Light. 

For their part, Sheff United easily disposed of Bristol City in their own semi finals - winning 3-0 in both legs against the Robins who were brutally exposed in their first serious attempt to reach the Premier League since 2008. 

However, in the Championship playoff final, sunderland struck late again as teenager Tom Watson curled a 95th-minute winner past Blades custodian Michael Cooper. 

It was an incredible end to a match in which the Black Cats had been second-best for large parts, falling behind to Tyrese Campbell's first-half goal. 

Wilder's men had several other chances to put the game to bed - but Eliezer Mayenda's goal turned the tide towards sunderland who will return to the top flight for the first time in eight years, via four years in League One.

Depressingly, for Sheff United supporters, this was an all-too familiar tale being their 10th failure in the playoffs - while they still have not won a single game at Wembley since 1925.

At the bottom, Luton Town became just the fourth side after Swindon Town (1994-96), Wolverhampton Wanderers (2011-13) and Sunderland (2016-18) to drop from the Premier League to the third tier in consecutive seasons. 

Elsewhere down there, Plymouth were the latest team to be undone by Wayne Rooney's lack of tactical acumen. 

The Pilgrims and Rooney parted company on New Year's Eve after just four league wins in 24 matches, all at Home Park, while a series of heavy away defeats left the Devon club bottom. 

There was a modest improvement in the second half of the season under Miron Muslic - including a famous FA Cup win over Liverpool. 

A dreadful goal difference, though, gave the Green Army no chance of witnessing a remarkable recovery on the last day - and Cardiff City failed to give themselves even a technical chance after winning just once after February. 

The Bluebirds thus drop into League One for the first time in 22 years and, in terms of the Welsh contingent, find not only Swansea City but also Wrexham now above them. 

LEAGUE ONE

BIRMINGHAM CITY achieved an English league points record as the Blues made light work of their first season at this level in 30 years. 

Spearheaded by 19 goals from Jay Stansfield, Birmingham - who remained unbeaten at St Andrew's in the league all season - racked up 111 points via 34 wins and nine draws, with only Charlton Athletic, Shrewsbury Town and Bolton Wanderers managing to get the better of the second city outfit. 

Reading previously held the record after earning 106 points in their Championship-winning season in 2005-06. 

But, having been promoted all the way back on 8 April and won the title less than a week later, manager Chris Davies did well to keep his players motivated and a place, surely for a long time, in the record books. 

Indeed, the only real black mark on their season was a 2-0 defeat at Wembley as Peterborough United surprisingly defended the EFL Trophy. 

Now, for much of the season, the other promotion spot was contested keenly by both Wrexham and Wycombe Wanderers. 

However, back-to-back defeats at the end of April completely derailed the Chairboys and allowed the Red Dragons to add another chapter to their Hollywood fairytale with a third successive promotion. 

Wycombe had to settle for a place in the playoffs again, having won promotion to the Championship in 2019-20 via that route. 

This time, though, the Buckinghamshire club were beaten in the semi finals by Charlton in the tightest of ties settled at the Valley by a single goal nine minutes from time by Matty Godden. 

At Wembley, the Addicks faced Leyton Orient in a London derby, with the Os bidding to reach the second tier for the first time since 1981-82.

In a far more open semi final, Orient had halted Stockport County's recent charge up the pyramid - for now, at least - with a 4-1 win on penalties following an eventful 3-3 draw on aggregate. 

The first leg at Brisbane Road finished 2-2 after the hosts Orient led 1-0, fell behind in the space of five second half minutes, before League One top scorer Charlie Kelman converted an 88th-minute penalty. 

However, it was Kelman's first goal on the half hour mark which prompted the understandable opprobrium of Stockport manager Dave Challinor after the striker poked in the opener from six yards despite being clearly offside. 

The second leg did not take long to spark into life with Ollie O'Neill volleying the Os back in front inside three minutes following Galbraith's clever lofted free-kick.

But Stockport refused to give up and found a deserved equaliser when Tanto Olaofe sent a phenomenal back-heeled flick into the corner. 

The Hatters took the momentum into extra time - but found on-loan Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Josh Keeley in fine form, while Odin Bailey also hit the outside of the post in the dying seconds. 

After surviving all those scares, Orient were perhaps destined to go through and Ethan Galbraith duly made it four-in-a-row from 12 yards to make it a London derby under the Wembley arch. 

At Wembley, though, it was Nathan Jones who went some way to restoring his own managerial reputation as Charlton succeeded through Macaulay Gillesphey's delightful first-half free-kick. 

That was all there ended up being to separate the two sides in a largely cagey affair, with Kelman's deflected effort off the bar the closest that the Os came to finding an equaliser. 

Now, on 26 November, Orient were left fourth-bottom after a 2-0 home defeat to Huddersfield Town - but 40 points out of the next 45 and, later, six wins in a row to finish the regular season led to the east Londoners' highest league finish in 11 years. 

Instead, in the final assessment, it was Shrewsbury, Cambridge United, and Bristol Rovers who all returned to the basement division after stays of 10, four and three seasons respectively in League One. 

Additionally, Crawley Town made an immediate return - and, notably, none of the sides reached the final day of the season with a fighting chance with Burton Albion able to survive on 47 points. 

That was despite the Brewers themselves continuously occupying a place in the relegation zone between 21 September and 12 April.

LEAGUE TWO

DONCASTER ROVERS clinched the League Two title with victory away at Notts County as runners-up Port Vale surprisingly slipped up in any case against midtable Gillingham.

A first-half brace for Rob Street sent Grant McCann's Rovers up in style as the South Yorkshire club regained their third-tier status after just three years away.

The Valiants, meanwhile, make an immediate return to that level under Darren Moore - with Bradford City defying some erratic season-ending form to take the third automatic place.

Graham Alexander's Bantams scrapped their way to promotion with a 1-0 win over Fleetwood Town in front of a remarkable 24,033 supporters at Valley Parade.

It was a first three-point haul for Bradford since 5 April following a five-match sequence which featured a 5-4 loss at Swindon Town and a 3-3 draw against Chesterfield.

Somehow, though, that modest record was enough to finish above Walsall who must still now feel as if they have thrown it all away.

Rather incredibly, Walsall were 12 points clear at the top in January with a game in hand - and 17 ahead of Bradford.

But the recall of on-loan striker Nathan Lowe by parent club Stoke City led to a complete collapse in form with Mat Sadler's Saddlers taking all three points only three times from the end of January onwards.

Walsall perhaps surprisingly recovered sufficiently to reach Wembley after easing through 4-1 on aggregate against Chesterfield in the semi finals.

Wimbledon provided the opposition at the national stadium on Bank Holiday Monday after the Dons earned 1-0 wins in both home and away legs to knock out Notts County.

Defence was certainly the Merton club's big strength in 2024-25 with just 35 goals conceded and 21 clean sheets in the regular season.

Consequently, a fourth consecutive 1-0 win - including the victory over Grimsby Town on the last day - came as no surprise once Myles Hippolyte scored in first-half added time to condemn Walsall to a seventh-straight campaign in the basement division.

Down at the very bottom, Morecambe were the last of the 92 Premier League and EFL teams to get off the mark in terms of a home league win, only achieving their first on New Year's Day.

As such, a run of six successive defeats to finish the season merely confirmed what had long looked inevitable as the Shrimpers meekly limped out of the EFL for the first time since their promotion in 2006-07.

The other team to be relegated were Carlisle United, in spite of investment from their new American owners - and a too-little-too-late upturn in form under former Manchester United striker Mark Hughes.

Indeed, the Cumbrians were beaten 3-2 in stoppage time at Cheltenham Town to be relegated with a game to spare. 

Then again, this will be a familiar feeling for a club who were only relegated from League One only last season and who have gone down to the National League before in 2004.

⚽

ROLL OF HONOUR 2024-25

	Premier League
Champions	Liverpool
Runners-up	Arsenal
Champions League	Manchester City (3rd), Chelsea (4th), Newcastle United (5th) Tottenham Hotspur (Europa League winners)
Europa League	Aston Villa (6th), Crystal Palace (cup winners)
Europa Conference	Nottingham Forest (7th)
Relegation	Leicester City, Ipswich Town, Southampton

	Championship
Champions	Leeds United
Runners-up	Burnley
Playoff winners	sunderland (won 2-1 v Sheffield United)
Relegation	Luton Town, Plymouth Argyle, Cardiff City

	League One
Champions	Birmingham City
Runners-up	Wrexham
Playoff winners	Charlton Athletic (won 1-0 v Leyton Orient)
Relegation	Crawley Town, Bristol Rovers, Cambridge United, Shrewsbury Town

	League Two
Champions	Doncaster Rovers
Runners-up	Port Vale
Also promoted	Bradford City
Playoff winners	AFC Wimbledon (won 1-0 v Walsall)
Relegation	Carlisle United, Morecambe

	National League
Champions	Barnet
Playoff winners	Oldham Athletic 3-2 Southend United, after extra time
Relegation	Dagenham & Redbridge, Maidenhead United, AFC Fylde Ebbsfleet United

	National League North
Champions	Brackley Town
Playoff winners	Scunthorpe United (won 2-1h aet v Chester)
Relegation	Needham Market, Rushall Olympic, Warrington Town, Farsley Celtic

	National League South
Champions	Truro City
Playoff winners	Boreham Wood (won 1-0h v Maidstone United)
Relegation	St Albans City, Welling United, Weymouth, Aveley

	Domestic Cup finals
FA Cup Final	Crystal Palace 1-0 Manchester City
League Cup Final	Newcastle United 2-1 Liverpool
FA Community Shield	Manchester City 1-1 Manchester United Manchester City won 7-6 on penalties
EFL Trophy	Peterborough United 2-0 Birmingham City
FA Trophy	Aldershot Town 3-0 Spennymoor Town
FA Vase	Whitstable Town 2-1 AFC Whyteleafe, after extra time

⚽

EUROPE

	UEFA finals
Champions League	Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) 5-0 Internazionale (ITA) (31-May, 8pm)
Europa League	Tottenham Hotspur (ENG) 1-0 Manchester United (ENG)
Conference League	Chelsea (ENG) 4-1 Real Betis (ESP)
Super Cup	Real Madrid (ESP) 2-0 Atalanta (ITA)

	Selected league champions
Spain	Barcelona
Italy	Napoli
Germany	Bayern Munich
France	Paris Saint-Germain
Portugal	Sporting Lisbon
Netherlands	PSV Eindhoven
Belgium	Union Saint-Gilloise
Greece	Olympicos

We did have wild dreams

16 March 2025 ◾ CARABAO CUP FINAL ◾ Wembley Stadium

NEWCASTLE UNITED 2 Burn 45, Isak 52
LIVERPOOL 1 Chiesa 90+4

Newcastle United Nick Pope - Kieran Trippier, Fabian Schaer, Dan Burn, Tino Livramento - Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali, Joelinton - Jacob Murphy (Emil Krafth 90), Alexander Isak (Callum Wilson 81), Harvey Barnes (Joe Willock 81) Booked Pope, Tonali
Liverpool Caoimhin Kelleher - Jarrell Quansah, Ibrahima Konate (Curtis Jones 57), Virgil van Dijk, Andrew Robertson - Ryan Gravenberch (Federico Chiesa 74), Alexis Mac Allister (Cody Gakpo 67) - Mohamed Salah, Dominic Szoboszlai, Luis Diaz (Harvey Elliott 74) - Diogo Jota (Darwin Nunez 57) Booked Chiesa
Attendance 88,513 Referee John Brooks

NEWCASTLE UNITED ended 70 years of domestic hurt with a 2-1 win over Liverpool in a first Wembley Cup Final triumph since 1955.

Local hero Dan Burn marked his first England call-up by steering an unerringly accurate header past Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher from Kieran Trippier's corner on the stroke of half time.

Then, in the second half, just moments after having had a goal chalked off by the video assistant referee (VAR), Alexander Isak struck a sublime half-volley from Jacob Murphy's knock-down to double the lead.

It was all far more straightforward than it felt - although Newcastle fans of a nervous disposition, scarred by so many years of Wembley misery, had their fears somewhat justified when Federico Chiesa pulled a goal back.

But it had taken 95 minutes for the Reds to breach the Magpies' magnificent defence just once - and, despite facing a further torturous five minutes of additional time, Newcastle were not to be denied.

This brilliant, well-deserved win under the Wembley arch ended the following painful sequence of six successive defeats at the national stadium in major Cup competitions, as follows:

• 4 May 1974 ▪ FA Cup Final ▪ Liverpool 3-0 Newcastle United
  
• 28 February 1976 ▪ League Cup Final ▪ Manchester City 2-1 Newcastle United
  
• 16 May 1998 ▪ FA Cup Final ▪ Arsenal 2-0 Newcastle United
  
• 22 May 1999 ▪ FA Cup Final ▪ Manchester United 2-0 Newcastle United
  
• 9 April 2000 ▪ FA Cup Semi Final ▪ Chelsea 2-1 Newcastle United
• 26 February 2023 ▪ League Cup Final ▪ Manchester United 2-0 Newcastle United

Nevertheless, this Newcastle team, featuring no fewer than nine of the players who appeared in the 2023 reverse, had learned from past mistakes.

In the past, the occasion always seemed as if it was too much for Newcastle and that resulted in some desperately tepid displays.

"Keegan two, Heighway one. Liverpool three, Newcastle none," chimed David Coleman in 1974, then a generation passed before Arsenal's Marc Overmars painfully turned Alessandro Pistone inside-out in 1998.

Twelve months later, Newcastle were mere bystanders as Manchester United marched to the second part of their Treble.

And the Magpies were effectively out of the game by half-time against the same opponents two years ago.

But this time was different. Spearheaded by their irrepressible midfield trio - Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton and Sandro Tonali - Newcastle were in Liverpool's faces from the very first whistle and earned the better of the early exchanges.

Tonali flashed a shot past the post before Murphy fired well over the bar - then, just as the half threatened to drift to a close without any scoring, Burn popped up to put Newcastle into the lead in a major domestic Cup Final for first time since 1955.

The second half was a carbon copy. Newcastle were unfortunate not to add to their advantage when Isak poked in a rebound but Bruno Guimaraes was deemed to be interfering with play in an offside position despite Kelleher managing to get down to make a save low down from Joelinton's shot.

No matter. From his very next touch, Isak found the back of the net again after making a difficult finish look deceptively simple.

Liverpool briefly showed some form of response as Curtis Jones drew a one-armed save from Nick Pope - yet, if anything, Newcastle looked more likely to make it 3-0.

Harvey Barnes squared to Isak free in the middle of the box - and, although the Swede's effort was blocked by Kelleher, Eddie Howe's men never let up and further close efforts followed from Murphy, Joelinton and Tonali.

In stoppage time, Arne Slot's Reds eventually got the better of the Magpies' rearguard following just about the first mistake of the afternoon by Howe's side.

After the ball was desperately scrambled clear, Bruno Guimaraes tried to run it out to the halfway line - but instead the Brazilian coughed possession up far too easily.

Harvey Elliott carved open a defence still trying to recover from the previous assault and, with a well-weighted pass, found Chiesa who finished a neat move completely out-of-keeping with the remainder of the Reds' afternoon.

Initially ruled out for offside, the Italian was confirmed to be comfortably on - and the length of the VAR check merely served to extend the Magpies' painful wait.

Newcastle never panicked, though, with Bruno Guimaraes next time running the ball into one corner deep in Liverpool territory, before substitute Joe Willock repeated the trick on the other side of the pitch to win a corner and the reward of an emphatic chest bump from Tonali.

A few moments later, the longest major trophy drought in English club football was over - and greeted by the ear-splitting elation of the black-and-white half of Wembley. Finally, it was over.

Now, of course, all the players and staff deserve credit for having finally rid Newcastle of what had seemed like an unfathomable curse.

However, there are a few heroes in black-and-white that deserve a special mention.

Current captain Bruno Guimaraes, whose tears were guaranteed come rain or shine, and who is the embodiment of the emotion of the Geordie nation despite the fact that he hails from Rio de Janeiro.

Former skipper Trippier, who lifted the Cup alongside Bruno, and who believed in the potential of Newcastle so much that he swapped a Champions League campaign with Atletico Madrid for a relegation fight in which he played the key role in ensuring survival.

And another early Eddie Howe signing, Blyth-born 6'7 Big Dan Burn, who was man of the match and lived out his wildest boyhood dream in real-time.

"It's not beyond our wildest dreams because we did have wild dreams," said Sir Bobby Robson when Newcastle qualified for the Champions League under his tutelage.

Howe, unusually emotional at full time, had also already achieved that when he took his place on the Wembley touchline, but he has now done something no other manager - not Robson or even club great Kevin Keegan - could do.

Newcastle have won a major trophy for the first time since Joe Harvey's side put Ujpest Dozsa to the sword in Budapest in the month before Man first walked on the Moon.

For the first time in nearly 56 years, Newcastle are winners - and it has been so long that all of the Toon Army still seem to be rubbing their eyes in disbelief and none of it yet seems true.

Yes, it all still feels like a dream - the wildest of dreams.

ROUTE TO THE CUP FINAL

NEWCASTLE UNITED
Round 1 Bye
Round 2 v Nottingham Forest (A)	D1-1 (4-3 pens)	Willock 1
Round 3 v AFC Wimbledon (H)	W1-0	Schar 45+1(p)
Round 4 v Chelsea (H)	W2-0	Isak 23, Disasi 26(og)
Quarter final v Brentford (H)	W3-1	Tonali 9, 43, Schar 69
Semi final v Arsenal (A)	W2-0	Isak 37, Gordon 51
Semi final v Arsenal (H)	W2-0 (4-0 agg)	Murphy 19, Gordon 52
LIVERPOOL
Round 1 Bye
Round 2 Bye
Round 3 v West Ham United (H)	W5-1	Jota 25, 49, M Salah 74, Gakpo 90, 90+3
Round 4 v Brighton & Hove Albion (A)	W3-2	Gakpo 46, 63, Diaz 85
Quarter final v Southampton (A)	W2-1	Nunez 24, Elliott 32
Semi final v Tottenham Hotspur (A)	L0-1
Semi final v Tottenham Hotspur (H)	W4-0 (4-1 agg)	Gakpo 34, Salah 51(p), Szobodzlai 75, van Dijk 80