If Newcastle beat Liverpool it could be the catalyst for a new dynasty, the first trophy in a new golden era
JUNE 11, 1969, is not a date most football fans will remember.
Unless, of course, you support Newcastle.
A few weeks later, Neil Armstrong would take his giant leap for mankind on the moon but, for Newcastle, it marked the start of a big step backwards.
The Toon Army sank several battalions of Newcastle Brown Ale in 1969 as it was the last time their club — by common consent one of the best supported in the land — actually won a trophy.
Winning the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, the forerunner of the Uefa Cup and Europa League, came so long ago that the match was only covered for TV in black and white.
The Magpies beat Hungary’s Ujpesti Dozsa 6-2 over the two-legged final but have since had to endure heartbreak, false dawns and decades of near misses.
That could all change this weekend, 56 years later.
Should they win the League Cup at Wembley on Sunday, Toon boss Eddie Howe will achieve Tyneside immortality as the manager who finally brought home silverware.
Many have tried, all have failed, but Howe could be the one to end 56 years of hurt for Newcastle.
This match represents so much more than just a trophy.
It’s about proving that Newcastle are a serious force again.
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And that the investment under their new owners is translating into real success — that this is just the beginning, not the end, of a new era for the club.
Howe has done a remarkable job turning Newcastle from relegation candidates into genuine contenders for silverware in just a few seasons.
Winning this final would be a statement of intent, a sign that they are not just here to challenge but to dominate.
Yet they have one major obstacle — and that’s the best team in the country at the moment, Liverpool.
Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup — you name it, they’ve won it.
Tuesday’s unexpected Champions League exit means there’s no doubt they will approach this game like wounded tigers — dangerous and determined.
Quiz question? How many trophies have Liverpool won since 1969. I looked it up.
The Reds have lifted 12 league titles and are almost certainly about to make it another.
They have also racked up six European Cups, seven FA Cups, ten League Cups, three Uefa Cups and a Club World Cup.
That’s 39 major trophies, to Newcastle’s none. Liverpool, quite simply, are a club that knows how to win.
I suspect many neutrals will be wanting a Newcastle victory to end that tale of woe and the Toon Army hope and pray this weekend finally ends that astonishing streak.
Newcastle’s last domestic success came even further back, when they won a third FA Cup in just five seasons in 1955.
For a club which gets 52,000 into St James’ Park every home game, they are on a remarkably bad run — especially when you consider some of the managers who have been on Tyneside, including the late Sir Bobby Robson and Kevin Keegan.
They both got very close to trophies but Howe could be the one who finally delivers.
It will be fascinating to see how Arne Slot’s Liverpool react to their European exit at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain in midweek.
It could galvanise the players to show their boss that PSG was just a blip on an otherwise memorable season that sees them poised to win a record-equalling 20th league title, level with their local rivals Manchester United.
For Newcastle, losing this final would be gut-wrenching. Another painful chapter in a long history of near-misses.
But if they win? It could be the catalyst for a new dynasty, the first trophy in a new golden era for the club.