Griffin’s goal can inspire a repeat
“BLIMEY, it certainly doesn’t feel like it was 20 years ago. People still talk to me about the game and that Champions League run.”
Newcastle United’s current form under Eddie Howe has led to talk of the club perhaps qualifying for Europe ahead of schedule.
It has almost been a decade since the Magpies graced the continent, with Alan Pardew’s side enjoying an unlikely Europa League run to the quarter-finals in 2013. You have to rewind even further for a time when Newcastle were regular participants in Europe’s top competitions.
Today marks two decades since the Magpies recorded a memorable Champions League win over Juventus – thanks to the unlikeliest of heroes.
Alessandro Del Piero and Pavel Nedved were among the stars on show under the lights at St James’ Park on October 23, 2002. Yet it was a goal from Andy Griffin that settled the Group E tie, and it is a moment that has unsurprisingly come to define the full-back’s six-year spell on Tyneside.
He said: “Newcastle is an incredible club, a great fanbase, so to go play in the Champions League against Juventus and get the winner was and is quite surreal.
“We all know the goal wasn’t a classic, aesthetically it wasn’t great, but it was an important goal. A lot of people do talk about it, whenever I’m up there they put my name with that goal against Juventus.
“You’ve kind of cemented yourself in the history books.
“I’ve got two boys, one of them is madly into football, and I say I scored the winner against Juventus in the Champions League at home for Newcastle. That’s pretty cool, it certainly goes down as one of the most incredible moments of my life.”
Sir Bobby Robson’s side had lost their opening three group fixtures, meaning the home clash with the Serie A giants was already a must-win encounter. Juventus won the reverse fixture where Griffin was tasked with man-marking future Ballon d’or winner Nedved, but the 2-0 defeat actually gave the Magpies belief.
Griffin explained: “We kind of felt like we matched them in many ways. It was such an iconic team with lots of superstars, but we approached it with a little sense of this not being totally out of our reach.”
Lomana Lualua, Laurent Robert and Alan Shearer all came close to breaking the deadlock, but it was Griffin who found a way past Gianluigi Buffon with a low drive. The famous 1-0 win served as a catalyst for victories over Dynamo Kyiv and Feyenoord, as Newcastle defied history to progress to the second group stage.
It was at this point the dream run would come to an end, with Barcelona and Inter Milan both proving a step too far.
However, it is a campaign still fondly remembered by Newcastle fans who can now dream once again of rubbing shoulders with Europe’s elite.
Griffin said: “Just being in the tunnel on those European nights and with the Champions League music, it’s the pinnacle of every footballer’s dreams. Some footballers are that good they can play year in, year out.
“But for the likes of myself, it wasn’t something that was always around. It was very surreal, and I don’t think I actually realised how amazing it was until I left the football club. When you’re in there, you’re so wrapped up and it feels like the norm.
“I remember coming off the pitch at the San Siro, and think I used to watch AC Milan on Channel 4 after coming in from my Sunday League games. I do look back at my time at Newcastle and while I didn’t play as many games as I could have, I played in a lot of big games and it was just an incredible time.”
It is still early days in the current campaign, and Newcastle face a tough examination of their top-six credentials this afternoon against Tottenham. But a strong start to the season followed by a stunning end to last term has led many to dare to believe European football could be on the horizon next year.
Amanda Staveley was not shy in outlining the new owners’ ambitions in the wake of last year’s takeover, stressing their desire to guide the club to silverware within a decade. Bruno Guimaraes was the marquee January arrival, and the Brazil international wasted no time in outlining his intent to win the Champions League.
Howe himself has been quick to downplay any talk of expectations and targets, and it is a mantra that has been repeated by his players. For Griffin, there are not enough superlatives to describe the head coach’s impact since his appointment.
The former Newcastle defender said: “It’s very exciting. I think Howe has got one of the toughest jobs in world football right now with the expectation of just going from a team struggling to survive to almost winning the Champions League. That’s what some people will expect with this influx of money and the people that have bought the football club.
“We know it’s going to have to be step by step, you can maybe look at Manchester City and copy their blueprint where there wasn’t success overnight. The eyes of the footballing world are on Newcastle United now as possibly being the most exciting project in world football.
“For Eddie being a young manager, not having had that kind of experience in the past, I think he’s been
It was an important goal . . . it certainly goes down as one
of the most incredible moments of my life
Andy Griffin
nothing short of incredible. It’s just brilliant to see.”
Newcastle have so far swerved the superstar signings many tipped them to make following the Saudi-backed takeover. The likes of Sven Botman and Bruno Guimaraes have shown signs of becoming cult heroes, but Griffin feels the current generation still have some way to go before being compared with the Magpies’ best sides of the Premier League era.
He added: “This team still has some way to go to compete with Sir Bobby and [Kevin] Keegan’s teams. We know that, those two teams had some world-class players. “This Newcastle team has lots of very good players, and they are certainly going in the right direction. I think top-ten would be great, Eddie is trying to curb expectations and trying not to get carried away.
“He’s doing that very well, and they’re trying to go under the radar. January will be important if they can get a couple of players who strengthen the starting eleven. If Eddie can maybe get a couple in, then why can’t they go and finish seventh?
“We don’t want to get too carried away, you don’t qualify for Europe in October. There’s many games to go, but I think he’s done an exceptional job so far.”