Best and Charlton humbled
WE step back to the heady days of 1969.
In what would turn out to be a momentous end of season for Newcastle United, the Magpies ran out against Manchester United at St James’ Park on this day 48 years ago. It would be a cracking game.
But first, what else was going on in the world back then?
At number one in the pop charts was Desmond Dekker and The Aces with The Israelites.
At the likes of Newcastle ABC and Gateshead Odeon, cinema-goers were flocking to see Where Eagles Dare, Rosemary’s Baby, and The Odd Couple.
Meanwhile, in the news, trouble was brewing in Northern Ireland, while kids welcomed the launch of a cool new bike, the Raleigh Chopper.
Over at Gallowgate, these were exciting times.
The Magpies were revelling in their first European adventure with huge crowds filling St James’ Park for midweek night-time matches in the Inter-City Fairs Cup.
Having seen off Portugal’s Vitoria Setubal over two legs in March, Glasgow Rangers now awaited the Toon in the Fairs Cup semi-final (but that’s another story).
The visitors to St James’ on Saturday, April 12, also had a rather decent European pedigree to be fair.
Less than a year earlier, Manchester United had beaten Eusebio’s Benfica 4-1 in the European Cup Final at Wembley.
Now, on a spring Tyneside afternoon, Best, Charlton, Law, Stiles and co would come a cropper in front of a baying 46,379 crowd.
Goals from Alan Foggon and Bryan Robson sent the home fans wild as the Magpies homed on a ninth-place league finish, with soon-to-retire Sir Matt Busby’s team two places below them.
The summer would witness its own heroics by Newcastle United’s boys of ‘69.