Newcastle Football Club, also known as the toons, is a well-supported club in England and across the globe. The club is based out of Newcastle upon Tyne and Wear and plays all home games at St. James’ Park. The current owner of the club, Mike Ashley has been involved in several spats with club fans. The club has seen most of its success at the start of the 20th century and at the end of the same century (the first and last decade of the century). Newcastle United was founded at the end of the 19th century in 1892. The club formed as a result of the merger between the West End and East End. With such a long history, the club has managed to stay in the top division for more than 88 seasons. In the Premier League era, the club played every season barring three years. Newcastle’s trophy cabinet includes four League titles, six FA Cups, and several other domestic cups. The highest goalscorer for the club is still Allan Shearer with 206 goals. Some of the other club legends include Shay Given, Nicky Butt, Coloccini, Krul, Andy Cole, LeeClark, Paul Gascoigne, Kevin Keegan, Micky Burns, etc.
Newcastle Football Club’s Past
The club was founded in 1881 as a cricket club and a sports club. The East End and West End operated as two different clubs until the West merged with the East because of financial trouble. The name Newcastle United signifies the unification of both teams.
1. The 1900s – this was the most successful period in the club’s history. The club secured promotion to the first division only in 1899 or almost 10 years later. The club managed to win the First Division title three times in the decade,, during 1905, 1907, and 1909. They managed to win the FA Cup in 1910 after losing in three previous finals in 5 years.
2. WW2 – During the 1930s, the club was relegated twice leading up to WW2. It took the club until after the war to secure promotion to the first division again. The club managed to win an FA Cup three times in five seasons in the early 1950s. Post these wins, the club started to decline again and got relegated in the 1960s. The period from the 1960s to the 1990s saw the club fluctuate between the top, first and second divisions of English Football.
3. The 1992-era – 1992 was the start of the Premier League-era and it also meant new hopes for Newcastle Football Club. The club managed to finish 3rd in the league in their first season after promotion to the League. In the following years, Newcastle finished 2nd (1996 and 1997) and missed out narrowly on the Premier League. Some of the best players that featured for the club during this period include Les Ferdinand, Ginola, Shearer, etc. The club also qualified for Champions League football on several occasions (even beating Barcelona under Dalglish).
When Mike Ashley took over Newcastle Football Club, he paid 5p/share on the LSE to become the owner of the club. The club has been relegated twice in the Premier League era, however, securing qualification back to the EPL the next season. The owner has been accused by fans of not investing in the club, facilities, or players. In fact, the owner planned to sell the club on three separate instances but rescinded his offer at some point. The club was recently in talks to be acquired by a Saudi consortium, but the deal was blocked by British MPs. Steve Bruce is the current manager of Newcastle United and is appointed until 2022. Some of the key squad players include Longstaff, Carroll, Maximin, Ritchie, Wilson, Manquillo, Fraser, Yedlin, Almiron, etc.
Newcastle Football Club has had ups and downs, and a lot of successful periods in between. However, given where things stand, it’s important that the club has an owner not only motivated by financial incentives but also wants his club to compete on a higher level. For Newcastle to finish in the top half of the table, it’s going to take consistency before they can mount a top-7 and then a top-4 finish. Newcastle will have better luck at domestic competitions and trophies over the next few years before they can cement themselves as a top Premier League club again.