Newcastle Won Something

Seven decades without a major trophy have come to an end.

By Ben Spratt

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Football is rife with hyperbole, and I have a particular, personal gripe with the word "legend".

I don't believe a popular former player who had a decent season or two or who scored a derby goal qualifies as a legend.

Clubs should not have hundreds of legends; it dilutes the meaning of that status. Clubs without a major domestic trophy in 70 years certainly should not have hundreds of legends.

But when those 70 years come to an end? It is impossible to be hyperbolic about the characters of Newcastle United's EFL Cup win.

Dan Burn is a Newcastle legend; Alexander Isak is a Newcastle legend; Bruno Guimaraes is a Newcastle legend; Eddie Howe is undoubtedly a Newcastle legend.

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What they have achieved is not just unprecedented in the context of Newcastle; it is unprecedented within English football.

Clubs have not previously broken 70-year trophy droughts, because 70-year trophy droughts have not existed. Successful clubs have largely remained at least relatively successful. It means we have to hear a lot about long-suffering fans of clubs who have gone five or 10 or 15 years without silverware.

Of course, there are Wigan Athletics, who had to wait more than 80 years for a first triumph. But there was never any expectation a Wigan would win a trophy; it makes the celebrations no less joyous, but the wait is not quite as painful or at the very least a different kind of painful. Can there really be a drought if there was no water nor any anticipation of water in the first place?

Newcastle, until Sunday, were different. The 1955 FA Cup was their 10th major honour. At that stage, Liverpool and Manchester United had won five apiece. The two most successful clubs in English football were only, combined, a match for Newcastle's history.

No matter how well the coming years go, Newcastle will not catch Liverpool or Man United now. Yet that really doesn't matter.

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I find it difficult to imagine any future Newcastle triumph will feel as significant or emotive as Sunday's, at least to the fans. That end of Wembley Stadium was packed with supporters who had expected they would spend their entire lives without seeing this. There were tears, open mouths, hands on heads, old men toppling over in celebration.

That is why it is possible for fans to overlook the Saudi Arabia element in this. It was uncomfortable seeing Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of Saudi's Public Investment Fund, celebrating as if he had scored the winner himself, but this was about far more than him and Saudi.

Given the significance of this for Newcastle then, this was a strangely serene experience. The previous final against Man United, a 2-0 defeat two years ago, had been horrible. It was horrible because the football was largely horrible and the result was entirely horrible, but it was also horrible because the nerves were all consuming. The atmosphere was muted even before two goals ended the contest altogether.

Perhaps it was because this was a second final in three years, possibly evidence enough that there would be other opportunities after this, that I and others I spoke to in the Newcastle end this time felt confident up against the best team in the country.

Previously a pessimist, I believed before kick-off this was going to be Newcastle's day, and that confidence increased with every passing minute of the match.

Newcastle started brightly, continued brightly, played brightly some more, and then, just when it looked like Liverpool might make it to half-time, scored. Never mind winning at Wembley, Newcastle had not led at Wembley since that 1955 final.

When the second half started in the same manner, there was no reason to doubt anymore.

Liverpool had not previously trailed by two goals under Arne Slot, and it showed. His confusing response was simply to throw on another attacker and then another. It looked more likely Newcastle would win by three or four than throw away their lead. Ultimately, neither happened – a meagre 2-1 reward for the Newcastle legends producing the performance of their lives.

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That scoreline really doesn't matter.

For Newcastle, nothing will be the same again – and we really don't care if we are mocked for that.

After 70 years, we wouldn't expect anyone else to understand.

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