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Newcastle trophy drought: A look back at the Magpies’ long wait for silverware

Damian Spellman, PA
·3-min read

Newcastle’s hopes of ending their 54-year trophy drought remain on track after they beat Southampton to reach the Carabao Cup final.

The Magpies, who completed a 3-1 aggregate victory over the Saints at St James’ Park on Tuesday, have not collected major silverware since their 1969 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup triumph, and last tasted domestic success in the 1955 FA Cup.

Here, the PA news agency looks back at their long wait for glory.

Treble trouble

Newcastle striker Alan Shearer shows his disappointment after the club's 1999 FA Cup final defeat by Manchester United
Newcastle striker Alan Shearer shows his disappointment after the 1999 FA Cup final defeat by Manchester United (Owen Humphreys/PA)

Newcastle have not reached the final of a major competition since the 1999 FA Cup, where their hopes of lifting the famous trophy for a seventh time were dashed by Manchester United, who would go on to complete an unprecedented treble. Twelve months after Kenny Dalglish’s Magpies had gone down 2-0 to Arsenal beneath the Twin Towers, Ruud Gullit’s team suffered the same fate, with Teddy Sheringham and Paul Scholes doing the damage.

Dennis the menace

Dennis Tueart scores Manchester City’s winner against Newcastle in the 1976 League Cup final
Dennis Tueart scores Manchester City’s winner against Newcastle in the 1976 League Cup final (PA)

The Magpies have experienced just one League Cup final, and their trip to Wembley in February 1976 ended in disappointment. Manchester City took an early lead through Peter Barnes and although Alan Gowling levelled, an overhead kick from former Sunderland player Dennis Tueart won it for City.

All’s fair…

Newcastle skipper Bob Moncur scores in the first leg of the club's Inter-Cities Fairs Cup final victory over Ujpest Dozsa
Newcastle skipper Bob Moncur scores in the first leg of the club’s Inter-Cities Fairs Cup final victory over Ujpest Dozsa (PA)

Newcastle had finished 10th in Division One but were admitted to the 1968-69 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup ahead of teams above them due to competition rules preventing two clubs from the same city taking part. They took full advantage of their good fortune, dispensing with Feyenoord, Sporting Lisbon, Real Zaragoza, Vitoria Setubal and Rangers before beating Hungarian side Ujpest Dozsa 6-2 on aggregate in the two-legged final.

Three-sy does it

Newcastle captain James Scoular celebrates victory over Manchester City in the 1955 FA Cup final
Newcastle captain Jimmy Scoular celebrates victory over Manchester City in the 1955 FA Cup final (PA)

The four-times English champions – their last title came in 1927 – lifted the FA Cup three times in five years at the start of the 1950s, but their 1955 triumph in football’s oldest competition remains their last major prize in the domestic game. A 3-1 victory over Manchester City was secured by Jackie Milburn’s first-minute opener and, after Bobby Johnstone had equalised, further strikes from Bobby Mitchell and George Hannah.

Howe’s that?

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson got the better of Newcastle counterpart Ruud Gullit in the 1999 FA Cup final
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson got the better of Newcastle counterpart Ruud Gullit in the 1999 FA Cup final (Sean Dempsey/PA)

No fewer than 24 permanent managers have tried and failed to bring silverware to Tyneside since Joe Harvey’s Fairs Cup adventure, and current head coach Eddie Howe is following in the footsteps of some big names as he attempts to buck that trend. Kevin Keegan and Dalglish secured back-to-back Premier League runner-up spots, Dalglish and Gullit fell at the final hurdle in the FA Cup and Sir Bobby Robson presided over semi-final defeats in the FA and UEFA Cups.