Newcastle United

There was an earlier club playing at St. James’ Park in 1886, and it merged with another to form Newcastle United in 1892. They quickly became a national power, winning the league three times and making five FA Cup finals by 1911 (they lost four of them). They won the Cup again in 1924 and 1932, but were relegated in 1934. After World War II they surged again, winning three FA Cups in the first half of the 1950s, then were relegated again for a few years in the ’60s.

They were then pretty ordinary until the ’90s, when they signed a man—nay, a god if you ask the locals—named Alan Shearer. He was a Newcastle boy who used to stand on the terraces, and he had just helped Blackburn Rovers win the Premier League. From 1996 to 2006, Shearer scored 206 goals in 395 games, occasionally leading the league in scoring and setting a then Premier League record with 11 hat tricks. (It was since broken by Sergio Aguero at Manchester City.) And yet, it must be pointed out, in all those years Newcastle never won a trophy. Still, the image of Shearer running around with his right arm in the air after scoring is the equivalent of Joe Montana sticking both arms up in the air after tossing a touchdown pass.

He is now a regular commentator on BBC’s Match of the Day.

After Shearer retired, another decline began: relegation in 2009, finishing above 10th in the Premier League only once, and getting relegated again in 2016. But, as in 2009, they crushed the Championship and came back up in a year. They also broke just about every away attendance record in the Championship; hardly anybody travels like the Toon Army.

The problem in those days was the owner: a businessman named Mike Ashley. He made his money running the Sports Direct empire, and he has a reputation of somewhere between odd, difficult, and obnoxious. In any case, the fans hated him, and they literally danced in the streets when a Saudi group bought the club. Money talks in soccer, and the Saudis have a lot of it, so Geordies are excited for what they believe is a long-overdue run to the top.

It didn’t take long for the Saudi money to have a positive effect on Newcastle, which can be seen with their 4th-place league finish in 2022-23, as well as the Magpies’ runner-up position in the League Cup. This was their best finish since the 2002–03 season during the glory days of Alan Shearer, and it secured their spot in the Champions League for the upcoming season. They crashed out in the group stage, but at least they made it there, and their big home win over Paris Saint-Germain will live long in the memory.

Last year they actually bagged a trophy, the League Cup, by beating Liverpool in the final. And this year they are in the Champions League again. Buckle up, everyone.

2024–25 SEASON: 7th in Premier League, 1st Round FA Cup, League Cup Winners

2025–26 SEASON: Premier League (promoted in 2017), UEFA Champions League

Sunderland, just eight miles away, is the other half of the Tyne-Wear derby. Of course, it’s the Wear-Tyne derby in Sunderland. In fact, they both use a phrase from the northeastern dialect, “Howay the Lads.” At least, that’s how it is written in Newcastle. In Sunderland it’s Haway. They have played more than 150 times since 1883. If you ever heard a story about a fan punching a police horse, that was a Newcastle fan on derby day. Sunderland are up, too, so we get two Premier League derbies this season!

Newcastle United WFC are in the Women’s Super League 2 and play at Kingston Park.

“Blaydon Races” is a Geordie folk song written in the 19th century by, yes, Geordie Ridley. It sounds very happy and makes one want to dance around. It’s pretty much the anthem of the city and refers to races that happened in that town until 1916. The lyrics are in Geordie dialect:

Ah me lads, ye shudda seen us gannin’,

We pass’d the foaks alang the road just as they wor stannin’;

Thor wis lots o’ lads an’ lassies there, aal wi’ smiling faces,

Gannin’ alang the Scotswood Road, to see the Blaydon Races.

After singing this as the team comes out, they then blast out Mark Knopfler’s “Local Hero.”

It’s hard to think of another city so dominated by its football stadium. St. James’ Park is the biggest thing in Newcastle on the highest hill in town and is said to supplant the local cathedral in significance—it has a bigger congregation, anyway. It holds 52,405, making it the eighth-largest soccer stadium in the country–just ahead of Sunderland’s.

Newcastle has played there since 1892, and they have apparently been arguing about expansion since it opened. Today it has a rather odd appearance—three massive sides and one small one—because the apartment building next to it is protected, limiting expansion in that direction. They have talked about moving a couple of times, but that’s hard to imagine.

Another funny thing about the stadium is that the pitch slopes just a little bit. On the stadium tour, the guide pointed out that at one end, the advertising boards are right on the pitch, and at the other they are about a foot off it. Newcastle does score more goals going downhill.

If you’re wondering, this is the Newcastle of Brown Ale fame. The brewery was the shirt sponsor for years, and that’s the official name of the southern stand. But everyone calls it the Gallowgate (pronounced something like GAL-la-git), as it’s close to where the old city gallows were. Across the way is the Leazes End (close to a park of that name), which is officially named for manager Sir Bobby Robson. He also has a statue outside—and at Ipswich Town. Away fans have to sit way up top of this stand; the climb up the steps is known all over the league.

That leaves the Jackie Milburn Stand, named for a hero of the 1950s team, and the East Stand, the small one. Sitting in the East Stand gives you the full palatial aspect of the rest of it. It is simply a beautiful stadium, with apologies to friends in Sunderland. And it is proper loud.

Above all this is a spectacular roof made of glass to let the sunlight through. It’s the largest cantilever structure in Europe, and some stadium tours include a walk up there!

TOURS: Tours are offered Friday, Saturday and Sunday at various times. Last we saw, it was £18 for the usual tour, and £22.50 for the rooftop tour on weekends from April to October. There are also less frequent Legends Tours led by former players you will have never heard of unless you’re a Geordie. Check with the club for the latest.

Tour St. James’ Park at Newcastle United

Taking a tour of St. James’ Park, home of Newcastle United FC, is like visiting the city’s cathedral. I assume Newcastle, a wonderful and historic city, has a fine cathedral … somewhere. But without a doubt the biggest house of...

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GETTING THERE: It’s only a 15-minute walk from Newcastle Central station; go through Chinatown on the way and get something to eat. You can also find Grainger Street just outside the station and take bus 71 or 87.

PUBS: The Strawberry is right across the street and is so significant that a corner of the stadium is named for it. It’s been there since 1859 and is a proper pub adorned with drawings and photos of Toon legends. It will, of course, be mobbed on game days.

The Head of Steam near the station has an absurd selection of beers, and both the Duke of Wellington and the Old George Inn are proper old pubs down in the center.

GRUB: Chinatown sits right next to the stadium; locals almost brawled when asked for the best place, so just follow your nose. There’s also a proper chippy near the station called Clayton Street Chippy.

AROUND TOWN: What an amazing city. Newcastle was the center of shipbuilding for decades, and its riverfront is still spectacular. There are several bridges over the Tyne, including the Gateshead Millennium Bridge, which lets boats go through by hauling itself into the air. Take a boat tour from River Escapes—some of them even go out to the sea—or a walking tour from Newcastle City Guides.

Make sure you also see the nearly-200-year-old Grainger Market, a really cool indoor market with over a hundred stalls and famous scales where you can get yourself weighed. Also make sure you swing by the all-football bookstore called The Back Page. You can get lost in there.

And finally, there is the 1838 Grey’s Monument, down in the architecturally rich old center. That would be the local earl and legislative hero who directed his staff to make a tea that covered the (then poor) taste of the local water—hence, Earl Grey Tea. You can sometimes go up a spiral staircase inside the monument.