Newcastle United was founded in 1892 and, for all except for the first few of them, the team has been wearing the black and white stripes that have become their trademark in the world of football.
Previously always known as the Magpies, in more recent years the club has become better known as 'The Toon', and their fervent supporters as 'The Toon Army'. Always one of England's best-supported teams, when Newcastle was relegated to the Championship (2008/09) an incredible 48,750 still went to every league match.
The League title has been won four times in the club's history, with the FA Cup captured on six occasions. Although the club was runner-up in both League and Cup twice during the 1990s, you have to go back to 1969 for the last major trophy – the Inter Cities Fairs Cup. After beating Sporting Lisbon, Zaragoza and Rangers on the way to the two-legged final, Newcastle comfortably defeated Újpesti Dózsa by an aggregate score of six goals to two – three of the goals being scored by that rock of a centre back Bobby Moncur; a truly ferocious opponent.
Most of Newcastle's legendary players have worn the famous number nine shirt – including Hughie Gallacher, 'Wor Jackie' Milburn, Welshman Wyn Davies, Malcolm Macdonald, 'Sir' Les Ferdinand, and, of course, Alan Shearer who, by scoring 206 times became the club's highest ever goalscorer.
Other historic figures in the club's past include winger Bobby Mitchell, 'the Welsh wizard' Ivor Allchurch, Peter Beardsley and – as both player and manager – Kevin Keegan.
Under Keegan's charismatic management Newcastle became known as the Premier League's great entertainers – becoming the 'second' team of many armchair supporters. There were lots of memorable matches during this exciting part of the club's history – notably, of course, that unforgettable seven goal thriller under the floodlights at Anfield in 1996.
As the club, and the city, face up to the reality of Championship football for at least one season, the one thing that can be certain is that Newcastle's followers will continue to turn the volume up at St James' Park in order to spur their team on to some overdue success.
