Trophy Win 1969

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Inter Cities Fairs Cup Win 1969

Qualification for the Inter Cities Fairs Cup was a tense affair and achieved in typical Newcastle style by finishing 10th in the league. The top 5 teams in the league got in after European Cup and Cup Winners Cup places had been booked but we got in because of the bizarre rule that only one team from any city could qualify. Therefore, Everton could not qualify because of Liverpool, and Tottenham and Arsenal could not qualify because of Chelsea. Even then qualification was only secured on the last day of the season when West Brom beat Everton in the FA Cup final hence qualifying for the Cup Winners Cup competition, otherwise they would have got our place having finished in 8th place in the league.

So for the first time in the clubs history we’d qualified for European competition. I saw every home match played, the excitement was awesome - something I’ve never felt before or since (but such is the lot of us Newcastle fans). Here’s how we did it:

11/09/1968 Newcastle 4 Feyenoord 0 (ht 3-0) att. 46,348
17/09/1968 Feyenoord 2 Newcastle 0 (ht 1-0) att. 45,000

Tremendous excitement for the club’s first ever match in European competition on a warm September night against the then crack Dutch team Feyenoord. A large crowd roared us through, helped by an incredible performance from young left-winger Geoff Allen, who won the game almost single-handedly and was given a standing ovation off the pitch. Goals from Davies, Gibb, Robson and Scott. Tragically, Geoff Allen’s career was brought to a sudden end a few league games later. After a mere 25 matches for the club his career was finished by a serious knee injury in a league game against Nottingham Forest (there was no Richard Steadman to send him to in those days).

No TV either back then - all we had was second half coverage of the second leg on BBC radio, lots of nail biting as Newcastle spent the whole game under siege, and a hefty portion of good luck as we somehow escaped with only a 2-0 loss. Thank heavens for Geoff Allen and the 4 goals in Newcastle.

Superb A4 picture history of the great 69 team with autographs of the players, produced with the very kind permission of Heroes the Newcastle United Former Players Association a percentage of any proceeds from this picture will go to there charity. http://www.sportmemorabilia.co.uk/shop/football/teams/newcastle.htm

30/10/1968 Sporting Lisbon 1 Newcastle 1 (ht 1-0) att. 9,000
20/11/1968 Newcastle 1 Sporting Lisbon 0 (ht 1-0) att.53,747

Tense affair, tie was really won by a great display in Lisbon in front of only 9,000 home fans with a crucial second half equaliser from Jimmy Scott. Pop Robson bagged the only goal of another close match at St James’s to take us through.

01/01/1969 Real Zaragoza 3 Newcastle 2 (ht 2-2) att.22,000
15/01/1969 Newcastle 2 Real Zaragoza 1 (ht 2-1) att. 56,055

A more open tie with Newcastle struggling to contain the lively Zaragoza forward line. Fortunately our forwards were in good form too, first leg away goals from Davies and Robson kept us in the tie then goals from Gibb and Robson in the home leg won it for us.

12/03/1969 Newcastle 5 Vitoria Setubal 1 (ht 2-0) att.57,662
26/03/1969 Vitoria Setubal 3 Newcastle 1 (ht 1-1) att. 34,000

Vitoria came to Newcastle for the first leg with a big reputation for fast-flowing attacking football, but had never seen snow before. The match was played throughout in a blizzard in front of 57,000 screaming Geordie’s and Vitoria were ripped apart by a superb aerial performance from Wyn Davies coupled with a very slippery pitch. Goals from Davies, Foggon, Gibb and Robson 2 looked to have given us a comfortable passage through. However back on their own patch away from the snow Setubal gave us a torrid time and came close to turning the tie round. Fortuneately a goal from Wyn Davies in the second leg proved crucial in helping us hang on for victory.

14/05/1969 Rangers 0 Newcastle 0 (ht 0-0) att.75,580
21/05/1969 Newcastle 2 Rangers 0 (ht 0-0) att. 59,303

The first leg in Glasgow was a hard fought acrimonious affair in front of 75,000 fans. Newcastle shut up shop with a brilliant defensive display securing a 0-0 draw setting up for an epic encounter at St James’s to see who would go into the final.

The second leg was a tense battle on the pitch but this match is remembered more for the Rangers fans activities both on and off the pitch than anything the players themselves did. Before the start the Rangers fans charged the Gallowgate end gates and burst into the ground. Then after Jimmy Scott’s opening goal the Rangers fans charged out of the Gallowgate end across the pitch to attack the home fans in the Leazes end, in true Braveheart style!. The match was then stopped for 17 minutes as the police restored order, then a goal from Jackie Sinclair finished off the tie.

29/05/1969 Newcastle 3 Ujpesti Dozsa 0 (ht 0-0) att. 59,234
11/06/1969 Ujpesti Dozsa 2 Newcastle 3 (ht 2-0) att. 34,000

Fairly unknown these days, but Ujpesti Dozsa at the time came into this final with the reputation as the best team in Europe, with forward Bene rated one of the best strikers in Europe that season.

Bizarrely, our captain Bob Moncur only scored 8 goals in his whole career and had not scored ever before the final. Yet, over the 2-legged final he scored 3 of his 8 career goals - a true captain for the big occasion.

The first half of the first leg at St James’s produced an edgy, nervous display from the home team and we went in 0-0 at half time feeling rather down but not yet out. Then captain Bob took charge in the second half banging in 2 goals with another from Jimmy Scott had us taking a 3 goal lead to Hungary and dreaming of a trophy.

However we took an absolute pasting in the first half in Hungary and were 2 down at half time and genuinely looking both down and out. Then again captain Bob took charge with an early goal second half then an incredible team performance bagging us 2 further goals saw us come from behind and win the second leg as well.

So there we were, after limping into the tournament from 10th place in the league we actually became Inter Cities Fairs Cup winners. That performance should not be underestimated because in those days only the league champions could enter the then European Champions Cup hence all the rest were in this tournament and out to win it. So there we were, champions of the 2nd most premier tournament in Europe, what an incredible performance.

Newcastle had taken Europe by storm. The return of the team with the trophy was met by huge crowds as they travelled on open-top bus from the Central Station to St James’ Park.

The success of that great team was built around a strong defence, an exceptional leader in Bobby Moncur, an exceptional aerial threat in Welshman Wyn Davies but above all exceptional team spirit and fighting qualities.

Will we ever see such scenes again from our Newcastle team?