It’s been nearly half a century, but still they celebrate the silver anniversary

FORTY-FIVE years to the day since they achieved, or damn-near achieved, the impossible, Newcastle United’s class of ’69 reunited last Thursday evening, 7.30pm kick-off, of course.

It had been the Inter City Fairs’ Cup final, first leg, more than 59,000 siphoned into St James’ Park to witness a momentous 3-0 win against Ujpest Dozsa, the Hungarians reckoned by Don Revie to be the best team in Europe.

The rest is history. So, indelibly and inexorably, is the fact that the Magpies have won absolutely jot-all thereafter. “Hopefully it will change, but you wouldn’t depend on it,” said former skipper Bob Moncur.

Team manager Joe Harvey – “looking down on us with a fag in his mouth,” supposed event organiser Chris Emmerson – had written after the second leg triumph two weeks later that it had been “14 long years” since a trophy had come to Newcastle. What would he have made of 45 years, and still waiting?

What on earth does anyone?

THEY’Donlyqualified after finishingtenthintheoldfirst division,theone-club-onecityruleallowingChelseabut blockingSpursandArsenal,who bothfinishedabovetheMagpies.

Inthefirstround,firstleg theyhammeredtheDutchside Feyenoord4-0,thefans’favourite WelshmanWyn“theLeap”

Davisamongthescorersand, bespectacled,backonTyneside forthebunfight.

“Brilliantplayer.Iusedto havehisnameonthebackof me rucksackatschool,”recalled thecolumn’soldfriend“Doc”

GraemeForster.

Nomatterthattheylost2-0in Holland,itsetupatriptothe mightySportingLisbon,Jim Scott’sgoalensuringa1-1drawin anIberiandownpour.

On New Year’s Day, they firstfooted at Real Zaragoza in Spain, lost 3-2 – goals by Robson and Davis – but a fortnight later went through on the away goals rule after Robson and Tommy Gibb ensured a 2-1 win back home.

Then, March 12, Vitoria Setubal came from Portugal to the Tyne, snow falling and the pitch white-shrouded. Unable to find enough gloves, half the team wore socks on their hands and barely seemed to warm to the task at all.

United won 5-1 – Robson (2), Foggon, Davis, Gibb. It was enough to ensure that a 3-1 second leg defeat was of little consequence.

So to the semi-final, the socalled Battle of Britain, against the then-mighty Rangers. 76,000 packed Ibrox for a goalless draw, many Scots heading unsteadily south for the return.

At 2-0 to Newcastle. hundreds of Rangers fans invaded the pitch in an apparent attempt to stop the game. The nationality of the scorers – Jim Scott and Jackie Sinclair – may not have been lost on puddled brains.

Fights flared, the match was stopped for 17 minutes.

Hundreds of police prevented further encroachment; United had reached a European final at the first attempt.

UJPEST were good. Revie knew that after they’d beaten his Leeds United side – on the way to the first division title with just two defeats – in both legs.

The Northern Echo:
A shirt and programme belonging to Bill Gibbs

“From what I hear they’re just about the greatest,” agreed manager Harvey in his programme notes.

Again the crowd topped 59,000, this time including Conservative Party leader Edward Heath, a man not noted for his football fervour.

The first half was goalless. Moncur, another Scot, scored early in the second – his first goal for the club – and, incredibly, added a second soon afterwards. Jim Scott made it 3-0.

The second leg was in Budapest on June 11, Harvey’s 50th birthday and centre half John McNamee’s birthday, too, though it didn’t stop Harvey relegating him to the bench. Ujpest overran them, led 2-0 at half-time, looked unstoppable.

Harvey forewent a fag to offer a dressing room summary. “All we need is one goal and Ujpest will die.

Those foreigners are all the same.”

Moncur, again, scored after 47 minutes.

Ujpest died. Benny Arentoft, the Dane, and the sub Alan Foggon – memorably – hitting further goals.

Watching from the directors’ box, Football League secretary Alan Hardaker had been particularly impressed by the third goal. “If George Best had scored it instead of Alan Foggon, we would never have heard the end of it. It was out of this world.”

The party flowed on champagne and Bulls’ Blood. The Magpies and their supporters had never known anything like it, and might never again.