2025/26 OPPOSITION FOCUS: NEWCASTLE UNITED

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As we gear up for the 2025/26 Premier League campaign we take a closer look at our opponents

2025-07-09T08:57:49.336Z

2025/26 OPPOSITION FOCUS: NEWCASTLE UNITED

As we gear up for the 2025/26 Premier League campaign we take a closer look at our opponents

2025-07-09T08:57:49.336Z

As we gear up for the 2025/26 Premier League campaign we take a closer look at our opponents

Today we take a look at Newcastle United...

What's their history?

Football being played on Tyneside can be dated back to 1877 though the origins of Newcastle United Football Club can be traced back to the formation of a football club in November 1881.

Re-named ‘Newcastle East End FC’, that team merged with ‘Rosewood FC’ shortly after. ‘Newcastle West End FC’ meanwhile moved into St James’ Park in 1886.

‘Newcastle East End FC’ then became a professional team and merged with their neighbours 'West End' who were in financial trouble, taking over the lease at St James’ in the process in May 1892.

Development was rapid after that and although the Magpies were refused entry into the Football League’s First Division at the start of the 1892/93 campaign, United were invited to play in the Second Division, but that was an invitation which they turned down and decided to remain in the Northern League.

In a bid to draw larger crowds, ‘Newcastle East End FC’ opted for a new name and in December 1892 they settled on Newcastle United.

Refused entry to the top flight again for the 1893/94 season, United instead joined the Second Division, where it took the Magpies just five seasons to then reach Divison One in 1898.

United would go on to dominate the Winning the league on three occasions, they also won the FA Cup in 1910 for the first time with victory over Barnsley.

More accolades followed before relegation in 1934 brought an end to 35 seasons at the top table. Struggling to adjust to life outside the First Division, Newcastle were spared from a further relegation only on ‘goal average’.

The war period brought them time to re-adjust and adapt. Bringing in players including Tommy Walker & Jackie Milburn and getting themselves back amongst the elite with promotion in 1948.

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Three-time FA Cup winners in a five-year spell in the 1950s, the Magpies would be relegated again in 1961 but having bounced back they qualified for Europe for the first time in the 1967/68 campaign as the following year won the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Final.

United fell into the Second Division once more in 1978, taking a few years to get back up this time around and enjoying success with big names including Paul Gascoigne - who also played for the Clarets - without pinning down silverware.

Newcastle were not in the Premier League in its inaugural year and instead had to win promotion again at the first time of asking in the second tier heading up as champions in 1993.

Finishing 2nd in the top flight in back-to-back campaigns, there were also ventures into Europe for the North East natives, winning the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 2006.

Just three years later though, United were relegated and though they bounced back in style as centurions in the Championship, they were never able to consistently push on.

Following an impressive 5th-place finish in the 2011/12 season, United reached the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals but league form dipped and eventually in 2016 the Magpies went down once more.

Again winning the Championship in style, this time under the guidance of Rafa Benitez, their top-flight status has remained since and after a takeover in October 2021, United have now propelled towards the top.

After a 4th place finish in 2022/23, securing UEFA Champions League football, the Magpies have gone on to finish 7th and 5th in the last years, bringing European football to St James' Park once again.

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Stadium

Newcastle play their home games at St. James’ Park in Newcastle upon Tyne. Originally built in 1880, it became the home of United when the club was formed in 1892.

It has since undergone various renovations and expansions and currently has the capacity to hold over 50,000 spectators on matchday.

St. James’ Park also doubles as a venue for music and rugby events and has housed plenty of concerts, with artists ranging from The Rolling Stones to Ed Sheeran.

The Clarets will visit Newcastle upon Tyne in December, when Scott Parker's side take on the Magpies for the first of two meetings in December.

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Last season

The 2024/25 season proved to be a successful one for Eddie Howe's men, as United lifted the Carabao Cup, their first major trophy since 1955.

Newcastle defeated Liverpool in the final at Wembley, after seeing off Arsenal over two legs in the semi-finals and Brentford, Chelsea, AFC Wimbledon and Nottingham Forest prior to that.

United also finished 5th in the Premier League table, which secured another season of UEFA Champions League football at St. James' Park.

Top-scorer Alexander Isak bagged 27 goals for the Magpies across all competitions, with wide-men Anthony Gordon, Harvey Barnes and Jacob Murphy all chipping in with nine goals each, in a season to remember for the Geordies.

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Who’s the boss?

Eddie Howe has been at the helm since 2021 and remains a key figure in Newcastle’s recent progress. The former Burnley boss has guided the Magpies back into European football and has overseen a transformation in league and cup success at St. James Park.

His management has been central to Newcastle’s push into the Premier League’s top-tier, with three top-seven finishes during his time in charge.

Howe led United to the final of the Carabao Cup in February 2023, before then guiding his team to the final again last season and this time winning it, after beating Liverpool.

Prior to his time at Newcastle, Howe made his name with Bournemouth, taking them from League Two to the Premier League across two spells in charge, as well as an 18-month spell with the Clarets between 2011-2012.

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Memorable meeting

14/12/2019 - Burnley 1 – 0 Newcastle United (Turf Moor)

Burnley came out on top of a hard-fought contest at Turf Moor in a typical Lancashire winter December meeting, thanks to a second-half header from Chris Wood.

The striker connected with a well-placed corner from Ashley Westwood to find the back of the net, putting the Clarets ahead just before the hour mark.

Despite late pressure from the visitors, the Burnley defence held strong, ensuring a clean sheet and three points.

Burnley: Pope, Bardsley, Mee, Pieters, Tarkowski, Cork, Westwood, Hendrick, McNeil, Barnes, Wood (Rodriguez 85)

Unused substitutes: Hart, Lowton, Drinkwater, Lennon, Vydra

Newcastle United: Dubravka, Dummett, Fernandez, Manquillo, Schar, Willems (Gayle 71), Hayden, Atsu (Muto 80), Joelinton, Longstaff, Carroll

Unused substitutes: Elliot, Krafth, Lejeune, Longstaff

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