‘How stupid’ – Newcastle bus parade left Alan Shearer embarrassed in front of thousands of fans
Newcastle United will finally get their trophy-winning party in front the Toon Army. Last weekend’s Carabao Cup heroics against Liverpool have finally laid to rest the unwanted tagline of 70 years without winning a major honour. GettyNewcastle’s new crop of stars made history after winning the Carabao Cup[/caption] It ended years of heartbreak and personal ’embarrassment’ for legends like Shearer Many of the club’s stars were forced to jet off on international duty in the aftermath of the celebrations but it is unlikely to dim the party that is set to follow. The Magpies are not back in action until April 2, allowing for the club to arrange a homecoming like no other in the city when the players report back for club duty next weekend. But it wont be the first time Newcastle fans have gathered to salute their heroes after reaching a domestic cup final. Back in 1999, Ruud Gullit led Newcastle to the FA Cup final with a team led by club legend and all-time leading scorer Alan Shearer. It was the club’s second FA Cup final appearance in as many years having lost to eventual double winners Arsenal, 12 months earlier. This time it was the turn of Manchester United who were closing in on a historic Treble under the guidance of Sir Alex Ferguson. Goals from Teddy Sheringham and Paul Scholes were enough to see off Gullit’s men at Wembley but it is what followed that left Shearer in a state of embarrassment. Winners are usually toasted with an open-top bus parade while runners-up are often left to lick their wounds. But not on this occasion. That’s because the north-east club decided that they wanted to throw a party with an open-top bus for their beaten stars. Ruud Gullit led his side out at Wembley against a rampant Man UnitedGetty It would involve a parade through the streets of Newcastle but strangely without a trophy to show for their efforts. Fans flocked to the streets to welcome home the beaten finalists with people climbing up onto rooftops, standing on cars and hanging off lamp posts to get a glimpse of the squad. Bizarrely, the scenes mirrored those of 12 months previous when a similar parade took place after Newcastle were swept aside by Arsene Wenger’s team. Shearer, who had tasted Premier League title success with Blackburn four years earlier, later admitted he looked back on the parade with regret. “We did open-top bus parades after being beaten twice in the cup finals which makes you think… how f***ing stupid is this?,” he told Match of the Day’s Top 10 podcast. “It just shows how desperate the Newcastle fans are for success because there were hundreds of thousands of fans.” Newcastle fans took over the old Wembley Way ahead of the 1999 FA Cup finalGetty Manchester United proved too strong for the Magpies in 1999 Shearer was left embarrassed by the the open-top bus parade that followed the defeatGetty Gary Lineker, who also appeared on the podcast replied: “Only in Newcastle would they all turn out.” To which Shearer responded: “Unbelievable. I mean it’s absolutely outrageous. “Hundreds of thousands of fans lining the streets. It’s like, ah, it’s embarrassing [to not have a trophy to show].” But times have changed for the better since the events in 1999 and despite two relegations under the ownership of Mike Ashley, and a Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester United in 2023, the Magpies finally reached the promised land. Newcastle boss Eddie Howe reflected on the importance of Sunday’s 2-1 victory over Liverpool and what it meant for the fans. “With such a long wait for a trophy, this will be a day that I’m sure everyone will never forget,” Howe said. “We will never forget it. I certainly won’t. I think there’s different ways to win trophies. Eddie Howe was full of praise for his cup-winning starsGetty “We won it in the best way. We played a brilliant opponent, they’ve been the best team in the Premier League all season by quite a long way. And for me, we were the better team. “I feel amazing, it is an incredible day. I was so, so pleased with our performance, it was not a lucky win, thoroughly deserved. I am drenched in alcohol from Joelinton and the rest of the squad, it’s a great moment, it is about embracing the success. We have to try and enjoy the moment and take it all in.”
Newcastle United will finally get their trophy-winning party in front the Toon Army.
Last weekend’s Carabao Cup heroics against Liverpool have finally laid to rest the unwanted tagline of 70 years without winning a major honour.
Many of the club’s stars were forced to jet off on international duty in the aftermath of the celebrations but it is unlikely to dim the party that is set to follow.
The Magpies are not back in action until April 2, allowing for the club to arrange a homecoming like no other in the city when the players report back for club duty next weekend.
But it wont be the first time Newcastle fans have gathered to salute their heroes after reaching a domestic cup final.
Back in 1999, Ruud Gullit led Newcastle to the FA Cup final with a team led by club legend and all-time leading scorer Alan Shearer.
It was the club’s second FA Cup final appearance in as many years having lost to eventual double winners Arsenal, 12 months earlier.
This time it was the turn of Manchester United who were closing in on a historic Treble under the guidance of Sir Alex Ferguson.
Goals from Teddy Sheringham and Paul Scholes were enough to see off Gullit’s men at Wembley but it is what followed that left Shearer in a state of embarrassment.
Winners are usually toasted with an open-top bus parade while runners-up are often left to lick their wounds.
But not on this occasion.
That’s because the north-east club decided that they wanted to throw a party with an open-top bus for their beaten stars.
It would involve a parade through the streets of Newcastle but strangely without a trophy to show for their efforts.
Fans flocked to the streets to welcome home the beaten finalists with people climbing up onto rooftops, standing on cars and hanging off lamp posts to get a glimpse of the squad.
Bizarrely, the scenes mirrored those of 12 months previous when a similar parade took place after Newcastle were swept aside by Arsene Wenger’s team.
Shearer, who had tasted Premier League title success with Blackburn four years earlier, later admitted he looked back on the parade with regret.
“We did open-top bus parades after being beaten twice in the cup finals which makes you think… how f***ing stupid is this?,” he told Match of the Day’s Top 10 podcast.
“It just shows how desperate the Newcastle fans are for success because there were hundreds of thousands of fans.”
Gary Lineker, who also appeared on the podcast replied: “Only in Newcastle would they all turn out.”
To which Shearer responded: “Unbelievable. I mean it’s absolutely outrageous.
“Hundreds of thousands of fans lining the streets. It’s like, ah, it’s embarrassing [to not have a trophy to show].”
But times have changed for the better since the events in 1999 and despite two relegations under the ownership of Mike Ashley, and a Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester United in 2023, the Magpies finally reached the promised land.
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe reflected on the importance of Sunday’s 2-1 victory over Liverpool and what it meant for the fans.
“With such a long wait for a trophy, this will be a day that I’m sure everyone will never forget,” Howe said. “We will never forget it. I certainly won’t. I think there’s different ways to win trophies.
“We won it in the best way. We played a brilliant opponent, they’ve been the best team in the Premier League all season by quite a long way. And for me, we were the better team.
“I feel amazing, it is an incredible day. I was so, so pleased with our performance, it was not a lucky win, thoroughly deserved. I am drenched in alcohol from Joelinton and the rest of the squad, it’s a great moment, it is about embracing the success. We have to try and enjoy the moment and take it all in.”
