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Hello! There’s a party in Newcastle. And Dan Burn started it.
Sky Sports
On the way:
Agony to ecstasy: Triumph and tears — Newcastle finally clinch domestic trophy
(Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Here is the world as it was in 1955. Winston Churchill had just finished his second term as the UK’s prime minister. The United States was in the early years of the Eisenhower administration. The moon landings were more than a decade away, and the NBA was less than a decade old.
On top of which, Newcastle United held the FA Cup, their last domestic trophy — or their last domestic trophy before yesterday, when the dam gave way to a mass of marauding Geordies. Sometimes these things make you wait. Sometimes the wait is worth it. My in-laws are from Newcastle and I’m telling you now: with a League Cup in the offing, that city will have ground to a beer-soaked halt.
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Seventy barren years had, in moments such as their Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester United in 2023, made Newcastle think it might never happen. But something about their energy going back to Wembley said their time was now. They went there to win. Joelinton played like he would kill for it. “Get into them,” urged The Athletic’s George Caulkin and Newcastle obliged, overrunning Liverpool, whose lethargy was a complete contrast.
Their 2-1 victory was momentous for several reasons:
- Victory ends one of England’s most gruelling droughts, during which Newcastle have come very close to domestic honours — never more so than the 1995-96 Premier League title race that was theirs to win until they blew it.
- So many high-calibre footballers have passed through St James’ Park without success: Alan Shearer, David Ginola, Paul Gascoigne, Michael Owen, Tino Asprilla. Shearer texted Bruno Guimaraes (another cog in Newcastle’s pulsating midfield) beforehand, saying simply: “Bring that trophy back.”
- It’s also a first cup since the club passed into Saudi Arabian ownership in 2021. That takeover provoked debate about sportswashing — a discussion that is wrong to ignore — but still, a starved fanbase have been thrown a bone and it’s hard to begrudge them that.
Burn on fire
Sky Sports
There were subplots to yesterday’s final and none better than that of the first goalscorer, Dan Burn.
He’s had some week: called up to the England squad for the first time on Friday, a Carabao Cup winner by Sunday night. Burn drawing first blood with a booming header just before half-time (above) was no less than Newcastle had earned and the point we realised it might be on.
Burn was born in Blyth, a town just north of Newcastle, and grew up supporting the club. He defies science in a few ways: a near two-metre-tall defender who Eddie Howe has played as a full-back, and a signing who shed his ‘stopgap’ image to become integral.
In 2023, the tension of reaching a final got to Howe’s side. Yesterday, Burn said they approached it “like business as usual”, until the final whistle hit them. “I don’t want to go to sleep because I feel like it’s all going to be a lie,” Burn joked. Howe’s voice cracked as he spoke about his mum, who he lost in 2012. Even the stoic Shearer “shed more tears than ever before”, his facade melted by the team he loves.
Lost Liverpool
Liverpool were never properly present, or not until Federico Chiesa made stoppage time feel 70 years long by bringing the score to 2-1. They were leggy and defeat completed a bad week, following on from their Champions League exit against Paris Saint-Germain.
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Arne Slot denied Newcastle wanted it more, though to a certain extent, I suspect they did. The Premier League title will be ample compensation for Slot, a heck of an achievement in his first season. But as the dust settles today, Liverpool will reflect that five weeks ago, they were on for four trophies. Now they’re down to one.
News round-up
Around the grounds: Dele disaster, Barca sink Atletico, Bompastor’s Chelsea silverware
CBS Sports
In his deepest purple patch, Dele Alli was one of England’s golden boys. He played in the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup. He played a crucial role in Tottenham Hotspur’s run to the 2019 Champions League final.
The midfielder, though, turns 29 next month. Far from seeing the world at his fingertips, his career has been hanging by a thread (and we learned last year that he had experienced real darkness in his life). A debut for Serie A’s Como against Milan on Saturday was his first appearance for two years.
Dele took to the field as a substitute in the 81st minute. He was sent off for an abysmal foul on Ruben Loftus-Cheek 10 minutes later. His head coach, Cesc Fabregas, gave him what-for and while Alli is protected by an 18-month contract at Como, he cannot shake the image of a faded sportscar running out of road.
Other points of note from the weekend:
Reader replies
Let’s box off the Alvarez penalty debate. We asked for your views and you responded in droves, with a wide spread of opinions. Here are some (heavily edited) picks:
Tim Parsons: “The solution is consistent common sense. The kick should be retaken.”
Paul Shipper: “Maybe they’ll be smart for a change and at least improve the current laws.”
Chris Sundby: “The ball did not ‘clearly move’, as required by the rule to put the ball into play. The express decision to include the word ‘clearly’ seems to exclude this exact scenario, when it took multiple camera angles.”
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Jordan Weber: “I’ve obsessively replayed Julian’s penalty. I cannot for the life of me find conclusive evidence of a double touch.” (UEFA says otherwise and has published video evidence).
Rob Boatti: “It’s a slippery slope! If you penalise only intentional double touches, how do you determine intent? Players will game it.”
Quiz answer
In answer to Friday’s question, these are David Moyes’ managerial stints (two at both Everton and West Ham United) in order of win percentage, from lower to highest:
Sunderland (2016-17, 18.6 per cent); Real Sociedad (2014-15, 28.6 per cent); West Ham (2017-18, 29 per cent); Everton (2025-present, 40 per cent); Everton (2002-13, 42.1 per cent); West Ham (2019-24, 44.6 per cent); Preston North End (1998-2002, 47.9 per cent); Manchester United (2013-14, 52.9 per cent).
And finally…
Sky Sports Scotland
Barring one season, Scotland has been Celtic’s manor for 14 years. Rangers continue to limp on from their 2012 insolvency and Celtic will match them on 55 Scottish titles in a few short weeks.
In light of that, any time Rangers win at Celtic Park, they’re going to milk it — which Vaclav Cerny did by showering a group of Celtic fans with a water bottle (above) after an 88th-minute winner in yesterday’s Old Firm derby. Brave man.
(Top photo: Stu Forster/Getty Images)
