Superstitious Newcastle United supporters are relieved to learn their club will be wearing black shorts and socks for the Carabao Cup final. To some, that news is as good as engraving the Magpies’ name on the trophy.
It is unclear where the belief comes from that Newcastle are unlucky when playing in white socks. Some attribute the fear to Ruud Gullit, the former manager who insisted on his teams doing so.
In the 1999 FA Cup final, the Toon looked unusual without their traditional black socks. Then manager Gullit would explain the decision in a later interview.
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“It was something I liked,” he told The Athletic. “At PSV, we won two titles in a row with white socks; at Milan, white socks instead of black, winning everything; at Sampdoria, white socks and we won the cup; then I went to Chelsea with white socks and we were winning as well.
“You can’t ignore that. It’s not so much that I’m superstitious. White socks just make you look powerful; they help you.”
However, Newcastle lost 2-0. To top it off, Manchester United, the opponents, were wearing black socks.
Fast forward to the present and it appears the roves will be reversed this weekend. A video released by the Carabao Cup’s official Twitter handle has shown players from both clubs conducting pre-match media duties.
The footage shows Newcastle kitted out in black shorts and socks while the Red Devils wear white. Could this be an omen for the bid day? Many Toon supporters on social media believe so…
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