It's 25 years since one of the greatest games ever seen at St James' Park - a spectacle which arguably marked the high-point of Newcastle United's thrilling 1990s football adventure.
On the evening of September 17, 1997, the Magpies played host to mighty Barcelona in the Champions’ League in a match beamed live around the world on television. United had a respectable enough European pedigree, having lifted the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup back in 1969, and having claimed major scalps in that competition and its successor the UEFA Cup - but this was a different ball game.
A decade before the emergence of Pep Guardiola's all-conquering side that was lit up by the sublime skills of Lionel Messi, Xavi, and Andrés Iniesta, the 1997 Barca could pack a mighty punch of its own, featuring the likes of Brazilian superstar Rivaldo and Portuguese winger Luis Figo. Guardiola the player, a world-class midfielder for Barcelona and Spain at the time, missed the trip to Tyneside because of injury.
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Around Newcastle, there was a carnival atmosphere on the night. People danced to street bands in the city centre, and thousands of fans who couldn't get tickets for the game flocked to pubs to watch it on live TV. Down the road at Newcastle Arena, chart-toppers Oasis were playing the second of two high-profile shows.
Five years earlier, United had been facing the likes of Luton, Bristol Rovers and Peterborough in the oblivion of football’s second tier. When the stars of Barcelona in their red, blue and maroon trotted out on to the floodlit St James' Park, fans who’d watched Newcastle wallowing in mediocrity for years could be forgiven for rubbing their eyes in disbelief.
What followed next was not so much a football match as an adrenaline rush. Those who were there or watched the match on TV will never forget how the Magpies tore into Barca, with Colombian maverick Faustino Asprilla - supported by flying winger Keith Gillespie - playing the game of his life and giving United a sensational 3-0 lead to send the 36,500 crowd into a frenzy. The Spaniards came back strongly in the second half with relentless one-touch passing, and scored twice, but Newcastle held on, just, to claim a 3-2 victory - one of the most famous in the club's history.
‘Dream Team’ was the headline on the Chronicle's match report. ‘United humble the superstars of Barcelona on a night of pure magic at St James’ Park’. Our renowned football writer John Gibson enthused: "History is made, another landmark achieved. Oh, how those in heaven who made history themselves must have looked down in envy. Wor Jackie, little Hughie, Mitch and Big Frank. Newcastle United 3, Barcelona 2 in the most prestigious club competition open to teams on this part of the planet.
"I have, for nearly 30 years, enjoyed some special European nights with United, including the 1969 Fairs Cup victory in Budapest, but never has a result been more satisfying than this one because of the quality and history of the opposition. Asprilla gave us the full repertoire of his unique skills which elevated him above anything money bought for Barcelona. Our own matador claimed the biggest prize of all, earning a place in Geordie folklore on an occasion when United proudly announced their arrival on the biggest of international stages."
Newcastle 3- 2 Barcelona: Champions League Group C, St James's Park, September 17, 1997
Newcastle United: Given, Barton, Albert, Watson, Beresford, Batty, Gillespie, Lee, Asprilla, Barnes (Peacock), Tomasson (Ketsbaia). Manager: Kenny Dalglish
Barcelona: Hesp, Reiziger, Celades, Nadal, Barjuan, de la Pena, Rivaldo, Luis Enrique, Figo, Anderson (Dugarry), Amunike (Ciric). Manager: Louis van Gaal
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