Top News

That match against Manchester United at St James' Park in 1996 still occupies a special place in the hearts of Newcastle fans.

In 1996, Newcastle United versus Manchester United was the standout fixture in English football.

The two clubs were locked in a title battle all through the 1995/96 season, and while Manchester United eventually celebrated winning the championship, Newcastle United were left devastated after seeing the trophy slip away.

However, when the meetings between the two teams from that era are discussed, one contest is remembered more vividly than any other.

Ten matches into the 1996/97 season, in October 1996, Alex Ferguson had not yet been knighted when he brought his team to St James' Park, with both sides once again expected to challenge for the Premier League title.

Newcastle were at the top of the table, while the Red Devils were still unbeaten and full of confidence after defeating Liverpool at Old Trafford in their previous league outing.

What followed was a complete demolition. Darren Peacock and David Ginola put Newcastle 2-0 ahead inside the opening half-hour, and by the 75th minute Les Ferdinand and Alan Shearer had also found the net to make it 4-0.

But it was the superb final goal that led manager Kevin Keegan, when speaking to FourFourTwo in 2007, to give a straightforward answer when asked for his favourite moment as Newcastle boss.

“Philippe Albert beating Peter Schmeichel to complete that 5-0 win over Manchester United,” he said.

“If you beat Manchester United then it’s great, if you beat them 5-0 it’s absolutely fantastic, and if you’ve just lost a league title to them the season before, it’s even better.

“I shook Alex Ferguson’s hand afterwards, but Eric Cantona was the only one who spoke to me. He shook my hand and said: ‘F**king great team’.

“The crowd were really proud of those players.

“We had a team full of players who still had something to prove, the John Beresfords and Rob Lees.

“Fortunately for me, and for Newcastle, they all still wanted to achieve things.”

This interview first appeared in the April 2007 edition of FourFourTwo magazine.