1996–97 Newcastle United F.C. season

Newcastle started their Premier League campaign on 17 August 1996 with a trip to Goodison Park to play Everton. Peter Beardsley and Darren Peacock were dropped from the starting line-up but excellent performances by Neville Southall in goal and future Newcastle striker Duncan Ferguson helped Everton win 2–0.[58][59] Keegan afterwards claimed that he was worried about the lack of invention from his side and their inability to win games when not playing well.[60] Four days later United beat Wimbledon by the same scoreline at home to claim their first win of the season. Batty opened the scoring with a 35-yard lob over goalkeeper Neil Sullivan similar to that executed by David Beckham for Manchester United a few days earlier before Shearer scored his first competitive goal for the club with a free-kick on 88 minutes.[61][62] On 24 August Sheffield Wednesday travelled to St James' Park and recovered from an early Shearer penalty to win 2-1 thanks to goals from Peter Atherton and Guy Whittingham. The win put Wednesday top of the league at the end of August with three wins from three games and Newcastle in tenth with fans criticising the team and manager Keegan, who told reporters "I think anyone would have the right to suggest there is a crisis. That was our worst home performance in my reign. We haven't started yet and we will have to start soon if we have ambitions to win anything, certainly the League."[63]

United's first game of September saw them make the short trip to Wearside to face unbeaten local rivals Sunderland at Roker Park in the 117th Tyne–Wear derby – the last derby to be played at the stadium before Sunderland's relocation to the Stadium of Light.[64] Beardsley was restored to the side and he cancelled out Martin Scott's opening goal with a header on 52 minutes before Les Ferdinand headed home a Ginola cross ten minutes later to win the game 2–1. The winning goals were greeted with near silence as a result of the ban on away fans at the match.[65] A Ferdinand brace on 7 September gave Newcastle another 2–1 away win, this time at White Hart Lane against Tottenham Hotspur[66] before a Shearer penalty and another Ferdinand goal saw United come from a goal down once more to record a third consecutive 2–1 victory, this time at home to Shearer's former club Blackburn Rovers, to move up to third in the table.[67] A trip to Elland Road on 21 September yielded a further three points after Carlton Palmer was sent off and Shearer scored his first goal from open play on the hour after excellent approach play by Beardsley. Beardsley's performance was again praised afterwards, with journalist Colin Royce noting: " If the pounds 22 million partnership of Shearer and Asprilla is to develop into the "Dream Team" Keegan thinks it might, then they are going to need plenty of assistance from veteran Beardsley...It's all held together by Beardo in midfield. The little fella is propelling Newcastle back towards the top, which is where they belong."[68] Keegan's side then faced Aston Villa in what writer Colin Diball described afterwards as "the most amazing match of the season so far".[69] Two first half goals from Ferdinand, taking his total to eight in six games, and another from Shearer had cancelled out an early goal by Dwight Yorke to give the hosts a 3-1 half-time lead. However, Yorke completed his hat-trick in the second half and a Steve Howey goal on 67 minutes was required to secure a 4–3 home win and move the team up to second place in the table. The partnership between Ferdinand and Shearer appeared to be flourishing, with The Independent noting "Ferdinand looks the perfect foil for Shearer, making nonsense of early-season suggestions by critics that they were an unsuitable pairing for club or country."[70]

Beardsley's good form since returning to the side continued and he was man-of-the-match in a 1-0 win at Derby County on 12 October. It was Newcastle's sixth successive victory and their fourth away from home in a row. Afterwards, Keegan said "We look more resilient. No one's calling us entertainers anymore - we're more like grinders now. We're sticking the odd chance away and defending well. Which you (the press) won't want to write because you like saying how badly we defend."[71] Newcastle's next fixture was at home to champions Manchester United on 20 October 1996. Despite their impressive league form, the pre-match focus remained on apparent defensive shortcomings. Keegan ignored the criticism and sent his side out with his usual instructions to entertain[72] and the result for his team was "their crowning achievement, a sign that their swashbuckling football that had lost them the title in tragi-comic circumstances the previous seasons could endure."[73] First-half goals from Peacock and Ginola saw the home side lead 2–0 at the interval before further goals from Ferdinand, Shearer and a lob over Schmeichel by Albert – described by writer Steve Millar as "magnificent; fit to win any game" – gave Newcastle a comprehensive 5–0 win.[74] The win left Newcastle top of the league, three points clear of Liverpool and Arsenal and five ahead of Manchester United.[75]

Supporters were brought back down to earth with news that Shearer would be sidelined for at least six Premiership games as a result of a groin injury which required surgery. In their first game without the injured striker, United were beaten 2–0 at Filbert Street against newly promoted Leicester City after goal from Steve Claridge and Emile Heskey and a brilliant performance by home goalkeeper Kasey Keller.[76]

Newcastle's first game of November was the Tyne–Tees derby with Middlesbrough at St James' Park. Two goals from Beardsley, in his 700th career league and cup match, helped his side to a 3–1 win.[77] Beardsley was on the scoresheet again – the 200th goal of his league career – on 16 November to rescue a point with an 83rd-minute equaliser in a 1–1 draw at home to West Ham United in a match where the hosts hit the woodwork four times and saw Les Ferdinand leave the pitch with a depressed fracture of the cheekbone which ruled him out for six weeks.[78][79] Shearer made an early return from injury in time to score an equaliser against Chelsea on 23 November 1996 after Gianluca Vialli had given Chelsea the lead on 24 minutes. Newcastle held on for a point despite David Batty being sent off for the first time in his career for an elbow on Mark Hughes, for a final score of 1-1.[80] On 30 November Newcastle relinquished their place at the top of the table to Arsenal after the latter won 2–1 at St James' Park, despite having played 68 minutes with ten men after Tony Adams was sent off for a professional foul from Shearer.[81] Goals from Lee Dixon and Ian Wright were enough to give the visitors three points and Keegan afterwards told reporters: "We were poor throughout. It wouldn't take too many performances like that before I change personnel. It was an extremely disappointing performance. At times it looked as if we had 10 men and they had 11. I've got no qualms about the result - justice was done."[82]

United's next league match was on 9 December at the City Ground against Nottingham Forest. Despite being bottom of the table, Forest held the visitors to a 0–0 draw – Newcastle's first goalless draw in 74 matches – in the first game in which Shearer and Ferdinand had played together since the 5–0 win against Manchester United. The result left Keegan's side five points behind leaders Arsenal albeit with a game in hand.[83] The result confirmed Newcastle's loss of form; they had taken six points from their last six matches.[84] The poor run continued on 17 December when they lost 2–1 at Coventry City. The hosts established as two-goal lead inside the first half an hour thanks to a goal and an assist from Darren Huckerby, who was transferred to Coventry from Newcastle a month earlier due to Keegan's decision to withdraw the reserve side out of the reserve league.[85] As the season moved into the festive period of fixtures, Newcastle welcomed league leaders Liverpool to St James'. Such was the home side's poor form, they entered this match as underdogs – the first time they had done so at home under Keegan.[86] Shearer gave United the lead after a Ferdinand header was saved by David James on 28 minutes, only for Fowler to equalise seconds before the half-time whistle. Despite several chances, neither side scored in the second half and both teams had to settle for a 1-1 draw which left Liverpool three points clear of Arsenal in second at Christmas and Newcastle level with Manchester United on 31 points but seven adrift of Liverpool in sixth place.[87] Newcastle's run of games without a win continued on Boxing Day when they were beaten 1–0 by Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park where Shearer was subjected to abuse from home fans on his return to his former club. The defeat prompted the manager to say: "we didn't deserve to win but we still had two or three very good chances. We are not playing well - we can't kid anyone about that".[88] The defeat prompted journalist Alan Nixon to comment that Keegan's side "appear to be fading from the Championship race",[89] however, United re-found their best form just two days later at home when winning their first league game in almost two months by beating Tottenham Hotspur. Two goals each from Shearer, Ferdinand and Lee saw United overwhelm their opponents, though The Independent noted that: "the fulcrum of much of Newcastle's sweeping play was the brilliant Peter Beardsley, restored to the central attacking support role in which he schemes – even three weeks short of his 36th birthday – like a classic inside-forward."[90] Assistant manager Terry McDermott told reporters afterwards: "that's what I would call a classic Newcastle United performance. We have come in for a lot of criticism and this was the perfect answer. It was a magnificent performance and the score could easily have reached double figures. We hadn't had a good Christmas but those seven goals have changed all that. We never believed we had blown the title. We're certainly not out of the race. People will write us off at their peril."[91] The result meant that Newcastle finished 1996 by moving back to within five points of leaders Liverpool, with Manchester United in second place.[92]

Newcastle began the new year by confirming their return to form with a 3–0 home win over Leeds United. Two goals from Shearer and a late Ferdinand goal were enough to give the home side three points and close the gap on Liverpool, who lost 1–0 at Chelsea, in what was Keegan's last match in charge.[93] Terry McDermott was placed in temporary charge for the game at Villa Park. Two goals in 21 minutes from Shearer and Clark gave United the lead but replies from Yorke and Milošević saw the game finish 2–2. McDermott later dedicated the performance and result to Keegan and claimed to be proud of the players reaction to Keegan's departure.[94] Dalglish took charge for the first time when his new side travelled to The Dell to face Southampton. Newcastle, who had not won at Southampton in 25 years, once again established a two-goal lead, through Ferdinand and Clark. However, a mistake by Hislop on 88 minutes gifted a goal to Neil Maddison and one minute later Le Tissier scored a goal from thirty yards, for a 2-2 final score.[95] The month ended with a home game against Everton on 29 January. United performed poorly in the first half and were fortunate to trail at half-time only by a single goal scored by future Newcastle player Gary Speed after three minutes and the team were booed off the pitch at the break. However, the introduction of Asprilla galvanised the home side and goals from Ferdinand, Lee, Shearer and Elliott in the last sixteen minutes gave the hosts a 4–1 victory.[96]

February started with a home game against Leicester City. Robbie Elliot put the home side ahead but profligacy in front of goal was punished when Matt Elliott, Steve Claridge and Emile Heskey scored in the second half to give the away side a 3-1 lead. However, Shearer then led what one report called "an unbelievable revival" – firstly firing home a powerful free-kick on 77 minutes to reduce the arrears to 3–2, shooting home again on 85 minutes to equalise before finishing a flowing passing move in injury time to complete a 13-minute hat-trick and give the hosts three points and keep them five behind the league leaders, albeit having played a game more.[97] On 22 February, United travelled to the Riverside Stadium for the Tees–Tyne derby and prevailed 1–0 thanks to a ninth minute Ferdinand goal which kept alive the visitors' faint title hopes.[98]

On 1 March Southampton visited St James' Park and inflicted Kenny Dalglish's first league defeat as Newcastle manager thanks to Matt Le Tissier's seventh goal in nine games against a home side playing without the injured Shearer and who saw Ferdinand also succumb to an injury at half-time. The defeat dealt a severe blow to lingering title hopes but Dalglish refused to contemplate that the title challenge was over, telling reporters afterwards: "no one should start thinking that this is the end of the title race. We're a few points worse off after losing - but nothing has been decided yet."[99] United the travelled to Anfield, just under one year since losing 4–3 in a match regularly cited as the best Premier League game ever played.[100][101] The odds on a repeat of that scoreline were 100-1 but remarkably the teams played out another 4–3 game, though the score somewhat flattered Newcastle; indeed, The Independent reported that "they [Liverpool] routed Newcastle. Liverpool were creating chances at will. It was too easy. The match was won. Newcastle had been abject. The scoreline was identical to last year's thriller, the circumstances somewhat different."[102] Liverpool raced into a 3–0 half-time lead and were in complete control even after Keith Gillespie scored what looked like a consolation goal on 71 minutes. However, goals from Asprilla and Warren Barton in the last five minutes seemed to have rescued a point for the visitors until Robbie Fowler scored a winning goal two minutes into stoppage time. The result left United nine points behind Manchester United and eight behind Liverpool at the top of the table.[103]

Newcastle responded by beating Coventry City 4–0 at St James' Park. Despite the absence of Shearer and Ferdinand through injury, goals from Watson, Lee, Beardsley and Elliott saw the home side win comfortably in a match notable for an excellent performance from Asprilla and a performance from referee Gerald Ashby described by writer John Edwards as "the most wretched performance I've ever seen from a top-flight official".[104] March concluded with a trip to Selhurst Park on 23 March 1997 to face Wimbledon. Another excellent Asprilla performance, this time capped with a second-half goal, was enough to secure a 1–1 draw though claims from Dalglish that the title was still a realistic proposition were mocked by Dons manager Joe Kinnear; indeed, the gap to Manchester United was by this time 11 points and one bookmaker had priced Newcastle at 33-1 to claim the title.[105]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player — FW  VIN Rodney Jack (on trial from Torquay United) — GK  FRA Thomas Kokkinis (on trial from Metz)

No. Pos. Nation Player — MF  ISL Bjarni Guðjónsson (on trial from ÍA) — DF  SWE Olof Mellberg (on trial from Degerfors IF)