Newcastle return to the Champions League this season for the first time in two decades – and their previous outings in Europeean competition have had their fair share of colourful moments
A chair went flying, a shouting match kicked off, and before a stunned squad could intervene, star striker Craig Bellamy was wrestling on the floor with first team coach John Carver.
Behind a flimsy screen, dividing waiting rooms at Newcastle airport, Sir Bobby Robson was holding his pre-match press conference before we all flew, on the team jet, to a UEFA Cup tie in Majorca in March 2004. We heard a few mysterious bumps, and bangs. What’s going on there?
At Majorca airport, there was Sir Bobby, pacing around the baggage reclaim on his own, cursing to himself. Something was up… By the end of the day it was a full blown, typical Newcastle, mini-crisis. A crazy club in the news again.
And if there is any lesson for Eddie Howe’s players as they prepare for their Champions League campaign, it’s nick in the coach’s parking bay and wind him up about it!
Newcastle United trips to Europe have thrown up some great matches, wonderful adventures and funny stories, and this one lives long in the memory.
When news of the fracas leaked before the game, Bellamy was left on the bench, with Alan Shearer and Shola Ameobi up front. But typical of the sparky Welshman, he came off the bench in the 77th minute and scored within 60 seconds.