Modern Magpies 1997/98: Champions League & Wembley

SEASON 1997-98 was to be another campaign of highs and lows. Dalglish began wheeling and dealing in the transfer market. One of the first players to go was the popular and matchwinning genius of David Ginola who joined Tottenham.

Quickly to follow was Les Ferdinand, also sold to Spurs, ironically during the same weekend that Alan Shearer fractured his fibula and badly ruptured ligaments. Newcastle supporters were not happy.

After boasting the best pair of strikers in the Premiership, backed by the best provider, Newcastle had lost them all. Dalglish brought in a line of new faces, including veterans Ian Rush, John Barnes and Stuart Pearce. None though were in the same top quality mould as Keegan's signings.

The black'n'whites entered the Champions League with a patched up line-up and after qualifying with a two legged victory against Croatia Zagreb, Newcastle were drawn in the Group stage alongwith Dynamo Kiev, PSV and the mighty Barcelona.

It was a quite a test. But Newcastle did have one player in Tino Asprilla who kept his best football for European occasions. The temperamental Colombian had not been a great success in Premiership action, but did continually find the net when in continental mode.

United opened their Champions League campaign with an epic against Barcelona at Gallowgate. It was a game beamed around the world and Newcastle showed impressive style as they stormed into a 3-0 lead with a brilliant Asprilla hat-trick.

Although the Spanish giants pulled two goals back late into the game, Newcastle's performance was hailed as one of their best ever. For an hour they outclassed Barcelona and around 200 million enthusiasts watched around the world on television.

After that opening Newcastle struggled in their remaining games, mainly due to injury problems, losing Asprilla on top of their loss of both Ferdinand and Shearer. They drew in Kiev but lost both games against the Dutch, and lost 1-0 on a rain soaked evening in Barcelona. Failing to qualify for the next stage United signed off with a 2-0 home victory over Dynamo Kiev, the group's top team.

In domestic football Dalglish's side also struggled to maintain a Premiership challenge. During the second half of the season Newcastle were heading down the table rather than up and were threatened with relegation at one low point. However, in the FA Cup United went all the way to Wembley with the return of Alan Shearer from injury giving the side a major boost.

After defeating Everton and going through an uncomfortable tie - both on and off the pitch - against non-leaguers Stevenage Borough, United reached the Sixth Round with a victory over Tranmere Rovers. The magic of the FA Cup had now captivated Tyneside and a comfortable win over Barnsley took United into the semi-final with Sheffield United at Old Trafford.

A single goal from Alan Shearer was enough to give the Toon Army a Wembley final, but United had never been too convincing and many feared for the outcome in the meeting with eventual Double winners Arsenal at the Twin Towers.

And on the day the Gunners were far too clever for a subdued and negative United side, Newcastle losing 2-0. The display was as disappointing as the Championship race in 1995, and Kenny Dalglish quickly lost many of his newly found Geordie allies on that afternoon.

Season 1997-98

Premiership
Pos Pld W D L F A Pts
13th 38 11 11 16 35 44 44
FA Cup: R/u
League Cup: R5
Champions League: Group Stages
Top scorer: Barnes/Shearer 7
Avg Attn: 36,418