Three long years ago we were all recovering after watching our lads (and one gangly Colombian in particular) tear F.C.Barcelona apart. I can still remember the amazing mixture of pure ecstasy and utter disbelief as Tino soared high to nod in his third and put us 3-0 up. The old fella in front of me span around, hugged me tight with tears in his eyes crying "I cannit believe it" over and over.

I've still got the programme in my desk drawer with a picture on the front of Kets and Tino after the last-minute winner in Zagreb. The Barca squad look truly awesome -Figo, Ferrer, Nadal, Reiziger, de la Pena, Rivaldo, Dugarry. Ours features great international players such as Pistone, Barnes, Rush, Batty, Pearce, Tomasson, Beresford, Gillespie and Tino. And we stuffed them. There's also a nice article from Wor Bobby about his love for both clubs.

Mind, I think we got beat at the Dell that season.

-- Anonymous, September 18, 2000

Answers

I have loadsa memories like that...wanna borrow some?

:-)

cue. 5:0 everywhere :-)

-- Anonymous, September 18, 2000

Ah but ours are sweeter cos they're rarer

-- Anonymous, September 18, 2000

I'll give ya that one :-)

-- Anonymous, September 18, 2000

Aye, LR, even when you're getting beaten. Never do anything by hlaf measures, do you?

-- Anonymous, September 18, 2000

LR

Our memories are not only rarer, but are also experienced watching our local team.

Cue: bleating about the bumper day for family saver railcards last week and the word "miff" being bandied about in finest mock-Manc accent.

-- Anonymous, September 18, 2000

Miff miff miff miff....blah blah blah

62,000 :-)

-- Anonymous, September 18, 2000

Your eloquence does you credit. :o)

-- Anonymous, September 18, 2000

>>>>The old fella in front of me span around, hugged me tight with tears in his eyes crying "I cannit believe it" over and over

So it was YOU Dread! (-;

Actually I've got a wall behind me but I do recall crying and saying I can't believe it many times. It was a great night. I met Sir John, Douglas and Freddie Shepherd in the Strawberry before the match. Sir John (who had just announced his retirement) was delighted to see his name on the back of my shirt and our photo was taken by a Sunday Mail journo but sadly the thing never appeared in the paper.

Fantastic game. I drove 350 miles home afterwards and was still very high despite the tiredness. I recall penning a piece for the benefit of bbsers which Macbeth put in The Mag for me. I remember being stunned at the sight of Tino flying through the air for those two headers. I had to do a double take each time to ensure that the great Sir Les hadn't sneaked back into the team just for the night. I also recall a moment of horror as, sitting directly behind our goal at the Gallowgate end with the score at 3-2, I saw us line up for a free kick and I could plainly see that the defensive wall was in the wrong place. I was screaming at the defence (a popular Toon Army pastime) but they took no notice and the Barca player banged the ball through the gap and hit the post. I think I was brought round by the St John's ambulance people. (-;

An awesome night and one of those moments that make it all worthwhile as a supporter. Thanks for the memory Dread.

-- Anonymous, September 18, 2000

Thank you, too, Jonno. Gotta be said, though, Keith Gillespie showed what Keegan had seen in him that night, too.

-- Anonymous, September 18, 2000

Gotta be said, though, Keith Gillespie showed what Keegan had seen in him that night, too.

.....and that was the last decent game and decent cross he ever made. Where is he now.....Blackburn Rovers Reserves.....best place for him. Kieth Gillespie (RIP)

-- Anonymous, September 18, 2000

I remember flying in from Jersey, only to be horrified that Granada was showing some local football team that night instead of us. Bliddy Hell! Got a posse of Geirdies together and we drove off to Huddersfield to watch a decent TV station.

So, in years to come, if I'm ever asked what my memories of Huddersfield are (well, some bugger might), it was that match. Thanks you God. Thank you Tino. Thank you Huddersfield. Or is it the other way round?

-- Anonymous, September 18, 2000

I watched it in Winsford on Central TV - I just couldn't believe it - ah memories.

Is it a bird ? Is it a plane ? No its a Tino. His finest hour (literally).

-- Anonymous, September 18, 2000

Link to his finest hour here: http://www.acturite.demon.co.uk/TINO-BARCA-3.JPG

-- Anonymous, September 18, 2000

On the FC Barcelona site, there are some great photos including the freekick Jonno mentions... oh, and Andreas Andersson and David Batty showing all their flair. Go to http://www.fcbarcelona.es/mediaworld/ and then do a search for Newcastle. Jesus - incredible to think that we once played a team with Rivaldo in it...

-- Anonymous, September 18, 2000

Apologies, Andrea, pet, I'm taking your name in vain. It's exhaustion.

-- Anonymous, September 18, 2000

I remember the day after some pundit saying that van Gaal had obviously not done his homework on Newcastle United. He could have watched a video of every game Tino and Dizzy had ever played for us and he wouldn't have spotted the lads combining as sublimely as that. Truely amazing! I choose to forget the last 20 minutes as they started to pull goals back. Tino's third was the crest of the wave.

Nice pix on the Barca site Dougal. Particularly the one of David Batty trying to have sex with Rivaldo. Imagine what a player their love-child would turn out like. Glide past three defenders, swivel, shape to shoot, then stick an elbow in someones face and knock the ball sideways.

-- Anonymous, September 19, 2000

I was in Austin, Texas and sneaked off from work to go to a sports bar to watch the match. Middle of the afternoon so not many folk around. They switched one of the TVs from baseball (or some other US thing) and I sat in my stripes for one of the greatest 2 hours of my life.

I remember the barmaid going on about how good Tino looked .. and this before he scored.
I remember her saying "well you've won it now" when we were 3-0 up. I then had to explain Newcastle United to her and that we could easily lose it.
I remember the final whistle going and me cartwheeling across the bar.
I remember not going back to work after the match as intended but getting even more drunk (it was 4pm when the game finished).

What a day!

-- Anonymous, September 19, 2000

Forgot to mention.... as the match went on and I was jumping up and down and screaming (as you do)... one by one all the other TVs(about 15 of them) got switched over until at the end everyone in the place was watching the match to find out why I was so animated. I like to think I got a few of them hooked on real footy!

-- Anonymous, September 19, 2000

I didn't see it live. My Dad phoned me at 7 am with the news, I couldn't believe it. My Dad's a football fan, not Newcastle just football, but he drooled aboit tino and the performance. Apparently he made my sister (who was dropped at birth and became a mackem) sit down and watch the replays over and over. I finally saw it about a week later and wow, awesome was the word.

-- Anonymous, September 19, 2000