Five special moments that Newcastle United fans would love to relive again

#3 The 5-0 destruction of Manchester United

1995/96 was one of the most entertaining Premier League seasons of all time but it ended on a sour note for Newcastle fans, as Kevin Keegan’s side – known affectionately as ‘The Entertainers’ – somehow conspired to throw away a 12-point lead at the top of the table and were eventually overhauled by Manchester United. 1996/97 was supposed to be different, and as a signal of intent, Keegan signed Alan Shearer, hoping the Geordie hero would bring the title to St. James’ Park.

As it happened, a title win proved beyond the Magpies and Keegan didn’t even last the full season, resigning in January after a bad run of form essentially ended their title hopes. Before that, though, they did have one fleeting moment of brilliance – a 5-0 destruction of the side that stole the title from under their nose in the previous season, perhaps the best Newcastle performance under Keegan’s stewardship of the club.

The team came into the game under criticism for their gung-ho tactics, but on this day it didn’t matter. Newcastle went into halftime with a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Darren Peacock David Ginola and didn’t slow down in the second half, with further goals from Les Ferdinand and Alan Shearer making the result academic. The final goal was the finest, though – a beautifully cushioned chip from midfielder Philippe Albert that left Peter Schmeichel rooted to the spot.

Newcastle fans can only dream about destroying a great side like Manchester United these days.