Newcastle United

Lore & Background

Newcastle have been a member of the Premier League for all but three years of the competition's history, spending 94 seasons in the top flight as of May 2026, and have never dropped below English football's second tier since joining the Football League in 1893. Newcastle have won four League titles, six FA Cups, one League Cup and an FA Charity Shield, as well as the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, the ninth-highest total of trophies won by an English club. The club's most successful period was between 1904 and 1910, when they won an FA Cup and three of their four League titles. More recently, the club were League or FA Cup runners-up on four occasions in the 1990s. Newcastle were relegated in 2009, and again in 2016. The club won promotion at the first time of asking each time, returning to the Premier League, as Championship winners, in 2010 and 2017. In October 2021, a consortium led by the Public Investment Fund, the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia, became majority owners of Newcastle United. In 2025, the club won the 2024–25 EFL Cup, the club's first trophy in nearly 56 years, and their first domestic trophy since 1955.

In Their Own Story

The competitive journey began when the Premier League fixtures were released on 18 June, setting Newcastle away at Aston Villa for the opening weekend. In the FA Cup, the club entered in the third round as a Premier League side, facing Bournemouth at home before progressing to an away tie against Aston Villa and a fifth-round clash with Manchester City at St James' Park. The EFL Cup route was equally demanding; entering in the third round against Bradford City, Newcastle secured home ties against Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham in the fourth round and quarter-finals respectively. The semi-finals presented a two-legged showdown against Manchester City, starting at home before moving away. In the Champions League, after navigating the league phase with away games in Marseille and Paris, Newcastle faced Qarabağ in the knockout play-offs, followed by a Round of 16 tie against Barcelona, where they would host the first leg.

Reader's Guide

Newcastle share a long-standing rivalry with nearby Sunderland, with whom the Tyne–Wear derby is contested. The club's traditional kit colours are black-and-white striped shirts, black shorts and black or white socks. Their crest has elements of the city coat of arms, which features two grey hippocamps. Before each home game, the team enters the pitch to 'Going Home'.

Did You Know?

• The club was originally founded as Stanley F.C. in 1881.
• Newcastle United adopted its current name in December 1892 to signify the unification of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End.
• The club's first competitive match was a 2–2 draw against Woolwich Arsenal in September 1893.
• Newcastle won the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1969, beating Újpest 6–2 on aggregate.
• The club's most recent trophy before 2025 was the 1969 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.