Newcastle United

Newcastle United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. Founded in 1881 as Stanley F.C., the club took on its present guise in 1892 after absorbing the assets of defunct local rivals Newcastle West End, including their home stadium St. James' Park, where United have played ever since. Located in the centre of Newcastle, St. James' Park currently has a capacity of 52,305.

Newcastle have been a member of the Premier League for all but three years of the competition's history, spending 93 seasons in the top flight as of May 2025, 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.

Newcastle'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". Newcastle share a long-standing rivalry with nearby Sunderland, with whom the Tyne–Wear derby has been contested since 1898.[edit]

Newcastle United was formed in 1892 from the merger of Stanley F.C. (founded 1881) and Newcastle West End. The club joined the Football League in 1893 and quickly established itself in the top flight. Under manager Frank Watt, Newcastle won its first league title in 1904–05, followed by championships in 1906–07 and 1908–09. The club also claimed its first FA Cup in 1910, beating Barnsley in a replay. The 1920s brought a fourth league title in 1926–27 and FA Cup wins in 1924 and 1932. The post-war era saw Newcastle dominate the FA Cup, winning in 1951, 1952, and 1955, but the club struggled in the league and was relegated in 1961. They returned to the top flight in 1965 and won the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1969, beating Újpest in the final. The 1970s and 1980s were inconsistent, with relegation in 1978 and promotion in 1984. The arrival of Kevin Keegan as manager in 1992 sparked a revival. Newcastle won the First Division title in 1992–93 and became a Premier League force, finishing runners-up in 1995–96 and 1996–97. The club reached FA Cup finals in 1998 and 1999 but lost both. Sir Bobby Robson led the team to Champions League qualification in 2002–03. After Robson's departure in 2004, the club declined, suffering relegation in 2009. They bounced back as Championship winners in 2010. Further relegation in 2016 was followed by another immediate promotion as Championship champions in 2017. In October 2021, a Saudi-led consortium took over, injecting significant funds. Under Eddie Howe, the club finished fourth in 2022–23, qualifying for the Champions League. The pinnacle came in March 2025 when Newcastle won the EFL Cup, defeating Liverpool 2–1 to end a 56-year trophy drought.[edit]