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View image in fullscreenGrealish, Wilshere and Van Gaal’s ‘kiss’: Newcastle’s parade has a lot to live up to

Eddie Howe’s men will celebrate their Carabao Cup win on Saturday but there can be pitfalls along the way

When the celebration of Newcastle’s first trophy in decades became a point of heated civic discussion, it served as a reminder that party planning can be problematic.

“Extensive work and long-term planning behind the scenes have continued with Newcastle City council, Northumbria police, Freemen of Newcastle, the North East Combined Authority, NE1, Nexus and the emergency services,” groaned a club statement this week, ending fevered speculation that Saturday’s ticketed, controlled event on the Town Moor would be the only place to see Eddie Howe, Dan Burn et al show off the Carabao Cup and/or thank Yasir al-Rumayyan for the Saudi Arabian riches that funded success.

At one point, it appeared any parade through the city centre would be ruled out because of police being pulled in the direction of Sunderland v Millwall, but fans who haven’t opted for the ticketed, alcohol-free main event instead get a chance to wave at the heroes of the Geordie nation.

With Brentford to play on Wednesday and a Champions League place still possible, Howe’s players are unlikely to get “mortalled”, to use the regional phrase, or join any after-party down the city’s Diamond Strip.

Newcastle perform U-turn over open-top bus parade after fan outcryRead more

Chi Onwurah, the local MP who campaigned for a parade, this week presented a parliamentary petition signed by constituents asking the government to congratulate Newcastle “and consider a national award to recognise major group sporting achievements”.

It would be his last public act as a United manager, as he was soon removed for admitting his love affair with the club physio’s wife.

Manchester City kept up a parade tradition in the Pep Guardiola glory years, with Kyle Walker usually leading proceedings and Jack Grealish adopting that Leonardo DiCaprio Titanic-crossed-with-Messianic pose during 2023’s treble party.

Wilshere landed a £40k fine and much moral opprobrium, though his state of inebriation was hardly much different to that of England’s 2005 Ashes winners, or England’s 2003 Rugby World Cup squad, where players became drunk to the point of unintelligibility.

The last team other than City to win the Premier League, Liverpool, were denied such a moment by the Covid pandemic, though fans did flood into the city with victory confirmed, the party raging on for 24 hours, against the guidance of the time.

Memories abound of 2007, when photos from a bus depot emerged of a red-bedecked bus bearing the legend “six times”, only for Liverpool to lose the Champions League final to Milan.

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Recognition of the runners-up is a lost tradition, though Newcastle staged parades to St James’ Park after losing finals in 1974 and 1976, heroes’ welcomes to bemused, beaten but grateful players.

Not so grateful the Everton squad of 1986, asked to join the double “celebration” of coming second to Liverpool in both league and FA Cup.
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