Following their deceptive 2-1 victory over Chelsea at Highfield Road on the first day of the Premier League, the Sky Blues struggled in their next games! Before this day (19 September 1998), they had lost three of their next four games without scoring and were prepared to face renowned guests from the North East! At this time, we were hosting Ruud Gullit’s top ten team, Newcastle United, fresh after their European match in Belgrade. Former Sky Blue player Gordon Strachan, who is currently a member of the CCFPA, was in command at CCFC. August saw Ruud replace Kenny Dalglish, whose son Paul was a late substitute in their lineup today.
For Jean-Guy Wallemme, a new French center-half for the Sky Blues who recently joined the CCFPA after signing from Racing Club Lens during the summer, it was a baptism of fire. After that, Jean-Guy only appeared in eight games for our first squad before leaving to sign with FC Sochaux in December.
The 22,639 Highfield Road crowd was ecstatic when Noel Whelan gave the Sky Blues a 5-1 lead in the fifth minute, but they were thoroughly unstuck after that and lost! A funny side story was that shortly after hurting himself while playing head tennis in the bathtub, Noel—now a fellow member of the CCFPA—scored with a header! Stuart Pearce, a former Sky Blue who is currently a member of CCFPA, was on the Toon Army side.
Though the scoreline was somewhat flattering on the balance of play the Geordies took their chances clinically. Nikos Dabizas quickly equalised ‘Snowy’s’ opener just before a quarter of the game was reached. Then Newcastle’s goal ace Alan Shearer, at his predatory best, made his mark with the first of his brace two minutes before the break followed up a minute later with a sucker punch strike from Gary Speed. The Sky Blues were 3-1 down at half-time.
A minute before the hour, Stephen Glass scored a brilliant solo goal to make it 4-1 in the second half, and Shearer’s second goal a minute after the final whistle sealed the humiliation for the home squad. After losing their first game, City’s morale was damaged, and they didn’t win again until October 18 at Highfield Road against Sheffield Wednesday.
It was that day when Strachan’s Sky Blues lined up (CCFPA members underlined):-
Marc Edworthy, David Burrows, George Boateng, Noel Whelan, Barry Quinn, Dion Dublin, Simon Haworth, Gary Breen, Jean-Guy Wallemme, and Paul Hall (sub. Sam Shilton -62)
Trond-Egil Soltvedt, Paul Williams, Richard Shaw, and Steve Ogrizovic (gk) are the unutilized substitutes.
United fielded the following group of players:
Stephen Glass, Nolberto Solano (sub. Gary Speed -21), Alan Shearer, Steve Watson, Laurent Charvet, Rob Lee, Nikos Dabizas, Stuart Pearce, Keith Gillespie (sub. Paul Dalglish -87), Nolberto Solano (sub. Gary Speed -21), and Stephane Guivarc’h Lionel Perez (gk) and Philippe Albert (unused subs) Rob Harris (Oxford) is the referee.
Stephen Glass, Nolberto Solano (sub. Gary Speed -21), Alan Shearer, Steve Watson, Laurent Charvet, Rob Lee, Nikos Dabizas, Stuart Pearce, Keith Gillespie (sub. Paul Dalglish -87), Nolberto Solano (sub. Gary Speed -21), and Stephane Guivarc’h Lionel Perez (gk) and Philippe Albert (unused subs) Rob Harris (Oxford) is the referee.
This season, the City had grown tired of seeing the Magpies. After conceding five goals to them at Highfield Road, which was their worst loss of the year, they defeated us 4-1 at St. James’ Park in the middle of February! Once more, Alan Shearer scored another brace, and Noel Whelan scored our lone goal as well as the game’s first!
Newcastle United only finished in thirteenth position in the Premier League, four points and two places above City’s fifteenth place finish, themselves six points above the relegated clubs Charlton Athletic, Blackburn Rovers, and Nottingham Forest. This was despite the team’s double against CCFC.
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