Newcastle United will make the long trip to Wembley Stadium on March 16th where they’ll meet Liverpool in the English League Cup final. The Magpies are set to contest their second EFL Cup final in three years yet their wait for silverware now stretches back an incredible 56 years. Here we’ll look back at some of the Toon Army’s near misses whilst assessing their chances of triumphing at Wembley next month.
56 Years Of Hurt
Newcastle United’s last major silverware came in 1968/69 when Joe Harvey’s won the now-defunct Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. The Magpies earned a 6-2 aggregate win over Hungarian side Ujpest FC but have failed to get their hands on a major trophy since. The club’s wait for a domestic trophy stretched back even further with the last of the FA Cup triumphs coming back in 1955.
Often the bridesmaids, Newcastle United have come agonisingly close to ending their trophy drought on several occasions but have fallen short each time. Since winning the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1969, Newcastle United have twice finished second in the Premier League, lost three FA Cup finals and twice lost in the final of the League Cup.
Road To Wembley
Newcastle United’s route to a second League Cup final in three years almost ended very prematurely. The Magpies went all the way to a penalty shootout in round two back in August but despite Joelinton missing his side’s second spot kick, Newcastle United eventually defeated Nottingham Forest 4-3 on penalties at the City Ground. Wins over AFC Wimbledon (1-0), Chelsea (2-0) and Brentford (3-1) followed, before a superb 4-0 aggregate win over Arsenal in a two-legged semi-final.
The League Cup Final
The League Cup final will attract plenty of interest from a betting perspective with most of the UK’s major betting sites offering free bets for new customers in the build-up to the cup final. Liverpool will go into the match as red-hot favourites but this will not dampen the hopes of the travelling Toon Army. In a repeat of the 1974 FA Cup final, Newcastle United will have their work cut out in next month’s League Cup final against a Liverpool side that are enjoying a superb first season under Arne Slot. Liverpool boast a vastly superior recent head-to-head record amongst the two cup finalists and Newcastle United are now winless in 16 matches in all competitions against The Reds.
The Future For Newcastle United
Win or lose at Wembley Stadium next month, there is real cause for optimism on Tyneside with the new Newcastle United owners determined to awaken this sleeping giant of a football club. Under Eddie Howe, Newcastle United have already seen the club reach levels on the pitch probably not seen since the days of Kevin Keegan in the late 1990’s. For now, winning the Premier League remains an unrealistic ambition but the League Cup and FA Cup competitions could offer frequent routes to silverware for The Magpies.