Image: ..Yardley.. via flickr
It is now officially zero years since Newcastle United last won a major trophy, or indeed any domestic trophy. At the time of writing, the long-suffering Toon Army are still celebrating, and – assuming you read this before 2033 – may still be celebrating their win in the 2025 EFL Cup. Their thoroughly deserved 2-1 victory in the final against a Liverpool side who had been hoping for a treble just a week earlier, ended a long, long wait for silverware that stretched back all the way to 1955.
That 70 years of hurt almost makes England look like regular winners – almost but not quite. And whilst Newcastle had collected the odd piece of silverware in the interim period, they had not won anything to really get fans excited since their FA Cup triumph way back on the 7th of May 1955.
Since that 3-1 win over Man City, in which legendary Geordie hero Jackie Milburn scored in the first minute, they have lost three FA Cup finals and two League Cup finals. They won the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, a non-UEFA tournament, in 1969. They also lifted the decidedly minor Texaco Cup in consecutive years in the 1970s, as well as the equally low-key Anglo-Italian Cup in 1973 and the somewhat derided Intertoto Cup in 2006.
But in 70 long years there were no major domestic or European trophies and certainly no top-flight championship success. Newcastle have lifted the second-tier title on four occasions since their FA Cup victory, but that is really just an indication of how often they have played outside the top flight in the last 60+ years. They finished second in consecutive Premier League seasons in the mid-1990s but despite boasting excellent strikers at that time in Andy Cole, then Les Ferdinand and, of course, Alan Shearer, they couldn’t quite get over the line.
Saudi Takeover Continues to Move in Right Direction
Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, the PIF (Public Investment Fund) led a consortium that bought Newcastle in October of 2021. Their aims were simple (if you ignore the more complex issue of sportswashing): to take the Magpies to the top of the game in England and eventually Europe.
Things started superbly as they soared clear of a relegation battle to finish 11th in 2021/22. Then, well ahead of schedule and expectation, they qualified for the Champions League by finishing fourth the following season. They also made it through to the final of the EFL Cup, where they lost to Man United.
The 2023/24 season saw something of a reset, with Profit and Sustainability regulations limiting their ability to spend (it certainly wasn’t an issue with their own finances, given the PIF is worth around £700bn!). Playing in the Champions League, where they narrowly missed out on progression from the group phase, also took its toll and they finished seventh in the league, making it to the last eight in both domestic cups.
It has been a somewhat up-and-down campaign in 2024/25, with injuries and a continued lack of spending power affecting them. However, after a slowish start, they strung six PL wins in a row together to move up the table into fourth. The battle for the UCL spots promises to go right to the wire this year but Eddie Howe’s men have given themselves a good chance of getting back in the mix.
A return to that elite competition would in itself, in a strange sort of way, mark progress, but the major step was taken at Wembley when the Magpies won the 2025 League Cup. Winning any trophy is no mean feat these days, such has been the dominance of the top sides in the Premier League era. As such, winning this competition less than four and a half years into the Saudi project is a fine achievement and, again, probably a little ahead of schedule.
The EFL is the least prestigious trophy up for grabs each year. However, it is certainly a step in the right direction for Howe and co, and given Newcastle’s long, long wait for glory, you certainly won’t hear any of their fans complaining.
Thoroughly Deserved
Both on the day and based on their run in the competition, this was a thoroughly deserved victory for the North East club. They had an incredibly tough route to the final and in all beat five very strong Premier League teams to get their hands on the silverware. Come the end of the season, it is far from inconceivable that Newcastle may have beaten each of the division’s top four.
Route to the Final
Back in August, nobody would have predicted that Forest would be CL contenders but they seem almost certain to be back in the big time next year. They were Newcastle’s first opponents, in the second round of the competition, with each round shown below.
| Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2nd Round | Nottingham Forest (A) | 1-1, 4-3 Pens |
| 3rd Round | AFC Wimbledon (H) | 1-0 Win |
| 4th Round | Chelsea (H) | 2-0 Win |
| Quarter-Final | Brentford (H) | 3-1 Win |
| Semi-Final (Leg 1) | Arsenal (A) | 2-0 Win |
| Semi-Final (Leg 2) | Arsenal (H) | 2-0 Win |
Aside from AFC Wimbledon, all the teams they have beaten were from the top flight and at the time of writing Forest are third, Chelsea fourth, Arsenal second and Brentford 11th. And of course Liverpool are 12 points clear at the top.
Liverpool 1-2 Newcastle: Geordies in Deam Land
Liverpool played one fewer round to get to the final and whilst they also beat four Premier League teams; Brighton are the highest ranked of those in seventh, the other three being Southampton, West Ham and Spurs.
Come the Wembley showpiece there was only really one team that wanted in and they were wearing black and white. Newcastle were quicker to everything, more determined and, strangely, more confident. Perhaps suffering a hangover from their extra-time Champions League exit against PSG, Liverpool simply were not at the races.
Their only shot in the first half came in the 48th minute and not a single player in Red can feel they did themselves justice over the 90 minutes. Dan Burn celebrated a first England call-up at the age of 32 by scoring the opening goal of the game in the 45th minute. It was a fine header and the boyhood Magpie clearly enjoyed it.
Newcastle dominated most of the second half too and just moments after seeing a goal ruled out for offside, Alexander Isak scored again and this one counted. Newcastle were 2-0 up and cruising and, conceding possession to the Reds, should have scored again on one of a number of counters.
As it was, a very late goal, expertly taken by sub Federico Chiesa, gave Newcastle and their fans a nervy few minutes of stoppage time but they were not to be denied. Their 70-year wait is over and it is safe to say they won’t be waiting anything like that long for their next piece of silverware.