Newcastle’s 1995/96 season is one of the most dramatic in Premier League history
Newcastle United’s long-awaited recent success is one fans have been craving for some time.
Relegations and numerous underwhelming mid-table finishes, Newcastle supporters are now reeking the rewards of their newfound wealth under the PIF ownership.
Attacking, fast-flowing football – Eddie Howe’s side is now replicating the success of great Newcastle teams of old, with some fans even comparing the current Magpies side to the famous 1995/96 team.
Managed by Toon icon Kevin Keegan, Newcastle’s 95/96 side will live long in the memory of supporters, with their title collapse going down in history as one of the most dramatic in Premier League memory.
Newcastle 1995/96 title heartbreak
Nicknamed ‘The Entainerers’, Kevin Keegan’s Newcastle side were one of the most entertaining sides in Europe during the mid-90s.
Foreign flair mixed with a bit of Geordie grit, Newcastle blew every team out of the water in the early stages of the 95/96 Premier League season.
Top of the league in January and twelve points clear of Manchester United, Newcastle fan’s dreams of winning the Premier League seemed like a real reality as they headed into the final months of the season.
The Magpies though would go on to lose five of their next eight including a devastating 1-0 home loss to Alex Ferguson’s United.
This meant Newcastle entered April three points behind the Red Devils with two games in hand, with one of those games being a trip away to Anfield – a game that would go on to haunt the Newcastle players for years to come.
A dramatic 4-3 loss to the Reds mixed in with some Fergie mind games, Kevin Keegan would go into meltdown live on Sky Sports in late April, with his infamous “I will love it if we beat them” rant going down as one of the most iconic clips in Premier League history.
Newcastle’s Anfield slip-up ultimately handed the title to Manchester United and left Toon supporters thinking what could have been.
Title collapses aside though, the 95/96 season is looked back upon with fondness by fans as it gave birth to a number of Newcastle icons with the likes of David Ginola becoming a fan favourite on Tyneside.
David Ginola’s Tyneside stint
David Ginola arrived on English shores in 1995 as Kevin Keegan looked to transform the Magpies into footballing powerhouses.
Joining from Paris-Saint Germain for £2.5 million, Ginola’s flair and talent on the ball made him an instant hit on Tyneside.
Scoring five goals and providing eight assists, the eccentric Frenchman crafted up a strong partnership with striker Les Ferdinand, who notched 25 goals in the league that season.
Following an impressive first year at St James’ Park, Ginola would dazzle supporters again the following season as Newcastle secured back-to-back second-place finishes.
The Frenchman however would leave at the end of that season after falling out of favour with new manager Kenny Daglish.
27 years after leaving the club, Ginola has openly spoken about his love for Newcastle. Speaking in 2018, on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football, the former winger told viewers:
“It was like a family and I loved it,
“We succeded in a way that gave joy to the supporters, which was important”.
Despite his love and affection for the Magpies, Ginola still has regret and frustrations when looking back on the 95/96 season, particularly the events of Newcastle’s 4-3 defeat to Liverpool.
What did Ginola say about Liverpool collapse?
In an interview with Sky Sports, alongside his former teammates Steve Howey and John Beresford, Ginola reflected on Newcastle’s iconic 4-3 loss to Liverpool, claiming the defeat was the final nail in the coffin for the Toon Army’s title hopes
“I was very frustrated, we worked very hard. Playing at Anfield is not easy, they had the likes of Robbie Fowler, Stan Collymore, and others who can all make a huge difference.
“Scoring three goals at Anfield with twenty minutes to go, I still remember what I was thinking, saying we are going to beat Liverpool at Liverpool, wow, this is a great season.
“So when we conceded the goals, it was a massive frustration and I couldn’t express it. It was almost how dare we do that. As a team, we did not manage to get the result. 3-1 up at Anfield, the game should be over, finito,” said the Frenchman.
Ginola went on to say: “I still feel frustrated now when I talk about it because it was the end of the dream, the wake-up call was at Anfield in those last twenty minutes. We then realised we weren’t good enough to get a result like that.”
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