The Newcastle United of 100 years ago and a heroes' welcome for the FA Cup winners

The recent news that FA Cup replays are set to be scrapped has been seen by many as yet another blow to the diminishing stature of England’s oldest football competition.

Strange as it may seem today when the Premier League and Champions League are pre-eminent in the domestic game, up until the 1950s at least, the ‘Cup’ was considered more important than the ‘League’ by clubs, players and fans alike. The FA Cup figures prominently in the history of Newcastle United - although there have been admittedly slim pickings in recent decades.

Between 1910 and 1955, the Magpies lifted the trophy six times to become the ‘Cup kings’ of English football. The second success, and the first at the recently-built Wembley Stadium, came 100 years ago on April 26, 1924.

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Just six years after the end of World War I, and at a time of economic decline and subsequent domestic hardship for many in our region, the Cup triumph brought great joy to the folk who inhabited football-mad Tyneside.

On a rain-lashed Saturday afternoon, two late goals - the first from Neil Harris, quickly followed by another from Stan Seymour - delivered a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Aston Villa in the shadow of the new twin towers. Next day, the Sunday Sun reported on a day of glory for Newcastle United under the headline ‘Northern Cup Enthusiasts’ Great Day In London’.

Undeterred by the rotten weather, thousands of Newcastle fans enjoyed time sightseeing in the capital, before heading to Wembley for the big game. “Squeakers, buzzers and bangers came into play whipping up last-minute enthusiasm - but with the noise there was no ill-humour,” reported the newspaper.

“To the sound of songs, cheers, and counter-cheers, the cloth caps streamed out of the stations along the roads towards the stadium. The arrangements for ushering the vast crowd of 105,000 into Wembley were perfect, and none of the disorderly scenes which characterised last year’s Cup Final (the infamous 1923 ‘White Horse final’) occurred. Scenes of immense enthusiasm followed Newcastle’s victory.”

Around 280 miles away in Newcastle, in an era before the advent of television, the internet, and the widespread introduction of radio, a huge crowd of people defied the rain, gathering outside the old Evening Chronicle offices at the bottom of Westgate Road to learn the score from the Cup Final. “When the news that United had won the match 2-0 was conveyed to the crowd,” reported the Sunday Sun, “there was a rousing cheer, and much shaking of hands.”

Newsboys on Grainger Street selling the Chronicle, meanwhile, were “literally besieged”, it was noted.

Arriving by train back at Newcastle Central Station on Monday evening, the victorious Cup-winning team was given a heroes’ welcome by tens of thousands of fans. In the excitement, the platform barriers were stormed and the planned civic reception was cut short.

Then, on a succession of charabancs, the Newcastle players and officials made their way slowly through city centre streets densely packed with cheering supporters towards the old Empire Theatre on Newgate Street where there were speeches and formalities celebrating the famous victory.

It was left to United’s captain Frank Hudspeth to say: “We are a proud set of men here tonight. I hope that we will win both the League and the Cup next year.”