Fifteen years ago today, Newcastle went into the final day of the season needing an unlikely set of results to qualify for the Champions League. And it happened.
United needed to beat already relegated Nottingham Forest at St. James' Park and then hope that Liverpool (remember them) and Arsenal would falter, leaving us to claim second place with only two teams eligible in those days.
There was also the added interest of the mackems and smoggies also in relegation bother but that was just hoping for far too much on one day....
Before kick-off the table looked like this:
Pos Team Played GD Pts
1 Manchester United 37 30 72
2 Liverpool 37 25 67
3 Newcastle 37 28 65
4 Arsenal 37 28 65
16 Southampton 37 -5 41
17 mackems 37 -17 40
18 smoggies 37 -9 38
19 Coventry 37 -17 38
20 Nottingham Forest 37 -23 34
Liverpool were at Hillsborough while Arsenal were at the Baseball Ground with Sheffield Wednesday and Derby both in the top half of the table.
The relegation fight saw the mackems travelling to Wimbledon (at Selhurst Park) while the smoggies were at Leeds and Coventry had a mountain to climb at White Hart Lane.
On a glorious day at St. James' Park, Newcastle went goal crazy and were four up inside 36 minutes thanks to Asprilla, Ferdinand(2) and Shearer - what a forward line!
Elsewhere, Liverpool were goalless and Arsenal were losing, while at the bottom Coventry had taken a shock two-goal lead but Spurs had got one back before the break. The mackems and smoggies were both goalless at the interval.
The table at half-time:
Pos Team Played GD Pts
1 Manchester United 38 31 75
2 Newcastle 38 32 68
3 Liverpool 38 25 68
4 Arsenal 38 27 65
16 Southampton 38 -6 41
17 Coventry 37 -16 41
18 mackems 38 -17 41
19 smoggies 38 -9 39
20 Nottingham Forest 37 -27 34
It couldn't stay like that surely...?
Robbie Elliott scored another for us to make it 5-0 and although Arsenal had taken the lead at Derby, they weren't going to match our big win.
Liverpool had gone behind at Hillsborough but Jamie Redknapp equalised with eight minutes to go and with Coventry hanging on at 2-1, Leeds took the lead at Elland Road but 'Boro equalised two minutes later. The mackems were still 0-0 at Wimbledon.
Liverpool seemed certain to get a late goal to dash our Champions League hopes but Wednesday held out and we'd done it! Then Wimbledon scored late on and 'Boro had only drawn and were already down.
All eyes were on White Hart Lane and Selhurst Park and when the whistles were eventually blown at both, Gordon Strachan's Coventry had survived while our near neighbours had both been relegated ('Boro hilariously falling because of a three point deduction).
Final league table:
Pos Team Played GD Pts
1 Manchester United 38 32 75
2 Newcastle 38 33 68
3 Arsenal 38 30 68
4 Liverpool 38 25 68
16 Southampton 38 -6 41
17 Coventry 37 -16 41
18 mackems 38 -18 40
19 smoggies 38 -9 39
20 Nottingham Forest 37 -28 34
Days like that don't come round very often. Only every 15 years, hopefully....