7 Years Ago Today... Newcastle United, making our Champions League bow, thumped the mighty Barcelona 3-2 with a Tino Asprilla hat-trick making it one of, if not thee, best night in our history. Barcelona come to St. James' Park with a squad brimming with world-class names such as Nadal, Figo, Enrique and Rivaldo but the Catalan giants found themselves 3-0 down after 45 minutes due to the Tino and Gillespie super show. In a first half of exhilarating football we tore the La Liga side to shreds and with every wave of Black & White sweeps forward we looked like we were going to score. The noise and passion inside St. James' that night hasn't been matched since. The whole stadium was rocking with none stop 90 minute chanting and singing and it didn't stop there as Tyneside partied on into the small hours long after the final whistle went. Barca come back into the game in the second half, pulling back two goals through Enrique and Figo, but Kenny Dalglish's men hung on for our first ever win in the Champions League on a night never to forget. United: Given, Watson, Beresford, Barton, Albert, Batty, Gillespie, Lee, Asprilla, Tomasson (Peacock), Barnes (Ketsbaia). Barcelona: Hesp, Reiziger, Celades, Nadal, Sergi, De la Pena, Figo, Luis Enrique, Amunike (Ciric), Anderson (Dugarry), Rivaldo.
Given - Best keeper in the Premier League. Watson - A Geordie. Beresford - A tv pundit. Barton - Crazy Gang. Simple as that. Albert. Defensive Legend. Batty - From a small town in Yorkshire. Gillespie - Gambling alcoholic. Lee - An adopted Geordie. Asprilla - Columbian. Nothing more to say, you nose what he will be getting up to. Tomasson - Sh!t. Peacock - Defensive nightmare. Barnes - Best days were past him when he came to NUFC. Still class though. Ketsbia - Bald headed bastard. I really really liked him though. Wolves got a bargain. I think it was Wolves he went to. pfffffffft. Simple as that sunshines.