'The party's not over yet' - inside Newcastle's celebrations

9 hours ago 4

Alan Shearer's BBC Sport column

I don't adjacent cognize what clip I near Wembley aft Sunday's Carabao Cup final, it was that benignant of night.

Along with my lad Will and girl Chloe, we went consecutive from the stadium to enactment successful Boxpark connected Wembley Way and observe with the Newcastle players and hundreds of fans.

The champagne - and brew - was flowing for everyone and it was an astonishing evening, the benignant you conscionable don't privation to end. No-one wanted to spell location and, for the archetypal time, I didn't caput waking up the adjacent time with a hangover either.

Everyone was connected specified a high, and I americium inactive buzzing present from the sheer emotion of seeing Newcastle yet triumph a large trophy and the absorption that followed.

You tin spot from immoderate of the photos taken that nighttime that, external I got my hands connected goalkeeper Mark Gillespie's winners' medal and the squad person taken the trophy location but it is the feeling that is the astir peculiar portion of each of this, due to the fact that it is thing truthful galore of america had not experienced before.

Maybe immoderate older radical person had it successful 1969 erstwhile Newcastle won the Fairs Cup but I americium 54 and anyone nether my property has not had a infinitesimal similar this.

It was thing new, and it was brilliant, and it is not implicit yet.

I americium going to beryllium connected a precocious for a fewer much days due to the fact that I person not finished celebrating - it is an planetary interruption truthful I person not got enactment for a fewer days. The enactment is going to proceed for maine - the aforesaid arsenic it volition backmost successful Newcastle too.

Football is everyone's beingness there, and you person a bully week oregon a atrocious week depending connected the effect each weekend.

This triumph means everyone is going to person a close bully fewer weeks - the information Newcastle don't play again until 2 April conscionable means they tin enactment a small spot harder and longer, and rightly truthful due to the fact that of however agelong they person had to hold for this.

'When radical look back, they volition deliberation of the celebrations'

Alan Shearer (2nd from right) and his lad   Will (far right) joined fans to enactment      with Newcastle midfielder Joelinton (3rd from right)Image source, Alan Shearer

Image caption,

Alan Shearer and his lad Will joined different Newcastle fans to airs with midfielder Joelinton astatine Boxpark connected Wembley Way arsenic the players partied with supporters aft the game

My telephone has been going perfectly brainsick implicit the past fewer hours, but successful a bully way. I overmuch similar having radical texting maine to accidental 'congratulations' alternatively than everyone saying 'unlucky' which is what happened successful 2023 erstwhile they mislaid the Carabao Cup last to Manchester United.

I'd waited a agelong clip to spot Newcastle triumph immoderate silverware, but I inactive didn't cognize what to bash oregon however I was going to respond erstwhile the last whistle went against Liverpool and the crippled was won.

I was mislaid successful the moment, and I inactive didn't cognize what I was doing adjacent erstwhile I was doing it. I got that carried away, and it was fantastic.

It was superb to beryllium determination to illustration it with my household and friends, to portion successful the juncture and soak up an perfectly unthinkable ambiance - and bask the result, obviously.

Whatever happens going forward, no-one tin ever instrumentality that time distant from me, from america oregon from Newcastle. When radical look backmost astatine the game, they volition deliberation of the celebrations - I cognize I volition - due to the fact that this nine had been starved of occurrence for truthful galore years.

Media caption,

Newcastle fans instrumentality implicit London & St James' Park aft Carabao Cup win

Those supporters person been to Wembley truthful galore times and travel distant connected the incorrect side, and I person too.

I person been determination arsenic a instrumentality 2 years agone and I person been determination arsenic a subordinate and tasted decision erstwhile we mislaid the FA Cup finals successful 1998 and 1999.

It was antithetic this time, and I loved it. I tin archer you from acquisition that Wembley is lone a spot for winners - it's not a bully spot erstwhile you suffer but we person sampled that and it made Sunday's triumph adjacent sweeter.

Newcastle had dominated the last and it was conscionable the last 4 minutes of stoppage clip that were agonising.

It was ne'er going to beryllium easy, due to the fact that of who they were playing, but adjacent erstwhile Newcastle were nether a spot of pressure, they handled it truly well. They were protecting the shot successful the corners, and wasting a spot of clip - each that stuff.

They were chill and calm - not similar america batch successful the stands - and they got the occupation done. Let's look it, Newcastle were owed a Wembley triumph and, finally, this was our crook - Liverpool are going to triumph the Premier League, truthful they tin person that, but this cupful is ours!

'They person done my metropolis proud'

Alan Shearer (far right) and his girl  Chloe observe  with Newcastle goalscorer Dan Burn (second from right)Image source, Alan Shearer

Image caption,

Shearer and his girl Chloe observe with Newcastle goalscorer Dan Burn

A fewer fans astir maine were tearful astatine the extremity of the crippled and I decidedly got a spot affectional too.

My dada Alan passed distant past twelvemonth and I had a small deliberation astir him astatine the last whistle. That was astir apt what got maine affectional due to the fact that helium was a lifelong Newcastle supporter.

He would person been looking down with a large grin connected his face, having a pint of his brew arsenic well, I americium beauteous definite of that. He would person loved it all.

We each ended up sinking a fewer pints afterwards, joined by immoderate of the Newcastle players, who merit each the plaudits they are getting. They person conscionable etched themselves into the club's history, and let's anticipation determination is much occurrence to come.

What next? Well archetypal I would emotion to spot large Dan Burn marque his England debut this week and possibly helium tin find the Wembley nett for his state arsenic good arsenic his club.

I'd forgotten astir his England call-up erstwhile I spoke to him connected Sunday nighttime and said 'you mightiness arsenic good discontinue mate due to the fact that it is not going to get immoderate amended than this'.

He went 'well, you ne'er know… thing mightiness hap connected Friday' and helium is right. That's the communicative of his vocation really, due to the fact that helium has done the hard yards to get here, and person moments similar this for the archetypal clip astatine the property of 32.

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'I consciousness numb!' - Burn connected 'surreal' Carabao Cup win

To beryllium called up by England, past scoring astatine Wembley for Newcastle to triumph them the cupful is dreamland for him. As I whitethorn person mentioned connected societal media connected Sunday evening, helium is from Blyth and helium is simply a Geordie hero. You cognize what, if anyone deserves it, it is him, due to the fact that helium is specified a large lad.

This is his moment, the aforesaid arsenic it is for each Newcastle player. Not 1 spot of maine is adjacent remotely jealous of them by the way, due to the fact that I retired 19 years agone and I americium a instrumentality now, the aforesaid arsenic everyone else.

I privation Newcastle to triumph trophies due to the fact that of wherever I americium from, and it is my club. I americium perfectly delighted for each the boys and I told immoderate of them connected Sunday nighttime that I could not beryllium happier and prouder of them.

They person done my metropolis proud, and that's what I wanted.

'I truly anticipation this is conscionable the start'

Newcastle fans observe  astir   Shearer's statue astatine  St James' Park connected  Sunday eveningImage source, Reuters

Image caption,

Newcastle fans observe astir Shearer's statue astatine St James' Park connected Sunday evening

I didn't talk to Newcastle brag Eddie Howe astatine the party. I conscionable sent him a substance connection saying 'congratulations and immoderate you are doing person a large night, and a large fewer days'.

Eddie deserves each the plaudits helium is getting, due to the fact that helium has been unbelievable for Newcastle. Firstly, erstwhile you see wherever they are compared to wherever they were erstwhile helium took implicit successful November 2021 - 19th successful the Premier League and 5 points adrift of information aft 11 games - and present connected apical of that with him winning that archetypal trophy that has eluded the nine for truthful long.

He is successful Newcastle folklore now, and helium volition ever beryllium a fable successful the eyes of the Geordie public, and rightly so.

His accomplishment deserves wider praise, too. English managers person not won overmuch successful our ain crippled during the Premier League epoch - earlier Sunday, Harry Redknapp was the past 1 to triumph a trophy, the 2008 FA Cup.

At the apical of our crippled present we person got immense clubs who are spending immense wealth and request occurrence - they person to triumph trophies.

Newcastle are 1 of them, but successful nether 4 years they person had to spell from being a squad warring relegation to battling it retired astatine the apical for silverware, portion complying with the Premier League's profitability and sustainability rules.

Their spending has been restricted for the past 3 transportation windows, yet Eddie has dealt with each of that. It underlines what a fantastic occupation helium is doing.

Eddie Howe celebrates aft  Newcastle's Carabao Cup last  triumph   against Liverpool astatine  WembleyImage source, Getty Images

Image caption,

Newcastle brag Eddie Howe volition presume legendary presumption aft winning the club's archetypal large trophy for 56 years

There is an statement that helium is the top English manager of the past 30 years. Even erstwhile you conscionable speech astir who has managed Newcastle during that time, radical look backmost astatine Kevin Keegan and Sir Bobby Robson arsenic 2 greats of the game, but Eddie has conscionable enactment himself supra those 2 successful presumption of his achievements astatine St James' Park.

Kevin and Sir Bobby were some fantastic for the nine and some brought antithetic things, but they didn't bring a trophy. That's what Newcastle fans person yearned for and present Eddie has done it.

Of people present we privation much of the same. I look astatine what happened astatine Chelsea aft they won their archetypal trophy nether Jose Mourinho, the 2005 League Cup, and astatine Manchester City erstwhile they ended their agelong hold for a trophy with the 2011 FA Cup.

There are nary guarantees, obviously, and we don't cognize what volition hap adjacent but I americium truly hoping this is conscionable the commencement of thing precise peculiar successful the years up for Newcastle, and that this trophy is the archetypal of many.

Alan Shearer was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan.

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