NUFC absolutely LOVE the Carabao Cup 😍
Newcastle United once dreamed of an all-Geordie starting XI - Athletic Bilbao have produced the Basque equivalent for over 100 years.
While Kevin Keegan was the pied piper of the 1990s at Newcastle United, Sir John Hall remained the club’s true visionary.
It was his wealth that saved the Magpies from the brink in 1992. Hall’s ingenuity to appoint Keegan - despite spending eight years in the footballing wilderness - also marked Newcastle’s watershed moment.
Talk of creating a multi-club behemoth in northern England akin to Barcelona was ambitious. A healthy bank balance gave him the means but it was Sir John’s unwavering Geordie pride that provided the true ammunition for his daring quest.
To this day, aged 92, Hall’s enthusiasm for all things black and white has never waned. But his wish for a heavily localised XI to tackle the Premier League elite received ridicule from those further afield.
A utopian world where a team full of Geordies took on the world may have been a possibility in a bygone era. However, given the resources and globalised nature of the modern game, its likelihood of ever happening is now a pipe dream.
That is why tonight’s opponents, Athletic Club, defy footballing logic. Sensationally, Spain’s fourth most successful club - with eight league titles - has refused to buy or play anyone from outside the Basque region since 1912.
Football was introduced to Bilbao by British immigrants in the late 19th century. The club’s English roots are reflected in their name - the anglicised Athletic Club - rather than the Spanish equivalent, Club Atlético.
Despite the British backstory, the Lions have remained staunchly loyal to promoting Basque culture. Athletic have rejected a fairer chance of competing against the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid to fully back their own.
You have to respect it. A proud region like Tyneside can recognise the transfer policy as “badass” rather than stubborn or discriminatory.
It is a testament to the most “gangster” blueprint in world football just how well Athletic have done. Alongside the two big dogs, they are the only club never to have been relegated from the top flight.
They also have more Copa del Rey titles than Real Madrid - 24 to 20 - an insane achievement given their wealth and global standing. Just 2.2 million people - which includes women, children and the elderly - is all Athletic have at their disposal to take on the La Liga elite.
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Modern-day stars like Nico Williams and Oihan Sancet feel a sense of duty to ignore potential transfer talk and represent the club with pride. After committing to a staggering 10-year contract in July, Euro 2024 winner Williams said: “This relationship we have at the heart of the club is incredible.
“This atmosphere, I’ll never have it anywhere else. I decided to stay because of that. I took the decision I thought was the right one. I’m happy, and trying to do my best."
Words that would have resonated with Sir John’s vision in the 1990s. A principled approach built on regionalism and civic pride, in direct contrast to the vacant greed, detachment and corporatism of 21st-century football, gives Newcastle’s opponents a respectful aura ahead of tonight’s game.
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