It’s fair to say this Champions League trip to Paris, for PSG v Newcastle United, was eventful.
To really capture where things started for all this I have to go back to last August in Leeds.
A Champions League trip was always on the cards for me and my crew and we were poised to book up the day the fixtures were confirmed.
There were four of us looking to book but when the dates were released, Simon was up a hill in Yorkshire and Hutch was in A&E with a saucepan jammed on his head (probably). I distinctly remember that Martin and myself were in the Griffin pub in Leeds ahead of our disappointing 0-0 at Elland Road. The rate at which travel and hotel sells out at Champions League destinations means we had a frantic half hour playing phone tag and scanning various websites before settling on a route to Paris.
With all direct routes from Newcastle through the roof, we managed to save a couple of hundred quid by going via Amsterdam. Clever, you see. Or so I thought.
On game day we set off horribly early for a 6am flight from Newcastle, which went off without a hitch. A quick layover in Schipol airport and it was on to Paris, except the flight was delayed slightly due to a technical problem (never what you want to hear). That half hour delay turned into a couple of hours, to the point that the waitress in the airport bar was sniggering at us as we returned for a fourth time to the same booth after yet another aborted journey to the gate.
The inevitable disaster then struck as the news of the cancellation brought an avalanche of disgruntled passengers to the KLM desk. It was alright they insisted as the flights were being rebooked and an email would follow. It imminently did, with a 7:20pm trip reserved for us that would get us into Charles de Gaulle airport just as the first half was finishing.
To say the next couple of hours were frantic is a drastic understatement.
Exploring the possibilities of Eurostar, ruling out car hire after our repeated trips to the bar and flirting with paying daft money for a long taxi ride were all mooted. When this came up blank the final roll of the dice was a return to the KLM desk for a heartfelt appeal to get us into Paris for kick off. On arrival there, most of the crowd had cleared and the agitated, unhelpful staff who’d pied us off earlier had cleared. Instead I managed to speak to a lovely lass who was to become my first hero of the day.
After a patented mix of charm, begging and persuasion we had an option. A flight to Zurich, then a transfer to Paris. The problem was, we’d have a 20 minute turnaround in Switzerland in an airport we knew nothing about, then if the Paris flight was on time we’d have a little over 2 hours until kick off. Suddenly we were embroiled in a Top Gear challenge to get to Parc des Princes.
Swiss Air did their job and after a sprint to the gate we made the connection. The next stage was navigating Paris, and doing something with our bags that wouldn’t be welcome at the ground. Simon then stepped up to become hero #2 of the day as he secured a drop off locker somewhere near the Eiffel Tower and we planned a route that involved the shuttle train out of the airport, followed by a metro ride, then an Uber to the ground after our bag drop. The uber driver turned into our third hero as he drove like Steve McQueen to get us to the stadium. It felt like we just needed John Candy selling shower curtains to complete this run of planes, trains and automobiles.
Reader, I promise you this is not hyperbole or artistic licence. We exited the cab and ran to the ground, ignoring the club’s advice on low profiles (“HERE! OU’EST NEWCASTLE?”) making it through the various checkpoints and pat downs and running to our seats just as the Champions League music was playing. We’d made it and in pure style.
Jamie Smith and Friends PSG Parc des Princes Newcastle Fans
We then spent the next few minutes congratulating ourselves on a job well done before being brought down to earth by a horrible sense of déjà vu. Within a couple of minutes the questionable deflection of a bouncing ball into a wayward hand had been waved away by the ref, but forced by the VAR to give Paris an advantage, Lewis Miley playing the role of Timo Livramento this time.
Ousmane Dembele was not able to mimic Mbappe’s conversion of last time though, as Nick Pope dived to his left and produced a brilliant save. Immediately something to cheer and thoughts brewing that this could fire us up for a performance.
This was to initially prove unfounded though, as a five man defence and lightweight midfield seemed overwhelmed by PSG attacks. The penalty save only gave a few moments respite before Vitinha’s well placed drive through the crowded box found the bottom corner. Paris kept coming after this and the fear was that we might have been better off on that 7:20pm flight as it could have save sitting through an embarrassment.
After a less than stellar showing on his last trip to France, Nick Pope was outstanding, with stops from Dembele and Kvaratskhelia keeping United in the game. His distribution was even good tonight, and his mastery of the box kept things calm at the back. This was assisted by the welcome return of Dan Burn, putting in an incredible 90 minute shift after the horrible rib and lung combo he suffered.
The next hero of the day though, would be a slightly surprising one. With added time in the first half running out Pope’s free kick was headed on by Burn and Joe Willock directed a header into the net to draw United level. Bedlam in the away end, much to the delight of the posse of photographers who seemed more interested in the Mags in the stands than the game most of the time. Let’s know if you spot me on any media sites around the world.
This was no more than United deserved, having settled into the formation and got a foothold in the game. This grew in the second half and as the game went on it started to look like the visitors who were more likely to find a winner. The introduction of Gordon and Barney’s caused chaos on the counter, with Hall and Gordon skinning their men down the right on several occasions.
Jamie Smith PSG Parc des Princes Newcastle FanThe best of these saw Gordon cut in and find Barnes at the far post, but he failed to convert the winner that would have sent us into the last 16, putting his shot wide en route to a collision with the post.
This did not deter an upbeat and lively away end, with a fine performance against a top opponent duly recognised. The draw put us in a respectable 12th place and we await Friday’s draw to see if it will be Qarabag or Monaco that comes our way next month. I worry about the amount of people who may have booked travel to the French principality already though, as an astonishing amount of folk I spoke to were oblivious that this draw is a thing, assuming it to be 9th v 24th etc.
Jamie Smith and Friends PSG Parc des Princes Newcastle FansAs we were kettled out of a large gate that was inched ever so slightly ajar and released into the magnificence of a Parisian night, there was a huge sense of satisfaction among my gang, after our epic journey to get there was rewarded with a match that was worth the hassle. We can look forward to a first ever European knock out (although I’m not going to no Azerbaijan unless the editor of The Mag is covering all expenses) and if the grit shown here is replicated at home the ominous fixtures in front of us may yield more than feared.
As for me, I’m currently on my third coffee in a Paris cafe, although I’m inside as its a bit nippy for street chilling and looking forward to a slightly more chilled day in one of the world’s greatest cities. I feel a bit guilty about my carbon footprint but at least I’m direct back to N-u-T on Friday.
The Champions League is mint.
Jamie Smith Route To Paris PSG Map Newcastle Champions LeaguePSG 1 Newcastle 1 – Wednesday 28 January 2026 8pm
Match Stats
Goals:
Newcastle United :
Willock 45+2
PSG:
Vitinha 8
Possession was Newcastle 33% PSG 67%
Total shots were Newcastle 10 PSG 25
Shots on target were Newcastle 4 PSG 7
Corners were Newcastle 1 PSG 5
Touches in the opposition box Newcastle 25 PSG 48
Newcastle team v PSG:
Pope, Miley, Thiaw, Botman, Burn, Hall, Tonali, Ramsey, Willock (Barnes 68), Elanga (Gordon 67), Woltemade (Wissa 79)
Unused subs:
Ramsdale, Harris, Trippier, Osula, Jacob Murphy, Alex Murphy, Bruno, Shahar
You can follow the author on BlueSky @bigjimwinsalot.bsky.social