A rare unused ticket for what would have been an unprecedented Premier League play-off match between Newcastle United and Manchester United
A rare unused ticket for what would have been an unprecedented Premier League play-off match between Newcastle United and Manchester United
A rare unused ticket for what would have been an unprecedented Premier League match involving Newcastle United lies deep in the bowels of St James' Park.
Back in 1996, as Newcastle fought tooth and nail for the title with Manchester United, the Magpies stormed into a 12-point lead at the top of the Premier League summit. However, as Sir Alex Ferguson's side whittled down the healthy advantage, the teams went into the last week of the season with a genuine possibility of being level on points and goal difference.
Incredibly, as the Premier League faced a brand new scenario that had never been encountered, plans for a title play-off were drawn up by top-flight chiefs. This would have taken place on either May 16 or May 21 1996 depending on whether there would have been an FA Cup replay.
Tickets with face value as low as £10 and £20 were hastily printed and distributed to both clubs in the event of a tie at the top of the table. And the unused ticket is one of the hidden gems on show at the club's museum at the back of the Milburn Stand at St James' Park.
Had the powderkeg shoot out gone ahead, it would have been a game for the ages with Eric Cantona and Les Ferdinand leading the lines for the two 90s giants. David Ginola would have been on show for Newcastle alongside then recent signings Tino Asprilla and David Batty, while ex-Toon star Andy Cole would have also been involved for the Red Devils.
A possible play-off was still feasible going into the final couple of games of the season as Newcastle won one of their games in hand against Leeds United at Elland Road on the night of Kevin Keegan's famous "love it" rant. But a draw away to Nottingham Forest in the penultimate game of the season meant that the title would be decided on the final day of the campaign.
Sadly, Newcastle could only hold Tottenham Hotspur to a 1-1 draw and Manchester United brushed past Middlesbrough to win the title on the last day. But evidence of what could have been a spectacular Wembley shoot out can still be spotted at the club's museum.
The ticket for the match, which would have been played in front of around 80,000 at the old Wembley in front of the twin towers which were last used in the year 2000 for a clash between Germany and England, displays Man United and Newcastle's shirts from that fateful season.
Yet the two teams did end up facing off at Wembley later in 1996 in the old Charity Shield with Newcastle's second placed finish good enough to earn them a place in the August showpiece as the Red Devils went on to win the double that year.
A crowd of 73,214 fans would witness Alan Shearer's first big game for the Magpies after his £15million move from Blackburn Rovers. Sadly it would end in a 4-0 win for Man United but Newcastle did get some revenge in October that year as they thrashed Fergie's side 5-0.
At a recent dinner at Gosforth Park Hotel, Keegan told fans: "The 5-0 over Man United. I did enjoy that one. Fergie's face when he walked off. I have a picture of it, he didn't want to shake my hand that day. I honestly think the game where we battered them and lost 1-0 that we played better that day, and got beat."
However, the mouth-watering prospect of a straight shoot out between the Magpies and Man United at Wembley on a May night never unfolded. Can you imagine Peter Beardsley walking up the old Wembley steps to hoist the Premier League trophy?