Newcastle United are looking to set a few records straight against Sunderland at St James' Park this weekend
Much has changed since Newcastle United beat Sunderland 5-1 in 2010
Much has changed since Newcastle United beat Sunderland 5-1 back in 2010
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A Geordie songstress topped the charts in the UK, the world’s fourth most popular social media channel was born, a certain American man was still just known as the host of The Apprentice and James Milner had made only just under first-team appearances.
A lot has happened in the 5623 days since Newcastle last won a Tyne-Wear derby at St James’ Park.
But if you need a greater measure of how much has changed since the day United put five past Sunderland – and hat-trick hero Kevin Nolan did his chicken dance – then these 10 snapshots of the world as it was on October 31, 2010 will deliver it.
Max Dowman turned nine months old
Who knows – the lad who, at 16 years and 73 days, became the youngest goalscorer in the history of the Premier League last weekend might have been doing “around the worlds” by this stage of his infant life.
But for more perspective on Dowman’s achievement in scoring against Everton, look no further than the fact that the youngest players on the field at St James’ Park in the 2010 Halloween derby - Danny Welbeck and Nile Ranger – were both 19.
Cheryl Cole was at No 1
Geordie icon Cheryl – 18 months into her solo career after conquering the world with Girls Aloud – did United proud as her single “Promise This” went straight in at the top of the UK singles chart a few hours after the match.
It was Cheryl’s second chart-topper after “Fight for This Love”, beating Rihanna’s “Only Girl (In The World)” and a young Bruno Mars’ “Just The Way You Are (Amazing)” to top spot.
Man City hadn’t won a league title in 42 years
Yes, the Citizens were just into their third season under the ownership of Sheikh Mansour. But no, they hadn’t won anything yet under the new regime. And no, Pep Guardiola was barely aware they existed.
At this point, City had not won the English title since 1968, and no major trophy at all since beating Newcastle in the 1976 League Cup final.
They would end that drought, however, with an FA Cup win over Stoke City the following May.
The Walking Dead premiered on US TV
A few hours after Sunderland fans reeled from their side’s Halloween horror show, a scary new series would grip audiences across the Atlantic for the first time. That night, AMC premiered The Walking Dead on US TV, introducing viewers to a post-apocalyptic world teeming with zombies and human survival struggles.
The pilot episode immediately captivated a huge audience, setting the tone for a series which would become a cultural phenomenon. Until season seven…
England’s cricketers landed in Australia for the Ashes
The night before the derby, England’s Ashes squad landed down under as they prepared to try to win back the urn on Australian soil for the first time in 24 years.
And – who’d have thought it? – the idea to play a series of proper warm-up games across a full month ahead of the Test series paid off. Captain Andrew Strauss’s side went on to beat Ricky Ponting’s men 3–1.
Our Test matches in Australia since then? Won one, drawn two, lost 17 . . .
Britain had its first coalition Government since 1945
The 2010 UK Election delivered a result unprecedented since World War Two. Neither the Conservatives nor Labour could secure the required 326 seats for a majority, clearing the way for the Lib Dems to enter into a coalition Government with the Tories.
Nick Clegg – remember him? - led the Lib Dems to one of their best ever performances in a general election. Their 57 seats were enough to make Clegg deputy prime minister to David Cameron.
James Milner had made only 340 senior appearances for club and country
Even this long ago, Milner – now the all-time Premier League record appearance maker - was seen as one of the most reliable midfielders in the top flight.
After spells with Newcastle, as well as Leeds United and Aston Villa, Milner had been at Manchester City since August 2010. By the day of the Tyne-Wear derby, he has reached 251 Premier League appearances. At 24 . . .
Today, Milner has broken the competition’s all-time appearance record with 654 appearances and counting as he’s cementing his legacy as one of the league’s most enduring players.
Instagram had just launched
Earlier in October 2010, Instagram officially launched – initially, as the beta app “Burbn Beta” and then, on October 12, as Instagram.
Nolan’s chicken dance on derby day may have been one of the first-ever goal celebrations shared on the video-friendly app. By the end of its first month online, Instagram hit one million users.
Brentford, Bournemouth, Brighton . . . all in League One
If you want any further proof that English football has changed dramatically since the last Newcastle home win in a derby, look at the third tier of the game that season. It featured three clubs now well established in the top flight.
Bournemouth, Brentford and Brighton were all playing in League One. As Eddie Howe won’t need reminding.
Howe was in his first of two spells in charge at Bournemouth in October 2010. At the end that season, he sneaked the Cherries into the League One play-offs, but lost in the semi-finals to Huddersfield.
Brighton topped League One that season, ahead of their move to a new stadium. But Brentford were down in mid-table.
Howe eventually got Bournemouth promoted in May 2013 after returning to the south coast following a spell in charge at Burnley. Brentford went up the following season.
Brighton then reached the Premier League as Championship runners-up to Newcastle in 2018. Bournemouth arrived in 2020 – before bouncing back up in 2022 following relegation – while Brentford reached the top flight in 2021.
MCU was only three films old
Much like Max Dowman, the Marvel Cinematic Universe was still in its infancy. An experiment by Marvel Studios to connect superhero stories into one shared world, it had begun with Iron Man in 2008.
But, with The Incredible Hulk having been released in between, 2010 saw the return of Robert Downey Jr.’s charismatic Tony Stark in Iron Man 2.
Iron Man 2 teased bigger ideas like S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury, and the mysterious Avengers Initiative. But then, even with Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger on the horizon, few fans properly realised the Marvel legacy that was being built.
How many MCU films are we at now? 35.