United played
their first game under their new title in a friendly against
Middlesbrough on Christmas Eve 1892. The first competitive match
came 4 weeks later, also against Boro, in the FA Cup. The following
season, Newcastle again tried for a place in the Football League
and again they were offered a place in Division 2. This time
they accepted and their first game was in September 1893 against
fellow newcomers Woolwich Arsenal. The match ended 2-2.
This year also saw the appearance of the now famous Black and
White Striped jerseys, a change from East End's red colours.
Support was still poor however, and officials were so angry
with Tyneside's apathy that they published the following statement.
"The Newcastle public do not deserve to be catered for
as far as professional football is concerned". Whether
this jerked the conscience of the Newcastle public or not, by
New Year 1896, cash was rolling into St James' and support was
growing at such a rate that 14,000 watched United face Bury
in the FA Cup. In the same season, Frank G. Watt was appointed
as club Secretary.
An ambitious man, he aimed to put Newcastle at the very top,
and over the next few years he did exactly that. Promotion to
the first division was finally achieved in 1898 and that promotion
season proved to be the most successful so far in the club's
history - gate receipts totalled 4,934 pounds and 7 shillings.
United unfortunately lost their first match in the big time,
at home to Wolves, 4-2 and had to wait 11 games before finally
gaining their first top flight victory, a 3-0 win over Liverpool.
Their duck broken, United went on to finish 13th that year.
By 1903-04, Newcastle United had built up a squad of promising
players, with a great Scottish influence, and for the next decade
they dominated English football with a brand of artistic play,
combining team-work and quick, short passing. In 1905, the Magpies
won the championship for the first time and al- most did the
double, losing in the FA Cup final to Aston Villa at Crystal
Palace.
The following season, United were again beaten in the Cup final,
but in 1907 lifted the championship again. That season also
saw Newcastle go out of the FA Cup to Crystal Palace, and then
a non-league side, in one of the great upsets of the competition.
United also lost the 1908 FA Cup final, but picked up another
league title in 1909, despite an amazing 9-1 defeat by arch-rivals
Sunderland at St. James' Park. In 1910, the FA Cup finally came
to Tyneside, following Unity's win over Barnsley in a replay
at Goodison.
Only a few teams have ever matched the stranglehold Newcastle
had on the game in their heyday of 1903- 1912. Long after his
retirement, Peter McWilliam (a famous New- castle half back)
said "The Newcastle team of the 1900's would give any modern
side a 2 goal start and beat them, and further more, beat them
at a trot"! Major players of this era were McWilliam himself,
fellow half-backs Veitch and Gardner, full- backs Carr, McCombie
and McCracken, Jimmy Lawrence the long- serving keeper and top
class forwards like Rutherford, Appleyard and Howie.
