When the celebration of Newcastle’s first trophy in decades became a point of heated civic discussion, it served as a reminder that party planning can be problematic.
“Extensive work and long-term planning behind the scenes have continued with Newcastle City council, Northumbria police, Freemen of Newcastle, the North East Combined Authority, NE1, Nexus and the emergency services,” groaned a club statement this week, ending fevered speculation that Saturday’s ticketed, controlled event on the Town Moor would be the only place to see Eddie Howe, Dan Burn et al show off the Carabao Cup and/or thank Yasir al-Rumayyan for the Saudi Arabian riches that funded success.
At one point, it appeared any parade through the city centre would be ruled out because of police being pulled in the direction of Sunderland v Millwall, but fans who haven’t opted for the ticketed, alcohol-free main event instead get a chance to wave at the heroes of the Geordie nation. With Brentford to play on Wednesday and a Champions League place still possible, Howe’s players are unlikely to get “mortalled”, to use the regional phrase, or join any after-party down the city’s Diamond Strip.
Chi Onwurah, the local MP who campaigned for a parade, this week presented a parliamentary petition signed by constituents asking the government to congratulate Newcastle “and consider a national award to recognise major group sporting achievements”. It was a move given an indifferent reception within the House of Commons.
Certain clubs are more used to success than others. Barcelona have the Canaletes fountain at the top of La Rambla, Real Madrid fans congregate at the Plaza de Cibeles to drape a scarf around a statue of a Greek goddess. Bayern Munich’s beer-swilling antics from the balcony of the town hall at Marienplatz are a near-annual event.
Newcastle’s final arrangements follow the time-honoured traditions of slow-moving bus edging past fans, before a civic reception where players address their public from a stage. A town-hall balcony is usually the final destination. Here’s where the speeches come in. Louis van Gaal’s leder-clad call to arms in 2010 at Marienplatz, bellowing his offering of a “big kiss from the coach of the champions” for the mothers of Munich is the classic of the genre, though two examples from 1977 in England also stand out.
Emlyn Hughes’s “Liverpool are magic, Everton are tragic” in celebrating a league title and European Cup was an example of high spirits misjudging the occasion. He later apologised, for the “day I could have bitten off my tongue”. Tommy Docherty addressed Albert Square in Manchester, the FA Cup adorned in United red. “We promised you last year we’d bring the Cup back,” he said, referring to United losing the previous year’s final, huge cheers greeting him. It would be his last public act as a United manager, as he was soon removed for admitting his love affair with the club physio’s wife.
Manchester City kept up a parade tradition in the Pep Guardiola glory years, with Kyle Walker usually leading proceedings and Jack Grealish adopting that Leonardo DiCaprio Titanic-crossed-with-Messianic pose during 2023’s treble party. Considering Grealish’s decline through injuries and the loss of form and patronage of Guardiola, that shirtless image just about captures his zenith at City, leading player and relatable man of the people. Perhaps a little too relatable for his manager’s liking.
Grealish’s state of refreshment brought back memories of Jack Wilshere’s anti-Tottenham chants as Arsenal celebrated, at Islington Town Hall, their 2015 FA Cup win. Wilshere landed a £40k fine and much moral opprobrium, though his state of inebriation was hardly much different to that of England’s 2005 Ashes winners, or England’s 2003 Rugby World Cup squad, where players became drunk to the point of unintelligibility.
The last team other than City to win the Premier League, Liverpool, were denied such a moment by the Covid pandemic, though fans did flood into the city with victory confirmed, the party raging on for 24 hours, against the guidance of the time. Should, as expected, Liverpool lift this season’s title, a return to a more traditional bus parade is surely being planned. Nothing is announced to tempt fate though planning is necessary. Memories abound of 2007, when photos from a bus depot emerged of a red-bedecked bus bearing the legend “six times”, only for Liverpool to lose the Champions League final to Milan.
Recognition of the runners-up is a lost tradition, though Newcastle staged parades to St James’ Park after losing finals in 1974 and 1976, heroes’ welcomes to bemused, beaten but grateful players. Not so grateful the Everton squad of 1986, asked to join the double “celebration” of coming second to Liverpool in both league and FA Cup. Three buses toured the city, Liverpool occupying first and second with attendant silverware. The third had no toilet and as Everton players – on the bus swiftly named “the loser cruiser” – drowned their sorrows, empty cans were reportedly repurposed.
“We had the trophies,” said the Liverpool defender Steve Nicol. “All Everton had was a few cans of ale.” Graeme Sharp, the Everton striker, said: “It was unbelievable, Liverpool were all celebrating and we were sitting there miserable.” His teammate, Peter Reid, refused to board the bus, even after the manager, Howard Kendall, threatened him with a two-week fine. “I said: ‘That’ll do me’ and pissed off. I watched the parade from a pub in Bolton.”
Source: theguardian.com
