Some easy Sunday lockdown reading for you all, as I continue by Big five series. This time I run you through my personal favourite Newcastle United away shirts and the memories behind them.
1. 2012-13 Away Puma Virgin Money
This is the only Puma shirt that features in my big five. This shirt reminds of a squad of players that held such promise. A team coming off the back of a remarkable fifth place finish in the Premier League, but due to lack of funding from our beloved owner (where have we heard that before!) they could never reach their full potential.
A smart looking shirt, with which my abiding memory of is Demba Ba's incredible volley against Reading. It was in a game we were expected to win, but only managed a 2-2 draw thanks to that incredible strike, from a wonderful Tiote pass. Perhaps that could be a metaphor to sum up that era in general: Good, but could have led to something so much better.
2. 2005-06 Third Adidas Northern Rock
I can barely remember the team playing in this shirt, but I loved it so much I demanded my mum buy it me for Christmas when I was a stroppy teenager. Adidas made the best Newcastle shirts, I'd be amazed if we didn't all agree on that.
My overriding memory of this shirt was an ill-tempered affair at Blundell Park. Newcastle traveled to Grimsby Town in the Carling Cup, as Alan Shearer was in his final season, desperately hunting down Wor Jackie's goal scoring record. Shearer was left furious after a blatant elbow from mariner's skipper Justin Whittle, which went unpunished. But like on so many occasions, it was Shearer that had the last laugh firing Newcastle to a nervy victory.
3. 2005-06 Away Adidas Northern Rock
Adidas really did outdo themselves in the 2005-06 season as they came up with this lovely green away shirt. Again as a stroppy teenager I demanded my mum get me this shirt, this time for my birthday (an expensive couple of months for Ms Mulliner).
My memory of this shirt was a dominant display at The Hawthorns. Before our relationship with money grabbing Michael Owen turned sour, he had a season reunited with his former England-skipper Alan Shearer. A 3-0 away win in the West-Midlands was arguably their highlight as a partnership for Newcastle.
4. 1998-99 Away Adidas Newcastle Brown Ale
I loved this shirt when I was a lad. The final Newcastle Brown Ale away shirt before the sponsorship was taken by NTL. Everything from the silky material, to the memories it conjures from my childhood, this shirt will always hold a special place in my heart.
Tricky to nail down one memory in particular but I'm actually going to go for a 2-1 pre-season win over Juventus. Goals from Dietmar Hamann and Stuart Pearce gave us a win over a Juventus side containing greats such as Del-Piero and Di-Livio. Our team that day contained Laurent Charvet and Andreas Andersson, so quite how we won, i'll never know!
5. 1995-96 Away Adidas Newcastle Brown Ale
It has to be this one doesn't it? This famous shirt inspired last seasons fantastic away offering from Puma and was worn during the famous entertainers era that would have inspired so many, myself included.
There isn't one specific game or memory I have of this shirt, I just remember it from the time when, as a boy, I decided that Newcastle United were the team for me. So near, yet so far to Premier League success, who knows when them days will return? Hopefully sooner rather than later after thirteen years of neglectful and deceitful ownership.
What are your favourite Newcastle away shirts? Let me know in the comments!