In April 2020, myself and my brother, David created our individual lists of ranking our top 100 NUFC matches since August 1992.
This series of articles goes through the top 30 from our combined list. The criteria for the rankings in our lists were subjectively about drama, significance, excitement, result and occasion.
5) Newcastle United 4 - 3 Manchester United - Premier League (15/09/2001)
Rob: 9th
Dave: 7th
A Premier League became a match to savour for Newcastle United fans as they dramatically snatched all three points late on.
New signing on Tyneside, Laurent Robert got the Magpies off to the perfect start with an audacious free kick as he scored his first goal at St. James' Park. Right on the half hour mark, potent striker, Ruud van Nistelrooy equalised from close range before Rob Lee (his final goal for Newcastle) scored to restore Newcastle's lead five minutes later courtesy of a Fabien Barthez fumble.
Sir Bobby Robson's side began the second half the way they started the first after Nikos Dabizas gave Newcastle a two-goal lead after a bit of pinball in the box from a corner. However, halfway through the second half, the Toon were hit by a quickfire double up the other end from Ryan Giggs and then, two minutes later, Juan Veron.
With the game delicately poised late on, Craig Bellamy went on a teasing run as he set up Nolberto Solano for a shot that Barthez saved and rebounded to Alan Shearer who let fly and his off target shot was turned in by Wes Brown to give Newcastle a late lead. There was more drama to come as Roy Keane was shown two quick yellow cards following an altercation with Shearer. David Beckham had to physically restrain his teammate as he walked past Shearer towards the tunnel and Newcastle held on to record a momentous victory.
4) Newcastle United 8 - 0 Sheffield Wednesday - Premier League (19/09/1999)
Rob: 3rd
Dave: 6th
After a poor start to the season under Ruud Gullit, Newcastle turned to local hero Sir Bobby Robson to revive their fortunes. It proved to be a dream start for the new manager at St. James' Park.
Soon after Wednesday had a goal controversially disallowed, youngster Aaron Hughes gave Newcastle the lead thanks to a perfectly placed header from a Kieron Dyer cross. The lead was doubled on the half hour mark when Alan Shearer perfectly directed the ball past Kevin Pressman from a Solano cross, once again coming from the left wing.
Just minutes later, Shearer made it three from the penalty spot and then put the win beyond doubt before half time as he grabbed his hat-trick when he got on the end of another Kieron Dyer cross. The second half started in the same miserable way for the Owls as Dyer got on the scoresheet following some lack lustre defending.
Gary Speed added a sixth with a terrific header that went in via the post before Shearer got his fourth after Pressman failed to effectively clear a Solano free kick. The day was rounded off when Shearer scored his fifth and the club's eighth of the afternoon as he scored another penalty.
3) Newcastle United 3 - 2 Barcelona - Champions League Group C (17/09/1997)
Rob: 4th
Dave: 3rd
Tino Asprilla put in a man of the match performance against Louis van Gaal's Barcelona to give Newcastle a winning start to their Champions League group.
The Columbian striker was brought down in the box by Ruud Hesp and he picked himself up to score from the spot to give Newcastle the lead. He doubled the lead just a few minutes later with a bullet header when he got on the end of a pinpoint Keith Gillespie cross to give Newcastle a two-goal cushion at half time.
The game got better still for the Magpies as they unbelievably went 3-0 up against the Spanish giants. Gillespie, once again, worked his magic down the right wing and planted a perfect cross for Asprilla to head home for his hat-trick to send St. James' Park wild with elation, they were making Barcelona look ordinary.
The team from Catalonia did manage to get back into the game with late goals from Luis Enrique and Figo but it was too little too late for van Gaal as Newcastle inflicted Barcelona's first European defeat in over a year.
2) Newcastle United 5 - 1 Sunderland - Premier League (31/10/2010)
Rob: 1st
Dave: 4th
A Kevin Nolan hat-trick gave Newcastle United the bragging rights as they handed out a derby day demolition.
Steve Bruce's Sunderland side went into the big game as favourites but the odds were soon to be upset and changed when Nolan scored his first of the afternoon halfway through the first half with an overhead kick inside the six-yard box. Just eight minutes later, the midfielder got his second when he got on the end of Andy Carroll's failed shot to side foot past Simon Mignolet in goal.
The situation soon spiralled out of control into a three-goal lead when Shola Ameobi scored from the penalty spot after Nedum Onuoha brought down Jonas Gutierrez. With a comfortable lead to hand, Newcastle began to relax a bit more in the second half after Titus Bramble was shown a straight red card on his return to St. James' Park.
Derby day specialist, Ameobi scored his second of the afternoon when he volleyed in the rebound from Andy Carroll's head that hit the crossbar but the striker set up Nolan to head home from close range to bag his hat-trick and send waves of Geordie joy out to every Newcastle fan. Darren Bent scored a late consolation but it failed to stop the celebrations as the day belonged to the city of Newcastle.
1) Newcastle United 5 - 0 Manchester United - Premier League (20/10/1996)
Rob: 2nd
Dave: 1st
Kevin Keegan had his wish granted of emphatically beating Manchester United on a cold Sunday afternoon on Tyneside. I am sure he "loved it".
Darren Peacock started the rout after 12 minutes when his header just crept over the line. In the days before goal-line technology, the linesman made the correct call despite the angry reactions from Peter Schmeichel and Dennis Irwin. The lead was doubled on the half hour mark when David Ginola let fly and found the top corner from just outside the area.
In the second half, Alex Ferguson's side just could not find a way back into the game and their efforts were all in vain when Les Ferdinand made it three halfway through the second half before Shearer added a fourth from close range. With the game in the closing stages, the memorable day was completed when Philippe Albert scored with a poetry in motion style chip over Schmeichel from 25-yards out to make it Howay Five-0.
Honourable mentions
40) Newcastle United 2 - 1 PSV Eindhoven (3-2 agg.) - UEFA Cup Quarter-Final 2nd Leg (14/04/2004)
39) Blackburn Rovers 2 - 2 Newcastle United - Premier League (23/04/2002)
38) Newcastle United 4 - 3 Norwich City - Championship (28/09/2016)
37) Newcastle United 3 - 0 Liverpool - Premier League (21/11/1993)
36) Newcastle United 6 - 1 Wimbledon - Premier League (21/10/1995)
35) Brighton & Hove Albion 1 - 2 Newcastle United - Championship (28/02/2017)
34) Newcastle United 4 - 1 Stoke City - FA Cup 3rd Round Replay (16/01/2008)
33) Chelsea 0 - 2 Newcastle United - Premier League (02/05/2012)
32) Newcastle United 2 - 0 Liverpool - Premier League (01/04/2012)
31) Newcastle United 1 - 0 Manchester United - Premier League (11/02/2018)