Today I'm going back 29 years to 1993 and Tottenham's opening day of the season visit to St James' Park to play Newcastle United in a Premier League fixture. The game was attended by 35,216 the highest on the ground for nine years.
Today's programme cover star is, of course, Newcastle captain Peter Beardsley. Beardsley's professional career began at Carlisle United in 1978 and he spent his footballing summers playing for Vancouver Whitecaps in the NASL. By 1982 he had come to the attention of Manchester United who signed him but he was to feature in just a single League Cup tie for United before eventually moving back to Newcastle United where he had previously been an apprentice. His second spell at Newcastle ended in 1987 when the lure of "winning trophies" became too much and he left to join Liverpool where he would indeed win two First Division titles and the FA Cup. In 1991 he crossed Stanley Park to join Everton where he remained for two seasons before rejoining Newcastle for the third time. The featured game was, in effect, Beardley's second debut for the club and he stayed for four seasons before winding down his career at the likes of Bolton Wanderers, Manchester City, Fulham and Hartlepool United amongst others. Overall, in club football Beardsley made 879 appearances scoring a highly respectable 280 goals. For England Beardsley earned 59 caps scoring 9 goals. In a disappointing postscript to his career, following his playing days, Beardsley moved into coaching at Newcastle United (his fourth spell) but was suspended in 2018, accused of using racist language with the players under his charge. In 2019 he left Newcastle and was subsequently found guilty of the racism charges albeit that the FA Panel concerned did not believe that he intended to cause offence. Casual racism: the scourge of many in Beardsley's generation.
Following promotion from the First Division (Championship) in his first season in charge, Kevin Keegan's Newcastle were making their Premier League (or FA Carling Premiership as it was then known) bow. Following frantic construction work over the summer, St James' Park had something of a new look about it with the opening of the impressive new Leazes end stand. Spurs played the role of party poopers to perfection with Teddy Sheringham taking the ball around the keeper in the 36th minute to score the only goal of the game. Spurs, managed by former Newcastle boss Osvaldo Ardiles, then showed all of their top flight experience to hold out and win the game, bursting a few Toon Army bubbles no doubt.
Despite Tottenham's success in this opening day fixture, the fortunes of the two clubs were to be remarkably different. Spurs ended the season in a disappointing 15th position, just three points above the drop zone occupied by Sheffield United, Oldham Athletic and Swindon Town. Newcastle however had a magnificent first season back in the top flight finishing 3rd and qualifying for the UEFA Cup behind champions Manchester United and runners-up Blackburn Rovers.
CRB Match No. 843
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