Saturday 8th January, FA Cup third round, 5000 Cambridge fans made the long trip up north to witness their side face the richest club in the world in their own backyard.
An hour until kick off, fans gathering outside the stadium and making their way to the turnstiles. Cambridge ultras in full voice, drowning out the Newcastle support. A chilly wait outside the stadium as the queues build up, before I scan my ticket and get through the turnstiles.
The famous long walk up the 14 flights of stairs to the away end, it would be a fair statement to say that I was out of breath by the time I’d reached the top. Normally when you reach the top, the view is exceptional, and it was no different this time around. A view of the whole stadium filling up, with the Newcastle skyline over the top.
5 minutes until kick off, seeing familiar faces in the away end, excited, but nervous. The stadium is pretty much full, the pre-match music is blasting around the stadium.
The players walk out, cheers ringing around the stadium, confetti, balloons and flare smoke flying around the Cambridge end, ready for their biggest game in years.
A first half with chances for both sides, with the Cambridge faithful producing some incredible noise throughout the first half, which contained an offside goal for Newcastle, and some absolutely breath-taking saves from U’s keeper Dimitar Mitov.
It was also a debut for right-back Kieran Trippier, who had only just finalised his move to Tyneside from Atletico Madrid the day before, and the Cambridge fans were certainly doing their best to make it a hostile atmosphere for the England international, booing him whenever he received the ball.
Second half was just as loud up in the clouds in the away end, but were silenced as Newcastle scored, with their fans roaring with delight, before the goal was disallowed, and cheers from the Newcastle fans turned to jeers from the Cambridge fans.
It wasn’t long after that Cambridge scored, a truly glorious moment for the players and the fans. Newcastle stunned into silence . To say the away end erupted would be an understatement. Beer flying everywhere, the 5000 Cambridge fans rocking the stadium, the phrase ‘limbs’ very much comes to mind.
The delight soon turned to worry as the goal was being taken to VAR, waiting for what felt like hours to see whether the lead against Newcastle would remain. After a lengthy review though, the goal was given, and another roar from the U’s fans. 1-0 up against the richest club in the world, it felt surreal.
If the three or four minute VAR goal check felt like hours, the last 40 minutes felt like years, Newcastle very much threatening an equaliser, and without the goalkeeping heroics of Mitov, they surely would have turned it around.
Cambridge netted a second after some impressive build up play, the fans went wild once again, before the goal was ruled offside. Nerves growing unbelievably, still only a one goal difference, with ten minutes or so to go.
A last gasp save from Dimitar Mitov seemed to have sealed the win for Cambridge, and 30 seconds later, the referee blows the whistle, Newcastle players’ heads drop, Cambridge players jumping for joy, everyone from the bench sprinting on to the pitch to celebrate. League One Cambridge United have beaten Premier League Newcastle United at St James’ Park in the FA Cup. Incredible.
I think I speak for most Cambridge fans when I say it was one of the best moments of our lives.
All of the home fans swiftly left the ground, with a portion of them already gone before the final whistle, the Cambridge fans however, didn’t go anywhere for half an hour, with the players coming back out to celebrate with the 5000 fans, in the sky high away end, that made the trip. Still in full voice long after full time, the U’s fans didn’t want to leave.
Leaving the ground, still coming to terms with what had just happened, it took a while to sink in. Emotions were high to say the least, tear in the eye stuff.
A very famous game in the history of the club, being there to witness it was truly special.
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