Newcastle United F.C.

From the Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that anyone can change

Newcastle United Football Club is an English football club. It plays in the FA Premiership after being promoted from the old First Division in 1993. The current manager is Kevin Keegan.

Newcastle United was formed in 1892 after two rival clubs (Newcastle West end and Newcastle East End) grouped together. They have played their matches at St.James' Park ever since. The ground is just outside the centre of Newcastle. The loudest support comes from the Gallowgate end where Alan Shearer once used to watch Newcastle play when he was a child.

Newcastle's local rivals are Sunderland and Middlesbrough.

Newcastle originally played in red and white stripes. They changed to the familiar black and white stripes in 1904 so that they would not be confused with Sunderland.

The ground, St. James' Park, holding 52000, is one of the biggest in England. Since the demolition of Wembley, some of the England national team's matches have been played here.

The club has suffered from little success since the mid-fifties. The closest in the previous 20 years the club has come to it was in 1996. The European Fairs Cup won in 1969 is their last trophy to date.

The Club's top scorer is Alan Shearer with 206 goals. He also holds the record for most goals in the English Premier League - 260.

The Newcastle United's number 9 shirt is one of the most famous shirts in the world. Legends such as Hughie Gallacher, Malcolm McDonald, Jackie Milburn and Alan Shearer having wore the famous shirt.

The Record Transfer fee the club has paid is £17 million (around $30 million) for Michael Owen, in August 2005. Alan Shearer was the previous record transfer at £15 million, which was also the world's largest transfer fee when he signed in 1996.