The curse is broken – Peter Drury | OneFootball

“At last, at long, long last, Newcastle United are winners. The Geordie Nation has its hands on a trophy.” Recognise those words? They’re from Peter Drury.

It is what he uttered live on Sky Sports as soon as John Brooks blew for time at the end of a tumultuous League Cup Final.

Absolutely marvellous.

And, as I said before a ball had been kicked against Liverpool, if we win at Wembley, I couldn’t care less if we failed to win another game this season.

Well, I did have my fingers crossed when I said that, so fast forward to that hard fought win over Thomas Frank’s Brentford and it was joy and relief all over again at the final whistle.

Newcastle United face a truly dreadful Leicester City side this evening and three points are there for the taking, the Foxes having won only once in their previous fifteen league matches, an abysmal run of form that began with a 4-0 humping at St James’ Park on 14 December 2024.

Recently, I used a turn of phrase to describe Newcastle United’s season. It’s had its ‘ups and downs’ I said to the Editor, only to be told off for my negativity and pessimism. Now, when the Editor is in an argumentative frame of mind, I’ve learned not to engage – he is usually right. However…

I saw an article earlier today on The Mag from John Martin who was also making the point how some in the media and a number of Newcastle United fans are still making out that this has been an up and down season, John going on to explain that over their last 21 domestic matches, Newcastle United have won far more games (16 of the 21) than Liverpool (13 of 21) and Arsenal (and 10 of 21).

My description of this season having had its ‘ups and downs’ is borne out of our indifferent start. Sitting at twelfth in the table going into that match at home to Leicester in December, Newcastle United had won five, drawn five and lost five of their fifteen league matches, the most recent defeat having come a week earlier, a 4-2 reverse at Brentford and with draws against Liverpool and Palace and a gut wrenching 1-0 loss at home to West Ham, being the results in the three games immediately before losing at the Gtech, I think it’s fair to say not many of us were altogether happy with the story of the season at that point.

The next month was wonderful.

By the time we’d beaten Wolves on 15 January, Newcastle United were fourth in the league, with one foot in another Wembley final, having won 2-0 in the first leg of the League Cup semi final at the Emirates. We’d also progressed to the fourth round of the FA Cup and had also won at Portman Road, Old Trafford and the Tottenham Stadium, in a remarkable run in which we’d strung together nine consecutive wins.

It’s a purple patch like that which would propel us to another Champions League berth for sure. It’s vital Newcastle United win tonight and with two home games in quick succession against struggling Man Utd and a Crystal Palace team that has their eye on an FA Cup semi-final at the end of the month, we are very well placed to really stake a claim for Champions League football next season.

Whatever happens, this season will go down as the best ever, certainly in my time supporting United. No argument.

As Peter Drury also said; “The curse is broken, the [trophy] famine is at an end, all the lads and lasses there, all with smiling faces.”