Roy Keane, Vinnie Jones, Tino Asprilla, Dennis Wise and other funny things seen at St James’ Park | OneFootball

With Newcastle v Brentford next up at St. James’ Park, I was fondly remembering their visit in March 1993 during our run-in to promotion to the Premier League.

It ended 5-1 to Newcastle but could/should/would have been more.

One of the most entertaining games in a season packed with them.

Brentford’s goal was scored by our own Kevin Scott with a diving header into the top corner of the Gallowgate net past a bemused Pav [We were well ahead by then so it was met by chuckles rather than panic].

Clarkie scored and became the first player in the UK to do the ‘shirt over the head’ celebration that he’d obviously nicked off Ravanelli, who we’d all seen do it on the Serie A coverage on Channel 4.

There were two [three?] disallowed Newcastle goals that melted the brain of the scoreboard operators. At one point they had 7-1 on the board, and it still said 6-1 as we ‘How Man, Hey Man’-ed’ out of the Milburn paddock at the final whistle.

Everyone who was there remembers Robert Lee’s disallowed goal. He called the referee’s decision; “The worst decision I have ever seen.”

Brentford had a rare corner, easily cleared by Newcastle, who broke. Alan ‘Never Let You Down’ Neilson chased a hopeful ball, but the Bees’ ‘keeper rushed out to clear.

Bobby Lee, 20 yards inside his own half, controlled the clearance with his chest and volleyed it, left-footed, over the ‘keeper’s head and it bounced, bounced, rolled into the middle of the goal. Cue bedlam.

BUT.

The ref’ had blown his whistle just as Bobby struck. The Brentford ‘keeper’s clearance had caught a few of their players offside.

It can’t happen often, but Newcastle had a goal disallowed for offside, against the OPPONENT.

The scoreboard fluffery-buffery got me thinking of other funny things that I’d seen at the match [Kenny Wharton sitting on the ball and Gazza’s shenanigans are a couple of years before my time].

Tino being stretchered off after a virtuoso performance, waving and grinning all the way around to the dugouts, where he promptly got off the stretcher and walked down the tunnel, still waving and grinning. Kenny Dalglish called him ‘Different’ in a post-match interview. Aye, Kenny.

Dennis Wise getting sent off in September 1994 and the joyous singing about him.

Banter between a bloke in the Milburn B paddock and a linesman in the early 90s. He had huge thighs that the bloke commented on, saying their size made it hard to see the action, but he wouldn’t mess with anyone with such proportions. The linesman turned around grinning and said “I’m a black belt.” Good banter. That linesman went on to become Uriah Rennie.

I remember Ruel Fox kicking the corner flag when going to take a quick corner at a mid-90s match, and then pretending to pick the ball up as if he’d just been practicing. I correctly predicted the incident would feature on that Friday’s Fantasy Football League.

Vinnie Jones winning us all over [well, me, anyway] with a hilarious, though still determined, 40 minutes in goal for Wimbledon in late ’95. Good lad, Vinnie.

Roy Keane hoying the ball and a terrible punch at Shearer before being ‘held back’ by, erm, David Beckham. Good job he was there, eh Roy?

Juninho, bless him, squaring up to Philippe Albert’s belly button, and Albert just laughing at him.