In 1970 Newcastle United humbled Inter Milan at St James’ Park. A chance discovery in an attic brought the memories flooding back for one passionate Geordie. Richard Hough, author of Verona Campione, the Miracle of 85, tells the full story.
I can’t bring myself to write about Hellas Verona at the moment so here’s something a little different…
My mum’s cousin Grant, a long-suffering but devoted Newcastle United fan (is there any other kind?), was putting the Christmas decorations back in his attic when he stumbled across a collection of football scrapbooks from his childhood. A veritable treasure trove of press cuttings, autographs and photos, it tells the heartwarming story of a devoted young football fanatic in the analog age. Aware of my interest in the Italian game, he shared a few of his memories with me.
On 30 September 1970, St James’ Park witnessed one of the most memorable European nights in the club’s history. Grant Reed was a 14 year-old Newcastle fan and he and his best friend had played truant so they could go autograph hunting. Unfortunately a photo of his best friend (see below) with Inter legend Sandro Mazzola ended up on the front page of the local newspaper, so they both ended up in the headmaster’s office the following day!
A young Newcastle fan gets a priceless Sandro Mazzola autograph (Photo courtesy of Grant Reed)
Between 1955 and 1971, the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup was the pre-eminent European club competition, a precursor to the current UEFA Europa League that would launch in 1971, designed with the bizarre objective of promoting international trade fairs in European cities. While Spanish teams dominated the early years, by the late 1960s, English clubs were beginning to exert control. First Leeds United won in 1968, then rank outsiders Newcastle United in 1969, followed by Arsenal and Leeds United (again) in 1970 and 1971 respectively, before the tournament was handed over to UEFA who swiftly abolished it in favour of the new UEFA Cup.
Despite having won the competition the previous season, the encounter with Inter in the first round, of the 1970/71 tournament was met with some trepidation. Inter were ten-times Italian champions and one of the biggest clubs on the planet.
That Inter team also boasted a number of players who had graced the Italian national team in the 1970 World Cup, only losing in the final to Pele’s legendary Brazil. These Inter legends included talismanic striker Roberto Boninsegna, Tarcisio “La Roccia” (The Rock) Burgnich, a versatile and uncompromising defender, bandiera Alessandro “Sandro” Mazzola, who played 17 seasons at Inter and is widely considered one of the greatest Italian players of all time, and Giacinto Facchetti, another integral member of il Grande Inter, remembered as one of the first truly great attacking full-backs, he’d make 634 appearances for Inter as well as 94 for the national team, many of them as captain.
Grant has got autographs from all of them!
14-year-old Grant’s impressive index of autographs (Photo courtesy of Grant Reed)
The first leg at the San Siro ended in a 1-1 draw, with Newcastle’s Welsh footballing legend Wyn Davies’ goal cancelled out by a late Giancarlo Cella equaliser for Inter.
The following week, over 56,000 expectant Geordies showed up at Saint James’ Park to catch a glimpse of European footballing royalty. United, wearing all red, were determined to put up a fight. In the 29th minute, captain Bobby Moncur soared above the Inter defence to take the lead. While the Gallowgate End erupted, a massive brawl broke out involving Inter keeper Lido Vieri and Wyn Davies.
The five-minute long bust up culminated in Vieri throwing a punch at the referee and only the intervention of a local police sergeant finally allowed the game to continue.
A police sergeant restrains Inter Milan goalkeeper Lido Vieri as Belgian referee Joseph Minnoy sends him off (Photo courtesy of Grant Reed)
Vieri was unsurprisingly sent off as the Magpies continued to dominate, hitting the bar three times before Davies grabbed Newcastle’s second on 70 minutes.
After the match Belgian referee Minnoy commented with some understatement: “I was clearly hit by a punch. I had no option other than to send the player off. I did not consider the game to be out of hand. But these Italians – I think they suffer from too much sun.”
Newcastle’s long-serving manager Joe Harvey described it as “the dirtiest match we’ve had in Europe”! While Inter’s Heriberto Herrera thought that “Both sides were to blame.”
“Both sides were to blame.” (Photo courtesy of Grant Reed)
Whoever was to blame, it’s a game that remains rooted in Newcastle United folklore. And one that Grant Reed looks back on fondly all these years later, with the help of his childhood scrapbook to trigger the fading memories of his encounter with Italian footballing royalty.
Richard Hough is the author of Verona Campione, the Miracle of 85.
Verona Campione, the Miracle of 85