#9 v3 | Page 18

CONTINENTAL)TRAVELS)–)199812000))
NEWCASTLE UNITED AND EUROPE WAS SUDDENLY BECOMING A REGULAR PARTNERSHIP, FANS
BEING RIGHTLY DISAPPOINTED IF QUALIFICATION WASN’T ACHIEVED

A"er% the% previous% seasons% trailblazing%
campaign% in% the% UEFA% Champions% League%
(remember% Tino% and% THAT%
Barcelona% game),% United%
found% themselves% having%
qualified% for% the% 1998H99%
European% CupHWinners% Cup.%
Their% route% of% entry% being%
granted% a"er% having% reached%
the% previous% seasons% FA% Cup%
final% but% crashed% at% Wembley% courtesy% of% a%
2H0%reverse%against%Arsenal.%%
The% CupHWinners% Cup% never% brought% much%
fare% either% though.% Drawn% to% Yugoslav% side,%
ParRzan% Belgrade,% in% the% First% Round,% hopes%
were% slight% aloof% a"er% claiming% a% first% leg%
victory.% Goals% from% the% legendary% number%
nine,%Alan%Shearer,%and%Greek%defender,%Nikos%
Dabizas,% afforded% Newcastle% a% 2H1% win;% but%
that%away%goal%from%Belgrade%proved%costly.%%
Away% in% the% second% leg% the% conRnental%
exploits% of% the% Magpies% came% to% a% juddering%
halt,% the% run% over% with% before% it% even%
happened%a"er%a%goal%from%Rasovic%gave%the%
Yugoslav’s% victory% on% the% away% goals% rule%
following%a%2H2%aggregate%draw.%%
Fast%forward%twelve%months%and%United%were%
back% at% it% again,% this% Rme% qualifying% for% the%
UEFA%Cup%having%reached,%and%again%lost,%the%
FA% Cup% final% by% a% 2H0% scoreHline,% this% Rme% to%
Manchester%United.%%
However,%the%1999H2000%campaign%would%see%
the% Magpies% play% six% matches% over% four%
months% on% the% conRnent,% before% finally%
crashing%in%Rome.%And%it%had%started%so%well.%%
At% the% back% end% of% September% 1999% the%
Magpies% faced% a% doubleHheader% with%
Bulgarian% side,% CSKA% Sofia.% Away% in% the% first%
leg,%the%Re%was%all%but%wrapped%up%a"er%the%
diminuRve% duo% of% Nolberto% Solano% and%
Temuri%Ketsbaia,%scored%the%goals%that%would%
seal%a%2H0%win%and%set%up%what%actually%ended%
up% being% a% nervy% second% leg% at% St.% James’%
Park.%Sofia%struck%twice%in%that%
return%leg%with%goals%by%Litera%
and% Simeonov% but% goals% from%
United’s%strike%duo%of%Shearer%
and% Paul% Robinson,% earned% a%
hard%fought%2H2%draw%and%put%
the% seal% on% a% 4H2% aggregate%
victory.%%

18

The%Second%Round%Re%was%comfortable%and%very%
much%as%the%scoreHline%suggested%as%Swiss%ouait,%
FC%Zurich,%were%taken%care%of%first%on%their%own%
patch,%and%again%at%home%on%the%banks%
of% the% Tyne;% Silvio% Maric% necng% in%
both% legs.% In% Zurich% Maric% was% joined%
on% the% scoreHsheet% % by% Shearer% as%
United% claimed% a% 2H1% win% then,% back%
home,% and% with% Maric% necng% again,%
the% other% strikes% came% from% big%
Duncan% Ferguson,% and% the% legend% that% is% Gary%
Speed%(Rest%in%Peace).%That%was%in%a%3H1%victory%
as%United%cruised%in%the%Third%Round%on%the%back%
of%a%5H2%aggregate%win.%%
The% Magpies% went% into% this% seasons’% European%
campaign% under% the% guidance% of% Sir% Bobby%
Robson% (Rest% in% Peace),% but% the% Third% Round%
seemed% to% be% one% step% too% far% this% season.%
Maybe%if%United%had%drawn%a%‘lesser%side,’%then%
progression%may%have%arrived.%However,%a%plum%
Re% was% to% be% afforded% the% Black% and% Whites’%
with% Italian% giants,% AS% Roma,% placed% in% front% of%
them.%%
United%though%stayed%strong%and,%although%they%
would% never% score% against% their% Italian%
counterparts%over%the%two%legs,%they%were%felled%
by% just% the% one% goal,% star% of% the% Gialarossi,)
Francesco%Toc%scoring%in%the%stadio%Olimpico%to%
earn%a%1H0%win.%The%second%leg%finished%goalless%
between% the% two% sides% and% United% we