EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY: NEWCASTLE UNITED 1976

📸 Season 1975-76 League Cup Final

📆 February 28th 1976

🏟 Wembley Stadium, London

The 1976 League Cup has just been won. City are on their lap of honour, receiving gracious applause from the Newcastle supporters and a rapturous reception form Blues fans at the Tunnel End. It is City's third League Cup final of the 70s (winning in 1970 v West Brom and losing in 1974 v Wolves) and their first trophy since the Cup Winners' Cup and League Cup double of 1970.

Unused sub Kenny Clements (1), resplendent in Adidas hoodie (despite the fact City have never worn Adidas in their entire history) parades with his triumphant team mates. Clements, a boyhood United fan who had been on the groundstaff at Maine Road, had made his debut in August of this season in an away defeat at Villa Park. Starting life in the Central League as a central defender, he was switched to right back for a reserve game, ironically against Newcastle, and ended up staying there. He was edged out of playing in the final in his customary full back slot by Ged Keegan (4), a name to conjure with for both sets of fans in this fixture. Keegan had played excellently in the semi final second leg thrashing of Middlesbrough that saw City through to Wembley and kept his place for the final. His namesake Kevin would later play for Newcastle and manage both clubs through some of the most attractive football of their modern times. 

Lifting the trophy aloft is big Dave Watson (2), a magnificent centre half, particularly dominant in the air. Watson, bought from Newcastle's rivals Sunderland for £275,000 would go on to be one of the finest stoppers of City's modern history and a mainstay for England for many years. Alongside him, matchwinner Dennis Tueart (3) had also been bought from Sunderland, both players featuring in the second division side's heroic FA Cup final defeat of overwhelming favourites Leeds in 1973. Tueart, dubbed "King of All Geordies", a Newcastle fan, had just knocked the stuffing out of his boyhood team with an overhead kick in the 46th minute that would go down in the annals of great Wembley winners. Both Tueart and Watson would rival some of City's modern day heroes for a place in the Best Ever City Eleven.