Toon makes history with victory parade

A sea of black and white flooded Newcastle on Saturday (March 29) as hundreds of thousands of fans celebrated their team’s triumph in the Carabao Cup.

Newcastle United finally ended their trophy drought earlier this month, defeating Liverpool 2-1 in the final to end a 70-year wait for domestic silverware.

And in incredible scenes, an estimated 300,000 fans came to celebrate with the team as it travelled on two open-top buses from St James’ Park to the Town Moor, with people hanging from lampposts, trees and even out of buildings to get a glimpse of their heroes.

On board the bus, manager Eddie Howe, who was recently awarded the Freedom of Newcastle, told Geordie duo Ant & Dec, who hosted the celebration, that the turnout was “absolutely mind-blowing”.

Howe said: “Unbelievable. I didn't know what to expect today.

“It's incredible, I hoped a few people would turn up but this is something else, you’ve got people hanging from lampposts, out of buildings. 

“I hope everyone's alright and stays healthy.

“I can't thank everyone enough, from Newcastle, the way they've embraced me and my family and I'm glad to have given them some joy.”

Howe, who has been in charge of Newcastle since 2021 and was greeted by a gigantic flag of himself that was unveiled from the top of the Sandman Hotel by fan group Wor Flags, added: “It's very emotional when people take to you. 

“You never know when you go to a new club if people will understand your character. 

“I am who I am and people have been absolutely brilliant.

“I can't thank everyone enough at Newcastle, the way they've embraced me and my family. 

“I’m just glad to have given them some joy.”

After reaching the Town Moor, the players were met by 150,000 fans who had already gathered to see the team lift the trophy once more.

And after local legend and Newcastle record goalscorer Alan Shearer took the stage, the team emerged to deafening cheers, with captain Bruno Guimaraes stealing the show (and the mic!) as he belted out some of the fans’ favourite chants.

To close the night, Newcastle’s front-of-shirt sponsor Sela delivered a dazzling five-minute drone display, illuminating the sky with animations of Dan Burn and Alexander Isak’s cup-winning goals, bringing the celebrations to a dramatic close.

Since partnering with Newcastle United in 2023, Sela has played a major role in amplifying fan experiences, from projecting players onto London’s Millbank Tower ahead of the final to providing free scarves to all 32,000 Newcastle supporters at Wembley.

Ibrahim Mohtaseb, Sela’s chief international business officer, added: “The wait for a trophy is finally over for Newcastle United and, at Sela, we wanted to celebrate the moment with fans in a truly spectacular way.

“The drone show captured and recreated some of the key moments from the final and, as the club’s principal sponsor, we wanted to contribute to the party in a unique way, capturing in the sky what was an incredible moment in the club’s history on the Wembley turf.”

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