Black and white scarves twirled beneath the Wembley arch on 2 March as Dan Burn’s bullet header secured a 1 to 0 triumph over West Ham and ended Newcastle’s seven decade wait for a domestic cup. The local lad from Blyth thundered home Kieran Trippier’s corner just after the hour, sparking wild celebration among the 33 000 travelling supporters. Eddie Howe’s game plan shone throughout. Newcastle pressed in coordinated waves, with Anthony Gordon hounding Emerson Royal on the flank and Sean Longstaff doubling up in midfield to neutralise Lucas Paquetá. By half time West Ham had registered a single shot on target, while Nick Pope’s gloves remained almost spotless. The turning point arrived on 62 minutes. Trippier, who spent months perfecting set piece routines at Darsley Park, delivered a flat corner to the near post. Burn rose above Kurt Zouma and crashed his header into the roof of the net. Tears streamed from the defender’s eyes as he sprinted toward the Newcastle faithful. West Ham threw bodies forward, yet Sven Botman cleared two late corners and substitute Lewis Hall made a goal line block in stoppage time. The final whistle unleashed decades of pent-up emotion. Players paraded the trophy while fans serenaded club legend Sir Bobby Robson in song. Chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan hailed the win as a foundation. Prize money of nearly eight million pounds pales beside the symbolic weight of tangible proof that the current project is bearing fruit. Eddie Howe called it the first brick in a new castle, promising that nights like this will become a habit rather than a flash of nostalgia.
