You might be able to do it at Wembley but a wet and windy autumn St James’ Park… | OneFootball

My League Cup adventure with Newcastle United kicked off on 31 August 1977.

It helped prepare me for what was to come.

That first ever League Cup match I attended, saw a 2-0 home defeat at St James’ Park to Millwall who were a division below Newcastle United (though not for long…).

Newcastle United knocked out at their first League Cup hurdle that season, losing in the second round at home.

That kicked off a seven season run where every time Newcastle United lost in the League Cup second round.

Indeed, my first 17 League Cup seasons going to the matches saw United never get past the third round.

Two years after that August 1977 defeat to Millwall, the competition organisers added a special twist, the second round matches would be a two-legged affair. This was simply twice the misery. The first year this was in play, Newcastle United were drawn against Sunderland. United came back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 on Wearside, then were leading 2-1 at St James’ Park only to concede in the final seconds AND then lose the penalty shoot out.

My title for this article is a little misleading (‘You might be able to do it at Wembley but a wet and windy autumn St James’ Park…’), certainly in those early years of mine supporting NUFC in the League Cup. As it was a summer tournament where we were concerned, starting AND finishing in the League Cup in August.

Newcastle United then did end up  seeing themselves still in the League Cup later in the calendar year, though only because for some reason they changed the scheduling of matches and the second round of the League Cup was moved to be played in September, then later it was moved further again to be played in October!

Things have come a full circle now with the scheduling seeing the League Cup (Carabao Cup) playing the second round in August once more, plus the idea of having a two-legged League Cup second round in today’s packed football calendar, is simply not happening.

For the second time in three years, Newcastle United not even having to bother with the League Cup second round, clubs in Europe these days don’t have to worry about such things.

As it happens, tonight’s third round Carabao Cup (League Cup) won’t be at a wet and windy St James’ Park in autumn, instead it is a forecast dry and sunny (until it gets dark) 11 degrees later on today in Newcastle Upon Tyne.

However, it is still autumn and it is still a case that what happens at St James’ Park on 24 September 2025, has absolute relevance to the chances of a repeat performance at Wembley for Newcastle United in March 2026.

It is almost exactly a year since Newcastle United defeated AFC Wimbledon 1-0 on 1 October 2024 in the Carabao Cup third round, a Fabian Schar penalty. The 16 March 2025 Wembley win over Liverpool would never have happened without that third round win over the Wombles.

Win against Bradford tonight and we are already only then two further wins before a two-legged semi-final to try and return to Wembley.

I can laugh now that my entire Newcastle United League Cup experience in my late teens, through my twenties and into my early thirties, was all spent with never ever seeing the fourth round!

For those of us who lived through that and period indeed sone out there with almost an entire 60+ years of the League Cup without much real joy, to now see Eddie Howe give us a visit to Wembley in 2023, last gasp robbed of a semi-final place in 2023/24 season, then winning the bloody thing in 2025.

Well, let’s just say that we deserve it!

After six decades of almost entire misery, why not think that another trip to Wembley shouldn’t be ours?

However, as I say, first steps first and let us ensure no slip up against Bradford City, who will be well up for this tonight.