Unexpected Alliance: Newcastle Fans Find Warm Welcome in Bilbao Despite Defeat
Bilbao, Spain – A football match in 1994 sparked an unlikely and enduring bond between fans of Newcastle United and Athletic Club, transforming a potential flashpoint into a night of shared camaraderie and mutual respect. The UEFA cup tie, Newcastle’s first European campaign since 1977 and their first following the lifting of the ban on English clubs playing in Europe after the 1990 Heysel Stadium disaster, unfolded not as a clash of rivals, but as a festivity of football and cultural exchange.
The match,played on a national holiday in Spain,saw Athletic Club defeat Newcastle 1-0. However,the result faded into the background as Athletic fans,and even the police initially deployed for crowd control,embraced the travelling Newcastle supporters. This remarkable display of sportsmanship has remained a cherished memory for those who were there, a testament to the power of football to transcend rivalry.
Despite a noticeable police presence, supporter Karl Pedley recalled being escorted into San Mames stadium by “full riot police, some of whom were armed.” Yet,Pedley observed a shift in atmosphere early in the game,noting how “a number of them had sat down wiht their helmets and pads off,and were enjoying what we were doing.” The initial tension dissolved, even after the final whistle.
Following the match, Athletic fans invaded the pitch, not to confront, but to applaud the Newcastle supporters. Newcastle fans responded with chants of “Athletic! Athletic! Athletic!” The scene outside the stadium was equally remarkable. Pedley described being led down a staircase “into this mass of red and white.”
“They brought us down in single file and let us go. We thought ‘oh, here we go.’ But all the Athletic fans wanted to do was shake your hand, pat you on the back and take you to a bar. It was as if they were like ’adopt a Geordie’,” Pedley said. He added, “I don’t think there was anyone in a Newcastle United shirt who didn’t get fed and watered that night. They were just really appreciative that we were enjoying their city.”
The evening continued with a lively exchange of songs, as Newcastle fans shared chants like “walking in a Keegan wonderland” and “he gets the ball and scores a goal, Andy, Andy Cole” with their Athletic counterparts. A unique spectacle unfolded as Newcastle supporters,traditionally clad in black and white,were seen sporting the red and white colours of Athletic Club – and,unusually,the colours of their rivals,Sunderland – through shirt and scarf swaps.
For Newcastle fan Philip Long, one athletic Club shirt remains a especially treasured memento. “It’s still in the wardrobe with a couple hundred of my Newcastle tops,” he said. ”I’ll never let go of it.” The 1994 encounter serves as a lasting example of football’s ability to foster unexpected connections and create memories that endure for decades.
