History weighs heavily as Newcastle's new heroes seek immortality

LONDON : Long-suffering Newcastle United fans flock every day to pay homage to the statues outside St James' Park stadium, which looms like a cathedral over the city centre.

The bronze of Jackie Milburn is especially cherished by those with long enough memories while younger generations are more familiar with the one depicting record goalscorer Alan Shearer in his trademark arm aloft celebration.

Another one immortalizes former manager Bobby Robson's memorable five-year reign at his boyhood club.

But it's the one of Milburn, affectionately known on Tyneside as 'Wor Jackie', which epitomises the connection the club has with the city's population and just how long ago it was that they actually had the chance to celebrate a major trophy.

Milburn, whose record total of goals Shearer surpassed in 2006, opened the scoring in the first minute of Newcastle's 3-1 victory over Manchester City in the 1955 FA Cup final.

It was the club's sixth FA Cup title and third in five years but since then the Magpies have endured decades of false dawns with the only addition to the trophy cabinet the long-defunct Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and layers of dust.

There have been some near misses and gallant failures.

Former player Kevin Keegan returned like the prodigal son and led the team to consecutive runners-up spots in the Premier League in the mid-90s - Newcastle famously blowing a 12-point lead in 1995-96 and being pipped by Manchester United.

There were consecutive tame FA Cup final defeats in 1998 and 1999 and two years ago, flushed with money after being bought by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, they lost to Manchester United in the League Cup final.

Runaway Premier League leaders and League Cup holders Liverpool represent a formidable hurdle