Newcastle United was founded on 9 December 1892 through the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, two existing Tyneside clubs. The new club inherited East End's St James' Park as its home, where it has played continuously for over 130 years. The black-and-white striped shirts — earning the nickname "the Magpies" — and the Geordie identity of the city's working-class supporters define Newcastle's character. Capacity at St James' Park is 52,305.
Newcastle's golden era spanned the early 20th century, with four First Division titles in 1904-05, 1906-07, 1908-09 and 1926-27. Six FA Cups followed across decades (most recently 1954-55), making Newcastle one of England's most decorated traditional clubs. The 1969 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup brought a European trophy. The 1990s "Entertainers" era under Kevin Keegan — featuring Alan Shearer (the all-time top scorer at 206 goals after his 1996 transfer from Blackburn), Peter Beardsley, David Ginola and Les Ferdinand — came agonisingly close to the 1995-96 Premier League title before Manchester United's late surge.
The 2021 takeover by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, the Reuben Brothers and PCP Capital Partners ended Mike Ashley's controversial 14-year ownership and ushered in unprecedented investment. Eddie Howe's tenure has driven a remarkable transformation: a fourth-place Premier League finish in 2022-23, the historic 2024-25 EFL Cup victory (Newcastle's first major trophy in 70 years and first League Cup ever), and re-establishment as a UEFA-competition fixture. Stars including Alexander Isak, Bruno Guimarães, Sandro Tonali, Anthony Gordon and Sven Botman have driven the rise. The Tyne-Wear Derby against Sunderland is one of England's most fervent local rivalries, despite the two clubs rarely meeting in recent decades.