KARL WHITEHOUSE LOOKS AT THE HISTORY OF WOLVES V NEWCASTLE
FIRST MEETINGS
- The two clubs first met on 3rd September 1898 at St James’ Park in Division One. There were 20,000 fans present, and Wolves won 4-2.
- In their inaugural FA Cup encounter on 25th April 1908 at Crystal Palace, Wolves triumphed 3-1 in front of 74,967 supporters. The manager at the time was Jack Addenbrooke.
- The only League Cup clash between Wolves and Newcastle took place on 20th September 2016 at St James’ Park. With 34,735 fans in attendance, Wolves suffered a 2-0 defeat.
MATCH OF THE DAY
The matches played on the same date as the upcoming fixture between the two sides took place on January 13th, 1934, when Wolves won 1-0, and on January 13th, 1960, when Wolves triumphed 4-2.
OTHER GAMES
Wolves and Newcastle faced off in two matches. The first was a pre-season friendly at Molineux on the 3rd of August 2002, which ended in a 2-0 defeat for Wolves, with LuaLua scoring both goals for Newcastle.
The teams also met in the Premier League Asia Trophy on the 17th of July 2019 at Nanjing Olympic Sports Centre Stadium. Wolves triumphed with a 4-0 victory, thanks to goals from Jota (2), Gibbs White, and an Allan own goal. The tournament also included West Ham and Man City, with Wolves eventually winning the championship in a 3-2 penalty shootout after a goalless draw against Man City in regular time.
most recent meeting
The most recent game that Wolves played against Newcastle in the Premier League was at Molineux on the 15th September 2024 the game finished 2-1 to Newcastle United the scorers for Wolves were Mario Lemina and Newcastle United scorers were Fabian Schar & Harvey Barnes.
Their most recent FA Cup encounter was a 3rd Round clash at Molineux on the 5th of March 2003. Wolves emerged victorious with a 3-2 scoreline. Ince, Kennedy, and Ndah scored for Wolves, while Jenas and Shearer found the net for Newcastle. The game was attended by 27,316 fans.
The Wolves lineup against Newcastle included Murray, Irwin, Butler, Lescott, Naylor, Cameron, Ince, Kennedy, Newton, Miller, and Ndah. The substitutes were Clyde, Cooper, Oakes, Rae, and Andrews.
LAST 6
8th April 2022 Newcastle United 1 Wolves 0 at St James’ Park
28th August 2022 Wolves 1 Newcastle United 1 at Molineux
12th March 2023 Newcastle United 2 Wolves 1 at St James’ Park
28th October 2023 Wolves 2 Newcastle United 2 at Molineux
2nd March 2024 Newcastle United 3 Wolves 0 at St James’ Park
15th September 2024 Wolves 1 Newcastle United 2 at Molineux
Do you remember this first Premier League away meeting?
Newcastle United 1 Wolves 1 9th May 2004
Wolves dealt a blow to Newcastle’s Champions League hopes with a hard-fought 1-1 draw at St. James’ Park. Lee Bowyer gave Newcastle the lead in the first half, latching onto Shola Ameobi’s cross to score his first goal for the club. However, Wolves capitalized on a defensive error from Titus Bramble in the second half, with Vio Ganea smashing home the equalizer.
The game had key moments on both ends. Alan Shearer hit the post and later saw his penalty saved by Wolves’ goalkeeper Paul Jones, denying Newcastle a late winner. Despite Newcastle’s dominance in possession, Wolves showed resilience, with their late push for an equalizer paying off. The result offered perseverance for Wolves while hindering Newcastle’s aspirations in the top four race.
Newcastle United Team: Given, Hughes, Caldwell, Bramble, Bernard, Ambrose, Bowyer, Speed, Robert, Shearer, Ameobi.
Substitutes: Chopra, Viana, Harper, Griffin, Bridges.
Goal: Bowyer (38).
Manager: Sir Bobby Robson
Wolves Team: Jones, Irwin, Okoronkwo, Butler, Naylor, Newton, Ince, Cameron, Kennedy, Camara, Cort.
Substitutes: Rae, Ganea, Gudjonsson
Goal: Ganea (69).
Manager: Dave Jones
Attendance: 52,139
biggest wins
- Wolves’ most significant victory against Newcastle came with a 5-0 triumph in Division 1 on 23rd November 1968 at Molineux, witnessed by 25,425 fans. This scoreline was repeated on 10th April 1976 at Molineux in front of 20,083 fans.
- In Division 2, Wolves secured their biggest win against Newcastle with a 6-2 victory on 31st March 1992 in front of 14,480 fans.
- Moving to the Premier League, Wolves achieved a notable 2-1 win against Newcastle at St James’ Park on 9th December 2018, with goals from Perez for Newcastle and Jota and Doherty for Wolves. This scoreline repeated on 2nd October 2021 at Molineux, with a crowd of 30,483 fans. The scorers that day were Hwang with a brace for Wolves and Hendrick for Newcastle.
- In the FA Cup, on 13th January 1960, a memorable match unfolded at Molineux after a 2-2 draw at St James’ Park in front of 62,443 fans. The 3rd Round Replay at Molineux ended with a 4-2 victory for Wolves in front of 39,082 fans.
Game famous for Wolves fans flying up to game.
Newcastle United 1 Wolves 4 1st January 1990
On New Year’s Day in 1990, Wolves fans pulled off one of the most ambitious traveling feats in English football history—chartering flights to attend their team’s fixture at Newcastle United. Known as “Airwolf,” this operation became an unforgettable moment for the club’s supporters. With Wolves riding high after back-to-back promotions, their fans were determined to avoid the five-hour post-New Year’s Eve drive to Tyneside. Instead, thanks to a group of forward-thinking individuals like Albert Bates, who coordinated through his industry connections, nearly 1,000 supporters were airlifted to the game.
Initially, the plan was just a lofty idea, but as word spread, interest grew, and logistics fell into place. What began as a small effort from a handful of businessmen grew into a large-scale operation, overcoming financial and logistical challenges to unite supporters. It was more than just a convenient trip—this extraordinary journey also embodied the revitalized spirit of Wolves fans, who had endured years of difficulty under previous ownership. The 4-1 win Wolves secured that day over Newcastle made the ambitious airlift all the more legendary, cementing its place in club folklore.
Newcastle United Team: Burridge, Anderson, Stimson, Aitken, Scott, Dillon, Fereday, Brock, Quinn, McGhee, O’Brien.
Substitutes: Gallacher, Sweeney.
Scorer: Brock (75).
Manager: Jim Smith
Wolves Team: Kendall, Bennett, Venus, Bellamy, Downing, Streete, Paskin, Cook, Bull, Mutch, Dennison.
Substitute: Jones, McLoughlin.
Scorer: Bull (50,56,59,76).
Manager: Graham Turner
Attendance: 22,054
biggest DEFEAT
- The most significant loss for Wolves against Newcastle happened in Division 1 on the 11th of November 1905 at St James’ Park. With 15,000 fans in attendance, Newcastle won 8-0.
- In the Premier League, the biggest defeat occurred at St James’ Park on the 2nd of April 2011, witnessed by 49,939 fans. The final score was a 4-1 victory for Newcastle, with goals scored by Nolan, Ameobi, Løvenkrands, and Gutierrez. Wolves’ lone scorer was Ebanks-Blake.
HEAD TO HEAD STATS
Five of the last twelve meetings in the Premier League had now ended in a 1-1 draw.
playing for both teams
David Kelly
Played for Newcastle 1991-1993 made 70 appearances and scored 35 goals he also played for Wolves 1993-1995 made 83 appearances and scored 26 goals.
mike Williamson
Played for Newcastle 2010-2016 made 150 appearances and scored 1 goal and also played for Wolves 2015-2017 including 5 games on a loan spell made 10 appearances in total and scored 0 goals.
Temuri Ketsbaia
Played for Newcastle 1997-2000 made 78 appearances and scored 8 goals and also played for Wolves 2000-2001 made 24 appearances and scored 3 goals.
John burridge
Played for Wolves 1982-1984 made 74 appearances and also played for Newcastle 1989-1991 and 1991-1993 made 67 Appearances.
Darren Peacock
Played for Newcastle 1994-1998 made 133 appearances and scored 2 goals and also played for Wolves 2000 and made 4 appearances in a loan spell.
Carl Cort
Played for Newcastle 2000-2004 made 22 appearances and scored 7 goals and also played for Wolves 2004-2007 and made 94 appearances and scored 31 goals.
Billy Rafferty
Played for Wolves 1978-1979 made 44 appearances and scored 6 goals and also played for Newcastle 1979-1980 and made 39; appearances and scored 6 goals.
Sebastian Bassong
Played for Newcastle 2008-2009 made 30 appearances and scored 0 goals and also played for Wolves 2012 and this was a loan spell and made 9 appearances and scored 0 goals.
Marlon Harewood
Played for Wolves 2009 in a loan spell and made 5 appearances and scored 0 goals and also played for Newcastle United in a loan spell and made 15 appearances and scored 5 goals.
Peter Withe
Played for Wolves 1973-1975 made 17 appearances scored 3 goals and also played for Newcastle United 1978-1980 made 76 appearances scored 25 goals.
Other players who played for both clubs.
Dave Beasant, Joe Blackett, Tony Dinning, Joe Harvey, Tom Phillipson, Ken Wimshurst.
PLAYED, MANAGED, COACHED
Bill McGarry was manager of Wolves 1968-1976 and 1985 and also, he managed Newcastle United 1977-1980.
George Jobey Played for Newcastle 1906-1913 and also managed Wolves 1922-1924.
Mark McGhee Played for Newcastle 1977-1979 made 28 appearances scored 5 goals and also managed Wolves 1995-1998.
Scott Sellars Played for Newcastle 1993-1995 made 75 appearances scored 8 goals and Managed Wolves Under 23 side 2014-2018 also was appointed by Wolves to be head of Academy in 2019 and was recently axed by Wolves as a technical director in November 2022.
article by Karl whitehouse
I have been a Wolves fan for over 30 years.
I have supported them both home and away games in the 80’s, 90’s and 00’s and now like looking into wolves games the stats behind the games they play in the premier league and also look other stats if asked by someone else in the podcast. I have also done the 92 football league grounds and shortly be doing a ebook about peoples favourite match they went to along with a match report and if possible stats from game