Bobby Robson is already travelling back in his dreams to his teenage years on Tyneside when Newcastle United won the FA Cup three times in five years in the 1950s. It is still early days in the manager's reign, but the sheer joy generated by their victory over Tottenham Hotspur in this game last night will persuade many that they are becoming a force to be reckoned with.
When Alan Shearer scored the fifth from the penalty spot seven minutes from time a wonderful night seemed to have climaxed. But there was better to come when Shearer scored again, heading in from Temuri Ketsbaia's cross.
The pre-match punditry had highlighted a personality clash between Shearer and his former Newcastle team-mate David Ginola, who is now routinely booed in the north-east.
Goals have been scarce of late for Duncan Ferguson, Kevin Gallacher and Shearer, but it took only five minutes for Newcastle to take the lead. Ferguson soared to win the header from Warren Barton's right-wing cross, and the ball fell to Gary Speed to convert a simple enough chance.
Ginola had been idolised in Kevin Keegan's Newcastle, but among his sins was his suggestion that Shearer was living on past reputation. But there was an effervescence and spirit about Newcastle last night rarely seen since the days of Keegan. Shearer had an opportunity but headed wide, before Nolberto Solano's floated corner in the 28th minute found Nikos Dabizas who planted a far-post header firmly past Ian Walker.
Ginola, by now being habitually derided as "a big French tart", struggled to prompt the visitors into life. But 10 minutes before half-time St James's Park was reduced to aggrieved silence. For Tottenham to pull a goal back courtesy of a deflection off Aaron Hughes was galling enough: for it to be Ginola's shot after he had cut in from the right removed the wind from their cheeks.
No matter, they were soon cheering again. With half-time looming Newcastle added a third, Walker failing to hold Barton's cross from the right and Ferguson waiting on hand to punish the error.
Walker's visits to the northeast have not been happy. Kicked in the face by Hamilton Ricard at Middlesbrough at the weekend, he was not about to worry unduly about a further loss of face last night. But he had now conceded three goals in 45 minutes and there were more to follow.
Tottenham's lack of midfield movement, where Tim Sherwood looked particularly leaden, left their manager George Graham an exasperated figure on the touchline, and the introduction of Kieron Dyer midway through the second half gave the visitors further impetus.
Tottenham cleared from underneath their own crossbar after Dyer's cross from the byline had promised to set up Shearer, and then Dyer scored a fourth himself - sidefooting home from Shearer's pass.
To complete Ginola's unhappy night, he learned of his withdrawal when the substitution board was shoved in his face from a foot away to hoots of derision.
Newcastle: Harper, Barton, Cristovao (Marcelino 45), Dabizas, Hughes, Solano, Lee, Speed, Gallacher (Dyer 65), Shearer, Ferguson (Ketsbaia 77). Subs Not Used: Given, Glass. Booked: Lee, Ferguson. Goals: Speed 5, Dabizas 27, Ferguson 45, Dyer 73, Shearer 83 pen, 85.
Tottenham: Walker, Young (Fox 22), Vega, Campbell, Perry, Taricco, Sherwood, Clemence, Nielsen, Ginola (Dominguez 74), Iversen, Fox (Armstrong 71). Subs Not Used: Baardsen, Gower. Booked: Clemence, Vega. Goals: Ginola 34. Attendance: 35,415.
Referee: G Poll (Tring)
