1894 sunderland (a)
1-4 (0-2)
Friendly 
Smith(1-2)
Goodchild(20), Hyslop(0-2,1-3), Hannah(1-4)
4,000
The third and fourth mackem goals are claimed in some reports to be "rushed through" following a scrimmage, with no actual scorer credited. Obviously cheating.

1896 Small Heath (a)
1-3 (0-3)
Division Two
P1, 0pts, 13th/16
Thompson(55) 
Leake(15), Inglis(0-2), Jones(44)
4,000 
There were debuts for Scotsmen Dick Smellie and John White at the Muntz Street ground of Small Heath aka The Heathens. Goalkeeper Charlie Watts also made his first appearance.

1899 Kaffirs (South Africa) (h)
6-3 (3-2)
Friendly 
Stevenson(1-0), og(Botloko)(2-0), Ghee(3-1), Wardrope(tbc), Niblo(tbc,tbc)
Twayi(2-1), Thocka(3-2), Martin(tbc)
6,000
The South Africans became the first foreign opposition to face United but the "dusky sons of the Orange Free State" as one reporter called them were in a poor condition after docking at Southampton following their voyage from Capetown four days earlier.

Another concluded that although "the game was full of amusement, play was out of the question" and their ball control "crude".

Following their defeat at SJP, the Kaffirs moved on to the mackems (lost 3-5) and Boro (lost 3-7) on successive nights.

1900 Middlesbrough (a)
2-1 (1-1)
Friendly 
Gardner(1-0), Laidlaw(2-1)
Robertson(1-1)
4,000
Some reports credit reserve player Hayward with the first Newcastle goal.

1903 West Bromwich Albion (a)
2-1 (2-1)
Division One
P2, 3pts, 5th/18 
Rutherford(20), Appleyard(2-1) 
Nurse(0-1)
10,352
The Magpies gained revenge for a 1-6 defeat at The Hawthorns the previous season, with goalkeeper Matt Kingsley to the fore.

1908 Leicester Fosse (h)
2-0 (0-0)
Division One
P2, 4pts, 3rd/20 
Veitch(75), Howie(76) 
32,000 
Debut for Stanley Allan.

1914 Everton (h)
0-1 (0-0)
Division One
P2, 0pts, 19th/20
Jeffries(49)
12,000

1925 Notts County (h)
6-3 (3-1)
Division One
P2, 3pts, 7th/22 
McDonald(11) og(Dinsdale)(2-0), Cowan(23,77), N.Harris(48), Mitchell(90)
Staniforth(43,5-2), Widdowson(90)
33,264 
This proved to be the only appearance of goalkeeper Allan Taylor, who subsequently played in the Football League for Spurs.

(Some reports have Cowan's first as an own goal and the final County goal completing Staniforth's hat-trick).

The day was a memorable one for United's Tom Urwin, who married a Miss Bertha Gray in Stockton in the morning before travelling up to Newcastle and appearing for the Magpies.

Mrs Urwin reportedly accompanied him and watched the match.

1927 Derby County (a)
1-1 (0-0)
Division One
P3, 5pts, 3rd/22 
Seymour(65) 
Gill(49)
20,829
The Derby Daily Telegraph correspondent poured bile into his typewriter to note that: 

"Newcastle are past masters in the art of elbowing, bumping and leaning on opponents - of playing the man rather than the ball on the blind side of the referee."

1931 Grimsby Town (a)
2-1 (0-1)
Division One
P3, 2pts, 18th/22 
Boyd(34), J.R.Richardson(90) 
og(Fairhurst)(2)
12,248 
There were Newcastle debuts for David Bell and Harry McMenemy at Blundell Park.

1936 Sheffield United (a) 1-2 (0-2)
Division Two
P3, 2pts, 16th/22 
McMenemy(76) 
Bird(6), Barclay(16)
20,236
The Magpies improved on their 1-5 defeat at Bramall Lane the previous November, but once again found the Blades too strong. 

1942 Bradford Park Avenue
0-0 (0-0)
War League
3,500

	1946 Nottingham Forest (a) 2-0 (1-0) Division Two P2, 4pts, 3rd/21  Harvey(44), Bentley(57) 32,691
1949 Blackpool (a) 0-0 (0-0) Division One P6, 5pts, 13th/22  25,000

1951 West Bromwich Albion (a) 
3-3 (3-2)
Division One
P6, 6pts, 10th/22 
G.Robledo(6), Hannah(17,30)
og(McMichael)(1), McCall(40), Lee(75)
29,311 
United salvaged a point despite Alf McMichael's own goal in the opening seconds.

1953 Bolton Wanderers (h) 2-3 (1-2)
Division One
P5, 6pts, 10th/22
Mitchell(16), Hannah(75)
Webster(33,71), Hassall(45pen)
61,321
United's unbeaten start to the season was ended by Trotters at the fifth attempt.

1953 While the first team was losing at SJP, United's reserve side were also in action against the Trotters.

Sadly the stiffs did no better, suffering a single goal defeat in a Central League game at Burnden Park. 

1956 Birmingham City (a)
1-6 (0-3)
Division One
P6, 6pts, 13th/22 
Keeble(56)
Murphy(12,37) Govan(20,75.79), Kinsey(71)
32,506
Scottish international Alex Govan continued his fine form in front of goal, having also grabbed a hat trick in his previous City outing.

1959 Preston North End (h) 1-2 (0-1)
Division One
P5, 2pts, 21st/22 
Eastham(75)
Milne(39), Finney(68)
37,683
Gordon Milne was on target at Gallowgate, some forty years before returning as the Director of Football.  

1960 West Bromwich Albion (a)
0-6 (0-3)
Division One
P6, 6pts, 10th/22 
Jackson(9,41,55), Burnside(34), Robson(61), Kevan(69)
22,548
After starting the season with five successive defeats, the Baggies hit form at the Hawthorns on a Monday night. 

Bobby Robson was among the scorers, but the Magpies gained revenge with a 3-2 win on Tyneside soon after.

1962 Derby County were the visitors to Gallowgate in a Central League fixture. 

Wearside-born Brian Wright scored both goals in a 2-1 win for the Magpies.

1964 Huddersfield Town (a) 1-0 (1-0)
Division Two
P4, 7pts, 4th/22 
McGarry(29) 
8,770
Ron McGarry's goal beat the Terriers at Leeds Road, as United's unbeaten start to the season was extended to four games.

1970 Derby County (a) 
2-1 (2-1)
Division One
P7, 7pts, 14th/22 
Dyson(5),Young(14) 
O'Hare(40)
30,466
United's Baseball ground win over the Rams included the first of only two goals scored for them by David Young. 

1972 Port Vale (a)
3-1 (2-1)
League Cup 2nd Round
Macdonald(8), Barrowclough(10), Craig(76)
Summerscales(16)
10,370
United made a first visit to Vale Park, having not faced the Valiants since 1936, when they were still based at the Old Recreation Ground in Hanley.

Centre half Bill Summerscales netted for the home side and later went on to sign for Newcastle United - in Australia.

1973 Newcastle reserves recorded a 4-2 win over Bury in the Central League at SJP, with youngster Rocky Hudson opening the scoring after just 15 seconds.

John Thomson, Colin Ayre and Paul Cannell also found the target for the home side.

1979 Sunderland (h)
2-2 (0-0)
(4-4 on aggregate,
lost 6-7 on penalties)
League Cup 2nd Round
2nd Leg
Boam(80) Shoulder(84), 
Brown(74,90)
30,533 
Future Magpie striker Alan Brown's dramatic late equaliser sent this game to extra time and ultimately a dreaded penalty shootout that the mackems won 7-6. 

Jim Pearson had the misfortune to see Barry Siddall save his effort and it was to be his final act as a Newcastle player, retiring due to injury six months later. 

United's penalty scorers were Alan Shoulder, Peter Withe, Mick Martin, Ian Davies, John Brownlie and David Barton.

1981 Queens Park Rangers (a) 0-3 (0-1)
Division Two
P2, 0pts, 22nd/22 
King(21), Roeder(63), Stainrod(75)
14,176 
A baptism of fire for debutant defender Peter Haddock, who not only had to cope with the pressures of being a first team player, but also the dreadful plastic pitch that the R's had installed at Loftus Road.

Glenn Roeder scored against his future employers for a second successive season.

1987 Wimbledon (h)
1-2 (0-2)
Division One
P5, 4pts, 18th/21 
McDonald(77pen) 
og(Thomas)(9), Cork(10)
22,734
Having debuted at Norwich City in midweek, Mirandinha was the programme cover star and in the side for his home bow.

He won a penalty converted by Neil McDonald, but by then the Dons were two up; - the first when John Fashanu's shot bounced down off the crossbar before hitting goalkeeper Martin Thomas on the back of the head and going in.

This defeat was the last time Thomas played in the league, with Gary Kelly taking over.
Youtube footage is online here

1992 Bristol Rovers (a)
2-1 (1-1)
Division One
P5, 15pts, 2nd/24 
Sheedy(12), O'Brien(73)
J.Taylor(72)
7,487
United's third and final trip to Bath's Twerton Park saw them repeat their winning score from the previous season.

Kevin Sheedy buried a free kick from six yards into the roof of the net after the Rovers 'keeper picked up a backpass, before birthday boy Liam O'Brien ended a counter attack stemming from Tommy Wright's long punt upfield by heading in. 
Youtube footage is online here

2001 The England team played a game at SJP for the first time since 1938, defeating Albania 2-0 in a World Cup qualifying tie.

51,046 fans - and Norman Wisdom - saw goals from Michael Owen (44) and Robbie Fowler (88) and paid tribute to recently-deceased TV commentator Brian Moore before kick-off.

Future Magpies Owen and Sol Campbell were in Sven's starting lineup, while old boy Andy Cole was an unused substitute.

2004 The protracted signing of Charles N'Zogbia was rubber-stamped by FIFA, after a lengthy enquiry ruled in our favour.

French side Le Havre had claimed N'Zogbia must stay with them as an apprentice for two years, under French rules.

However United successfully argued that such an arrangement was against EU laws governing freedom of trade. Le Havre later received a claimed £250K compensation.

2006 Newcastle 'keeper Tim Krul kept a clean sheet for the Dutch U19s in a friendly against England at Walsall's Bescot Stadium. The game ended in a 0-0 draw.  

2008 just 24 hours after Kevin Keegan quit Newcastle, The Times reported that he could make an instant return.

Reliance Communications, the Indian-based telecoms giant were rumoured to be seeking formal talks with the club's directors with a view to a £220 million takeover. 

Reliance owner, Anil Ambani, was said to be keen to reinstate Keegan as manager. It never happened.

2009 United U18s beat Manchester City 3-1 at Darsley Park, with goals from Brad Inman, Phil Airey and Sammy Ameobi.

2011 Betting on Alan Pardew becoming the next top-flight manager to lose his job saw the odds tumble and provoke rumours of his SJP departure.

Odds on him guiding United to a fifth-placed finish, a return to Europe and winning two manager of the year awards that season weren't available....

2014 Rolando Aarons made a goal scoring international debut for England U20s as they defeated Romania 6-0 at Telford in front of senior team coach Roy Hodgson. 

Fellow Magpies Adam Armstrong and Freddie Woodman were in the U18s that beat Holland 3-1 at Bury's Gigg Lane.

2016 Three Magpies were in action in one World Cup qualifier as Ireland drew 2-2 with hosts Serbia in Belgrade.

Daryl Murphy and Ciaran Clark came off the bench for the Irish while Aleksandar Mitrovic was subbed for the Serbs. Murphy scored within five minutes of his arrival.

2017 It was a similar scenario as Mitrovic faced Clark and fellow Magpie Rob Elliot when Serbia took on Ireland in Dublin. 

The ten-man Serbs won 1-0 with Mitro and Clark both starting and Elliot on the bench.

2019 Fabian Schar's seventh senior goal for Switzerland - and his first as a Magpie - earned point against Ireland from a European Championship Qualifier in Dublin.

In Monrovia meanwhile, United reserve Mo Sangare scored his debut international goal, netting a penalty as Liberia defeated Sierra Leone 2-1 in a World Cup Qualifier.

2020 Stoke City (h)
0-1 (0-1)
Friendly
Clucas(19)
BCD
A depleted side ended preparations for the COVID-affected season with a second defeat of the week by a Championship side, beaten by Michael O'Neill's Potters behind closed doors at SJP.
NUFC.com match report

2020 There was also a successful return to Tyneside for Steve Watson and his York City side, beating United U23s 4-1 at Little Benton in a pre-season kickabout.

Adam Wilson scored for the hosts.
NUFC.com match report

2023 The U21s were beaten 0-1 in their EFL Trophy opener against Wrexham at the Racecourse Ground.

17 year-old midfielder Travis Hernes made his Magpies debut after completing a move from Shrewsbury Town.
NUFC.com match report