Celebrations Galore as Ant and Dec Lead Newcastle’s Historic Trophy Parade
Newcastle United has marked the end of a 70-year wait for silverware in truly spectacular fashion, with a jubilant bus parade that brought Geordie icons Ant and Dec to the forefront of the celebrations. The streets of Newcastle were alive with excitement as fans gathered to honor their heroes following the club’s triumphant victory in the Carabao Cup.
Ant and Dec, beloved TV personalities, took center stage as they presented live from the open-top bus, surrounded by ecstatic Newcastle players and a sea of fans. The Toon Army flooded the city streets, with thousands coming together to celebrate the team’s remarkable achievement.
It was a historic moment for the club, as Eddie Howe’s squad clinched their first major trophy since 1955 by defeating Liverpool 2-1 at Wembley. Goals from Dan Burn and Alexander Isak sealed the victory, bringing an end to a long trophy drought for the Magpies.
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Fans celebrated not just in Newcastle but also in London in the hours following the monumental match. A massive bus parade took place on Saturday afternoon, allowing supporters to revel in the joy of victory together. Ant and Dec, visibly emotional as they witnessed the fervent celebrations, made their way to the parade, excitedly joining the players on two open-top buses.
In a moment of pure joy, Ant exclaimed, “Look at that! This is absolute brilliant chaos. We’ve got flares at the back of the bus, lads and lasses!” He turned to his co-host Dec, playfully questioning, “Big question is though, are we going to cry like we did at Wembley?” To which they responded in unison, “Probably!”
Before the parade kicked off, a massive banner honoring manager Eddie Howe was unveiled outside St James’ Park, hanging from a nearby building. The atmosphere was electric as fans let off flares and waved oversized flags, chanting “Shearer, Shearer!” in tribute to their footballing legends. As anticipation built, supporters were treated to a full match replay of the final before the buses set off on their celebratory route.
Once the parade commenced, players took to the stage to address the adoring crowd at the end of the one-mile route. Ant and Dec took turns interviewing the visibly moved Newcastle players, who expressed their gratitude for the overwhelming support. Jacob Murphy, brimming with excitement, gasped, “It’s unbelievable. Oh my God! There are not too many words to describe this. It’s amazing!”
Manager Eddie Howe expressed his awe at the turnout, stating, “Wow. This is just incredible. I feel like a competition winner! There’s people hanging from lamp posts and standing on bus stops. But we knew the people of Newcastle would come out and support us. Thanks to you both [Ant and Dec] for being a part of it, too.”
Ant chimed in, echoing Howe’s sentiment, “I feel like a competition winner!” Reflecting on the club’s long wait for a trophy, Howe added, “Part of your brain hopes that one day you might win something, but at the time we were in a relegation battle. This is beyond what we thought we could do. There is no other city like this one for football.”
The exuberance continued as players danced and celebrated with the Carabao Cup, and one enthusiastic fan even climbed Alan Shearer’s statue to fire off a flare, embodying the spirit of the day. Huge flags were unveiled along the parade route, further adding to the festive atmosphere.
