Peter Beardsley is one of the all time greats. As skillful a player as we've ever had and with the most fantastic work ethic, personality and nature. I was 17 in 1999 and, along with my Dad and a school friend, we went to cheer him on at his testimonial against Celtic.
As we waited in the frosty January air for the game to start, I got out my program. I flipped it open and was deep into an interview with PB. After a few minutes my Dad said something and gave me a big nudge on the shoulder. I looked up only to be smashed square in the face by a speeding football. My glasses tumbled and crashed. As I put them back on I could see Henrik Larsson turning away with a smile. The Celtic great had sent a rare shot astray during the warm up, something confirmed by my friend. I wasn't injured but paid good attention after that...
Shearer, Keegan, Gazza and Dalglish all made appearances. Peter even got a goal from the penalty spot and the end - albeit in a retake after the referee (kindly) ordered one after a miss. We lost 3-1 but were able to give the great man the send off he deserved from the club.
Andy Wilton
Newcastle United Foundation have a heritage project for fans of all ages called Toon Times.
Toon Times will culminate with a major Newcastle United exhibition at the Discovery Museum, Newcastle, although in the lead up to this event Toon Times wishes to reach out to all Newcastle United fans across the North East and further afield to get involved and share their memories, experiences, photos and memorabilia what people have collected over the years.
We are supporting the project by helping to collect NUFC memories online - fans can share their memories on the Replay Football website, simply select the Toon Times tag when submitting yours.
For more info contact the Toon Times Heritage Project Coordinator, Newcastle United Foundation, gavin.ferry@nufc.co.uk
Memory added on February 5, 2014
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