Newcastle United's Golden Era

The 11 seasons from 1900 marked a golden age for Newcastle United.
Let's take a look at their league positions and FA Cup performance:

season	League	FA Cup
1900–01	6th	R1
1901–02	3rd	R3
1902–03	14th	R1
1903–04	4th	R1
1904–05	Champions	Runners-up
1905–06	4th	Runners-up
1906–07	Champions	R1
1907–08	4th	Runners-up
1908–09	Champions	Semi-final
1909–10	4th	Winners
1910–11	8th	Runners-up

In the League a 7 season spell in which they were never lower than 4th, winning 3 titles.
A 7 year period in which they reached 5 FA Cup Finals , but won only 1. Four major honours- it could have been 8, but for The FA Cup Final hoodoo.

Here are the FA Cup Final teams:

	1904–05	1905–06	1907–08	1909–10	1909–10 (r)	1910-11	1910-11 (r)
G	Jimmy Lawrence
FB	Andy McCombie		Billy McCracken
FB	Jack Carr		Dick Pudan	Tony Whitson	Jack Carr	Tony Whitson
HB	Alex Gardner			Colin Veitch (c)
HB	Andy Aitken		Colin Veitch (c)	Wilf Low
HB	Peter McWilliam					David Willis
F	Jock Rutherford
F	James Howie					George Jobey
F	Bill Appleyard	Colin Veitch (c)	Bill Appleyard	Albert Shepherd		Jimmy Stewart
F	Colin Veitch (c)	Ron Orr	Finlay Speedie	Sandy Higgins
F	Bert Gosnel		George Wilson
Mr.	Frank Watt					committee

The journalist Jimmy Catton claimed to have seen Andy Aitken penning an acceptance speech on the eve of the 1905 Final.

Catton also offered the explanation that rather than simply being serial chokers, Newcastle were hampered by the lush surface at Crystal Palace, more so than other teams because they were particularly reliant on pinging short fast passes and also because the St James' Park pitch was virtually grassless by comparison. The players themselves were notably superstitious, believing that passing a wedding on the way to the ground would guarantee a victory, whereas seeing a funeral meant defeat!