The poignancy ahead of the match was palpable, a magnificent flag unfurled bearing the image of Sir Bobby Robson, who would have celebrated his 90th birthday on the day of this fixture.
Lady Elsie and her sons Andrew, Paul and Mark were special guests of the club and the Robson family laid flowers at the great man's statue outside St James' Park.
Sir Bobby would have loved Christian Atsu had he worked with him, would have loved his enthusiasm, would have loved his smile, would have loved how the Ghanaian cared about others they both cared about those less fortunate than themselves.
And like so many, he would have been devastated by the tragedy that has struck Turkey and Syria and has claimed, among its 45,000 victims, the life of Atsu at just 31 years of age.
Atsu spent five years on Tyneside and there were supporters outside the stadium wearing his jersey to the match.
It was an emotional build-up to a fixture that always stirs the emotions.
And Sir Bobby and Atsu would have been proud of how the home support stuck magnificently to their task despite a result that ranks as something of a scar on a very good season.
Whatever could go wrong for Newcastle in the opening quarter of the match did.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة February 19, 2023 من The Sunday Mirror.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة February 19, 2023 من The Sunday Mirror.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
THIS SHOWS PEP HE NEEDS A LOT MORE UP FRONT IN LONG HAAL...
MANCHESTER CITY'S backline will receive the flak but their forwards are worthy of the blame.
MADCLAREN
Lando will come back stronger, but my old team will be kicking themselves ...they could have won it this year
It's a prison camp
Calm gardens, privacy pods and different way to do bird
Nicola: I love WAG drama
Hopes for Coleen on I'm A Celeb
TWO MORE WOMEN SET TO SUE GLITTER
Pop paedo 'depressed\" as legal claims mount
Olympic dispirit
Fortnums shubs Paralympians at party for Team GB's success
CHEAP THRILLS
Forming orderly queue is better than sex, says poll
Ruth lawyers build timeline on Eamonn's new romance
'Forensic' study for divorce talks
We'd be a perfect match if you were still Frank
TRANSGENDER Kellie Maloney ended a potential romance when the friend said they would be a perfect match... if she was still Frank.
EU vows to back Kyiv as Trump fears surge
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell promised Ukraine ongoing support yesterday on a visit to Kyiv, as Russia launched 50 drone attacks.