Aston Villa vs Newcastle: How a May afternoon in 2009 gave birth to one of football's newest - and oddest - rivalries

To the uninitiated it looked like Aston Villa had scored a goal, or won a cup - all they had done was secure the relegation of Newcastle United

Newcastle fans couldn't get their heads around Villa's joy that day in 2009 (Getty)

Leighton Castle spread the bed sheet on his floor and began stencilling in letters. When he had finished, his friend Mike McKiernan began colouring the four words in.

It was 2009. ‘Sob on the Tyne,’ it read. Conflict starts from the most unlikely of sources.

On the afternoon of Sunday, May 24, the best part of 3,000 Newcastle fans, tucked away in a corner of the Doug Ellis Stand, squinted in the sunshine and begged more from their failing team.

Of all the things that happened during that fateful season - the resignation of Kevin Keegan, the attempted sale of the club by Mike Ashley, even the appointment of Joe Kinnear - nothing was quite as difficult to understand as the delight of the Aston Villa supporters that day.

Castle, a season ticket holder at Villa Park, had spare orange cloth from a banner he had made mocking David O’Leary when he was the Aston Villa manager.

Along with McKiernan he decided to put together another flag for the game. ‘Who’s your next Messiah? Ant or Dec?’

Castle’s season ticket at Villa Park, however, was not even in the Holte End, so he had to text his friend to unfurl the second banner, as the clock ticked towards the Championship for those in black and white, with Newcastle losing to an own goal from Damien Duff.

YouTube footage verifies the sense of excitement in that stand in the closing moments of the 2008/09 season, with Hull losing at home to Manchester United, and Newcastle needing just a goal, and therefore a point, to survive on goal difference.

Supporters in the top deck of that stand were on their feet in the closing moments - Villa’s season had effectively already finished before a ball was kicked, they could not catch fifth placed Everton and could not be caught by seventh placed Fulham - and when Chris Foy blew the final whistle there was genuine delight, arms raised, celebrating fairly vociferously.

Newcastle were relegated on the final day of the season (Getty)

To the uninitiated it looked like Aston Villa had scored a goal, or won a cup. All they had done was secure the relegation of Newcastle United. The level of glee has remained perplexing.

‘Down with the Baggies (West Brom had also been relegated)’ was the initial song of choice and then ‘sad Geordie bastards,’ rang out around Villa Park. Some were even standing on their seats.

Outside the away end the reception for those traveling from Tyneside was not much better.

Football fans have long memories.

Newcastle recovered from their relegation with immediate promotion the following season. Aston Villa, in Martin O’Neill’s final campaign, once more finished sixth and lost a League Cup final to Manchester United.

Since then it has been a struggle, 16th, 15th, 15th and 17th and then last season the walls caved in. Paul Lambert had been sacked in February 2015, Tim Sherwood, his replacement, was sacked in October, Remi Garde, the next in the hot seat was sacked in March and all the while Randy Lerner was trying to sell the club. Aston Villa had turned into the Newcastle of 2008/09 and were relegated with four games still to be played. Joleon Lescott famously spoke of relief.

And then, with attendances falling, Newcastle arrived back in town on May 7, having themselves failed to build on a fifth place finish in 2012, with the threat of relegation once more back hanging over them.

It was Newcastle’s second last game of the season and after selling their allocation, asked Villa for more. They were refused. The 33,055 was still Villa’s biggest gate for three months. A stadium that had been moribund for the FA Cup defeat to Manchester City in January was once more rocking.

Aston Villa players react to suffering relegation from the Premier League last season (Getty)

Newcastle, enjoying a late revival under Rafa Benitez, could not find the goal they needed for victory, drawing 0-0 against a home side that played with five defenders at the back. Sunderland, rivals to Newcastle for the drop, had been trailing to Chelsea on the same afternoon at the Stadium of Light.

When word reached the Midlands that they were winning three-two, there was more celebration inside Villa Park. Once more the songs tumbled down from the stands. Four days later Sunderland guaranteed their safety with victory against Everton and Newcastle were relegated.

On Saturday, the two sides clash once more at Villa Park - a 5.30pm kick off and perhaps understandably televised. Once more Newcastle have been refused extra tickets for their supporters (sections of Villa Park have been shut this season) and once more Villa are out of form - one win in nine under the new manager Robert di Matteo, appointed by the new owner Tony Xia.

It is one win in 23 games if the run is taken into last season.

Newcastle by contrast have a renewed bounce, despite the defeat to Wolves last Saturday, under the continued guidance of Benitez and sit third in the Championship, with league attendances at St James' Park averaging over 50,000.

There is curiosity whether their visit will, once more, feel like a cup final.