Eddie Gray had taken us to the FA Cup fifth round, a feat we've only subsequently equalled this season, but our League form in the second tier faltered in dramatic manner to the extent that we finished fourth bottom and he got the boot. Gray's sacking was sad but necessary, but the re-appointment of Colin Appleton seemed all the more bizarre.
Appleton came out with his famous pre-season quote that he was "on cloud seven" to be back at Boothferry Park, but his misquoted metaphor of joy didn't transfer to the team. We didn't win a match until the 17th game of the campaign, prior to which Don Robinson had quit as chairman and his replacement, Richard Chetham, had removed Appleton pretty much as soon as the hands were raised in the boardroom to confirm his elevation.
Newcastle United's visit to Boothferry Park was the ninth game of the season. City had not only failed to win a game, they had also failed to score in each of the previous three. So it wasn't exactly an ideal situation for the visit of the biggest club in the division, smarting from relegation the year before.
The old ground had become so dilapidated in places that it was rare that the north east corner - between the gruesome Kwik Save and the classic Kempton - was ever opened. If it was, this would be because the visiting team were bringing way too many fans for the one-tiered north stand to cope with. Newcastle United was on such occasion and the north east corner, uncovered and uncomfortable, was given to their fans and almost gave City a five-figure attendance.
When Billy Whitehurst's name was announced over the tannoy, it was greeted by some extremely loud booing and songs not designed to flatter from the visiting supporters. The beer-bellied centre forward had not been regarded as a success at St James' Park earlier in the decade. It was the last time they need catcall him, as Whitehurst was on the bench and never got on - indeed, he left midway through the season for Sheffield United.
The game got underway and early on, City scored. This was quite something, given the paucity of goals in recent games and the quality of the opposition. However, a goal it indeed was as a corner was swung in from the left and flicked on to the far post for Ian McParland, a talented but mainly underplayed big-money purchase by Gray, to send a flying header into the net. This was in front of the baying Geordie support, and McParland irritated them further by turning somersaults in front of them.
Newcastle equalised with a long range effort from full back John Anderson before half time. The noise from the away end was explosive as the ball trundled past an unsighted Gavin Kelly and into the far corner, silencing the south stand. Little more is memorable from a City point of view as the game predictably fell out of our reach and Newcastle scored twice in the second half. One was a header by Gary Brazil but I can't recall who got the other.
Stan Ternent's arrival saved City's bacon but times changed and by the time we hosted Newcastle again the following year, he was on his last legs and we were rooted to the bottom. Yet somehow we won, thanks to goals from Wayne Jacobs and Peter Swan. On the last day of that season, already relegated after an impossibly chronic campaign and with Ternent mercifully long gone, we went to St James' Park and won.
And we've continued to do well in League games ever since against the mighty Toon. Okay, so we didn't face them in the League again until this season, but a fact's a fact, isn't it? And if we do beat them, it'll be us staying up and maybe, just maybe, them on the way down. That'll teach them to boo Whitehurst.
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