Fa Cup 2010 2011 Stevenage Newcastle united on MiamiGunners Match Of The Week

third round proper 8th january 2011: 
stevenage v. newcastle united

When the FA Cup third-round draw was made, the whoops of delight emanating from Stevenage could be heard almost as clearly as the sighs of disappointment from Tyneside. Thirteen years after non-league Stevenage Borough made global headlines by holding Newcastle to a fourth-round draw, before suffering a 2-1 defeat in the replay at St James' Park, Graham Westley's League Two side were given a chance to upset the Magpies again.

This Saturday, having dropped the Borough from their name and fresh from a first ever promotion into the Football League, Stevenage will be aiming to recreate the memorable atmosphere of 1998, when Giuliano Grazioli equalised Alan Shearer's opener to secure an improbable draw and write his name into FA Cup folklore.

The game was shrouded in controversy, after under-fire Newcastle manager Kenny Dalglish did everything in his power to prevent the match from being played at Broadhall Way (now the Lamex Stadium). But complaints about the pitch and the facilities were pooh-poohed by the FA and with temporary seating raising the capacity to 9,000 the game went ahead, with the rest becoming history.