Newcastle are going up. We already knew that.
But what wasn’t yet clear, going into the final day as the Championship season, was if they would go up as champions.
Starting the day behind Brighton, Newcastle would have to win their home match with Barnsley and hope for a favour from Aston Villa, who hosted Chris Hughton’s side at Villa Park.
Newcastle did their bit, recording a 3-0 win, although it seemed this wouldn’t be enough when Brighton took a lead in Birmingham through a Glenn Murray penalty. Nathan Baker conceded the spot kick after a foul on Sam Badlock, and was also sent off as a result.
But with a minute of normal time to play, up stepped Jack Grealish to draw 10-man Villa level…
The Championship title was Newcastle United’s, and was greeted by jubilant scenes at St James’ Park, perhaps best captured by the footage below.
With news of Brighton’s result announced over the stadium’s PA system, Newcastle’s players can be seen celebrating on the pitch as their supporters cheer from the stands. A lovely moment for all those connected with the club.
#scenes pic.twitter.com/nxlPFvW1hk
— Lee Ryder (@lee_ryder) May 7, 2017
https://twitter.com/CaulkinTheTimes/status/861213295356899330
A thrilling climax at the top of the Championship. Admit it, we all knew Grealish would have the final say.
