Newcastle United FC is an English football club based in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne, in the north east of England. The club was founded in 1892 after the merger of two local clubs, Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End. Since their founding year, the club has played at their home ground of St. James' Park. Newcastle United enjoyed major success during the Edwardian era winning the League Championship on three occasions in 1905, 1907 and 1909. The club's success continued in cup competitions, as they reached five FA Cup Finals in seven years, appearing in the final of 1905, 1906, 1908, 1910 and 1911. However, they went on to win just one of them, the 1910 Final against Barnsley, in a replay at Goodison Park.  The team returned to the FA Cup final in 1924, in only the second ever final at Wembley Stadium, defeating Aston Villa. Newcastle won the League for a fourth time and so far last time, in 1927.  The 1950s proved another golden era for the club with Newcastle winning the FA Cup final on three occasions within a five year period. In 1951 they defeated Blackpool 2–0, a year later Arsenal were beaten 1–0 and in 1955 they defeated Manchester City 3–1. Star players of the era included Jackie Milburn and Bobby Mitchell  

The highlight of the 1960s was winning the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1969.  The years that followed were notable for a string of exciting players including Pop Robson, Boddy Moncur, Frank Clare and Malcolm Macdonald and reaching both the FA Cup in 1974 and the League Cup in 1976; however both ended in defeat. By the start of the 1980s, Newcastle had declined dramatically and were languishing in the Second Division.  Arthur Cox steered Newcastle back again to the First Division with ex-England captain Kevin Keegan the focus of the team, having joined the club in 1982. With managers such as Jack Charlton, Willie McFaul and Jim Smith, Newcastle remained in the top-flight until the team was relegated once more in 1989.  Later, Keegan returned to Tyneside to replace Osvaldo Ardiles as manager on a short term contract in 1992, taking what he claimed to be the only job that could tempt him back into football. Newcastle were struggling at the wrong end of Division Two. Sir John Hall had all but taken control of the club and he needed a minor miracle to stop Newcastle from tumbling into the Third Division for the first time in their history. The 1992–93 season saw a dramatic turn around in the club's fortunes. Playing an exciting brand of attacking football Newcastle became Division One champions with a 2–0 away win at Grimsby, and gained promotion to the Premier League.  For the rest of the decade, Newcastle were a major force in the Premier League finishing runners-up twice and reaching two FA Cup Finals.  

A series of managers following the sacking of Bobby Robson in 2002, each in turn failing to halt the decline of the club and Newcastle were finally relegated in 2008/09. They stormed back to the Premier League, winning the championship title in their first season in the second tier of English football. In 2011-12, manager of the year Alan Pardew consolidated their place in the Premier League with a fifth-place finish.  His departure in January 2015 saw the club tumble from a safe mid-table position to a relegation dog-fight which only ended with victory over West Ham in the final game of the season. The appointment of former England boss Steve McClaren failed to hault a further decline and despite the appointment of Raf Benítez towards the end of the season they were relegated.  Newcastle returned to the Premier League at their first attempt finishing top of the Championship.  A series of md-table finishes under Benitez and Steve Bruce followed before a successful takeover by a consortium which included Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia ushered in a new era with manager Eddie Howe and a series of big money signings.