Exclusive: It was 20 years ago today... Leeds star Jon Newsome remembers it all

JON Newsome played a brief but unforgettable role in Leeds United’s Championship success 20 years ago.

Thrown into the spotlight after injury to Mel Sterland, the name of the defender is now written in Elland Road folklore thanks to a goal in the High Noon derby against Sheffield United.

Newsome’s header helped Leeds to a 3-2 victory at Bramall Lane and, when Manchester United were beaten by Liverpool a few hours later, the title was won.

Now 41, Newsome is no longer involved in football but sells cars in Sheffield, his hometown city.

He regards the goal as the ‘favourite moment’ of his career and today’s anniversary will bring all the memories flooding back.

Leeds were the last winners of the title before the advent of the Premier League and manager Howard Wilkinson the last English manager to lead a side to glory.

One of four Sheffielders in the Leeds squad assembled by Wilkinson, Newsome, only 21 at the time, had started only five league games after moving from Sheffield Wednesday the previous summer.

Against the Blades, he scored with a far-post header when goalkeeper Mel Rees failed to reach Gary McAllister’s cross. As he celebrated, arms aloft, just yards from the Bramall Lane Kop, a huge smile beamed across his face.

“I get a reminder of that afternoon every time I go to my parents’ house because the shirt, signed by all the players, is still framed and on the wall,” he revealed.

“It is the favourite moment of my career and something that makes me feel very proud.

“Winning a league title is a massive jigsaw but I guess that goal was my little piece in the jigsaw.”

Newsome stayed at Leeds for another two years but never truly nailed down a regular first-team spot.

He joined Norwich City for £1m before returning to Sheffield Wednesday in 1996. Ankle and knee problems ended his career at the age of 29.

“Although I retired early from football, I still feel a lucky lad to have been involved in something so special. At Leeds, I won a title, played at Wembley in the Charity Shield, and played with some great footballers. If you had offered me that as a 15-year-old, I would have snapped your hand off.”

Reflecting on events of Sunday afternoon, April 26, 1992, Newsome said: “It was a massive game for me, being a Sheffield lad going to Bramall Lane and a lot of my family were there.

“It was very windy and probably the most bizarre game of football I have ever played in.

“Five goals were scored and hardly any of them were orthodox.”

Due to the staggering of the kick-off times, Leeds needed to wait over 90 minutes for the outcome of the Manchester United-Liverpool game to know if they had won the title with a game to spare.

A camera crew even attended the home of Lee Chapman where the striker watched the game on a sofa with team-mates Eric Cantona, David Batty and Gary McAllister.

Newsome, however, was based in Sheffield, and stayed at home to watch the game with the late Gary Speed.

“You couldn’t keep in touch with people like you can these days and only a few of the lads had mobile phones,” he recalled. “Gary, bless his heart, was a good friend, and we watched the game at my parents.

“But afterwards we headed over to Leeds for a drink and a bite to eat with the others.

“It’s strange but the anniversary and the tragedy of Gary’s death has brought a lot of that old team back together in this past year,” he revealed.

“In football, it’s easy to drift along with a lot of acquaintances and not that many friends.

“We suddenly realised that it was 20 years ago and we all agreed that we should meet up more, if only for a game of golf or a few drinks now and again,” he added.

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