At first glance it’s just another brick in the wall - but this brick is evidence of one man’s passion for Newcastle United more than 100 years ago.
A picture of the brick from a flat in Seaton Delaval, Northumberland, which was built in 1905, has caused a stir after being posted by a local history group member. It has been inscribed by the brickmaker with the scoreline of Newcastle 1 Everton 0.
Newcastle had played Everton on January 16 in 1904, with centre forward Bill Appleyard scoring the only goal in the second half before a crowd of 15,000. United fans on social media have described the brick as “wonderful” and “brilliant”, “a great find” and the work of a “football-made Geordie brick maker who left his mark in the wet clay before it was fired.”
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Other United fans have joined in the fun with comments such as “Just before VAR rued it offside”: “early Pink” and “This is how we used to find out the scores before the internet” Another fan posted: “I was wallpapering a house in Durham when we beat Man U 5-0 and I painted it on the wall before I hung the paper.”
And it wasn’t just football which tempted brickmakers to try their hand. Another post reads: “I was brought up in a colliery house in Bomarsund near Ashington and there was a couple of bricks which had women’s names inscribed into them.”
Even fans of Everton – currently in a relegation position – have been drawn into the brick banter. “Even the past is mocking us,” posted one Everton follower.
History has come full circle as Newcastle defeated Everton 1-0 at St James Park earlier this season. Local historian, author and Newcastle City Guide Steve Ellwood has tracked down a newspaper report of the 1904 game.
It reads: “At Newcastle on a hard ground, Newcastle opened smartly and had the better of the first quarter. Everton improved but shot badly. The game continued very open, the tackling in both sides being very keen. From the re-start Newcastle showed improvement.
"Appleyard went through his opponents cleverly and opened the score. Newcastle held the upper hand but Everton made great efforts towards the close without success.”
In the following 1904-05 season, Newcastle lifted the league title for the first time and narrowly missed out on the double when they lost 1-0 in the FA Cup final at Crystal Palace against Aston Villa. That match was witnessed by the biggest crowed – 101,000 - ever to watch United.
Centre forward Bill Appleyard scored 88 goals in 146 appearances for United and was the main striker when the club became league champions in 1905 and 1906.
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