Newcastle United legend Nolberto Solano joined The Everything is Black and White Podcast for a special live event in front of a packed-out audience on Thursday night. The fan favorite took to the stage to mark the podcast's 1000th episode which will be released later this month.
More than 150 people arrived at the Tyneside Irish Center eager to see the former Toon winger as well as our panel of football writers made up of the Chronicle's chief sports writer Lee Ryder, Newcastle United writer Ciaran Kelly, Newcastle United editor Aaron Stokes as well as special guests, The Mirror's Simon Bird and BBC Radio Newcastle's Matthew Raisbeck.
As luck would have it, the special live episode fell in the same week that Newcastle United secured a spot in the top four of the Premier League, meaning they will play Champions League football next season.
Speaking about the club qualifying for Europe's premium cup competition, Solano told host Andrew Musgrove: "When the new owners took the club over, it gave everyone a little bit of hope but no one would have believed that we would finish in the top four.
"Maybe, everyone would have been happy if we finish in the top 10 - at least it wouldn't be as it used to be in the last few years, a battle for survival. It's been a fantastic job by Eddie Howe. It's the best thing to happen for the club."
Solano talked the crowd through his career at Newcastle, from playing under Sir Bobby Robson and being part of that last team to play Champions League football. He also shared his view on just what the club needs to do this summer to maintain the success seen so far.
The Everything is Black and White Podcast is a dedicated Newcastle United show that brings you four episodes every week discussing the key points of the club. It was crowned the Best Sport Podcast for 2023 at the Publisher Podcast Awards. Our podcast beat organisations such as The BBC to the top prize.
If you don't follow the podcast simply search 'The Everything is Black and White Podcast' on your podcast provider or click this link which will take you through to our home page.
This year alone the podcast has been downloaded more than 560,000 times following a record year in 2022 in which the show clocked up more than 1.1 million downloads.
Speaking about the success of the podcast, the Chronicle and Reach PLC's head of sport for the north east, James Smailes, added; "We're immensely proud of our Newcastle United podcast. The success of live events like this one to celebrate the 1000th episode are only possible because of the hard work of the team at the Chronicle, but also because of the way the supporters have responded to the pod and continue to show it and us such great support.
"The exciting part is, despite reaching 1000 episodes we are only just getting started with our plans for the podcast and our rapidly growing YouTube channel, with next season promising to be one to savour."
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