History
Name changes
- Gosforth Football Club (1877–1882)
- Northumberland Football Club (1882–1887); Merged with Northumberland FC and assumed their name.[1]
- Gosforth Football Club (1887–1990); Reverted name back to Gosforth FC.
- Newcastle Gosforth (1990–1995)
- Newcastle Rugby Club (1996); Turned professional; Junior players let go and formed Gosforth Rugby Football Club.[3]
- Newcastle Falcons (1997–present)
Early years (1877–1990s)
The original Gosforth Football Club was founded in 1877 by a group of Old Boys of Durham School,[1] in whose colours of green and white hoops the club played until the mid-1990s. The name Gosforth came from one of the suburbs of Newcastle upon Tyne. In 1955, the club moved to a new ground at North Road which was to be its home until 1990. During that time and particularly in the late 1970s Gosforth enjoyed tremendous success both on and off the field winning the John Player Cup in seasons 1975–76 and 1976–77.
Gosforth supplied innumerable players to all counties over the years, to the North of England sides and to the full international and British Lions teams. These include Arthur Smith, Ray McLoughlin, Malcolm Young, Roger Uttley, Peter Dixon, Duncan Madsen, Dave Robinson, Richard Breakey, Jim Pollock and Colin White.
In 1990 the club name was changed to Newcastle Gosforth and they moved to Kingston Park. Gosforth Rugby Football Club continued as an amateur side working in partnership with Northumbria University and currently play at Broadway West.
Professional era
For the 1996–97 season the new name of Newcastle Falcons and new black-and-white colours were adopted, after local businessman Sir John Hall took control and attempted to create a sporting club in Newcastle that would emulate the success of the Barcelona model. The four teams that made up that sporting club were the football team, nicknamed the Magpies, the Newcastle Eagles basketball team, the Newcastle Cobras (later Riverkings, Jesters, Vipers) ice hockey team and the Newcastle Falcons rugby union team.
Newcastle was the first fully "professional" club in the world.[citation needed] In 1995, Sir John Hall installed former Wasps captain Rob Andrew as his salaried Director of Rugby and saw the club earn promotion from the national Second Division to the Premiership.
The following season, Newcastle became English Premiership champions at their first attempt in 1997–98. Alongside Andrew, the Championship winning side starred cross-code All Black, Samoa and Rugby League legend Inga Tuigamala, Scotland legends Doddie Weir and Gary Armstrong, England star Tony Underwood, British and Irish Lions stars Alan Tait and John Bentley and youngster Jonny Wilkinson.
During the following 1998–99 season Newcastle didn't play in Europe, as English teams did not take part, but the Falcons did go on to the Tetley's Bitter Cup final against Wasps, which was lost 29–19. In 1999, Rob Andrew retired allowing for 20-year-old international Jonny Wilkinson to assume the fly half role full-time. Andrew would remain as Director of Rugby.
Hall sold the Falcons for a 'nominal' sum in 1999 to local businessman Dave Thompson, under whom the Falcons won two Powergen Cups: in 2001 the Falcons beat Harlequins FC 30–27; and in 2004 the Falcons beat 37–33 against Sale Sharks.
In 2004, legendary Wallabies full-back Matt Burke signed for the Falcons. For the Falcons, Burke played alongside former English rival Jonny Wilkinson (his opposite kicker in the 2001 British and Irish Lions tour of Australia). In Wilkinson, Burke, England international Dave Walder and emerging future England number 10 Toby Flood the Falcons had adequate competition for kicking duties over the coming seasons, despite long-term injuries to Jonny Wilkinson. During the 2004–05 season the Falcons recorded their best ever Heineken Cup performance to date by winning their pool and progressing to a quarter-final tie against Stade Français in the Parc des Princes.[4]
In August 2005 Falcons toured Japan pre-season. They beat NEC Green Rockets easily but lost to a fired-up Toyota Verblitz.[5]
In August 2006 Rob Andrew left the Falcons to take charge of the England set-up ahead of the 2007 World Cup in a wide-ranging role that encompasses all aspects of the professional representative game in England.[6] John Fletcher succeeded Rob Andrew as director of rugby at Newcastle Falcons with immediate effect. Fletcher, a former England A centre, had been the club's academy boss and he headed up a team of Peter Walton, Steve Black and Bob Morton, with ex-Falcons prop Ian Peel taking over as acting academy manager.
2007–08 season
The season began with high hopes as All-Black prop Carl Hayman signed for the Falcons, reportedly as the highest paid Rugby Union player in the world. Unfortunately, the season was the beginning of a downward spiral for the Falcons. On 11 March 2008, Fletcher and Walton left the club, officially by mutual consent,[7] following Black who had left a couple of months earlier. Steve Bates took over as interim director of rugby until summer 2008 when the post was reviewed.[8] Dave Thompson stated at that time that nine years of underachievement were the reason for the departure of John Fletcher and Peter Walton.
Having said this, Bates guided the Falcons to a record-equalling run of seven consecutive Premiership defeats by April 2008 with home games against Leicester Tigers and London Wasps plus a season-concluding away trip to Worcester Warriors yet to come. Defeat in the European Challenge Cup semi-final against Worcester Warriors on 25 April 2008 may well have sounded the death knell for Steve Bates' tenure as interim DoR. However, on Tuesday 20 May 2008 Steve Bates was confirmed as Newcastle's Director of Rugby on a full-time basis.[8] At the end of the season, fly-half Toby Flood left for Leicester Tigers and full-back Mathew Tait signed for Sale Sharks, as the struggling Falcons failed to hold onto young English international talent. England Saxons scrum-half Lee Dickson would also depart for Northampton Saints, where he would go on to earn full international honours. Legendary Australia full back Matt Burke retired due to injury at the end of the campaign.
2008–09 season
In November 2008 Chairman Dave Thompson put an end to speculation of a takeover of the club after rejecting three bids.[9] He held talks with a number of different consortia and reportedly turned down one offer of a full take over as the bidding consortium wanted to relocate the club to Darlington. Furthermore, he said the speculation had led to instability in the club which was unsettling players and fans alike. On the pitch the Falcons reached another European Challenge Cup quarter-final going down to Saracens away from home and finished 10th in the Premiership. This season marked the end of an era as legendary fly-half Jonny Wilkinson left the club for RC Toulonnais. England under-20s fly-half Rory Clegg also left for Harlequins as Jimmy Gopperth was signed as replacement fly-half. The loss of Wilkinson was compounded by the departure of future British and Irish Lions star Geoff Parling who continued the outflow of talent, leaving for Leicester Tigers. Another trio who would go on to achieve England honours in Phil Dowson, Dave Wilson and Tom May also left for Northampton Saints, Bath Rugby and RC Toulonnais respectively.
2009–10 season
The Falcons failed to replace the character and quality which had departed, with imports Gcobani Bobo and Filipo Levi flattering to deceive, Gopperth the sole bright spot. After a disappointing season the pressure mounted on Steve Bates and on 4 May 2010, the club announced that Bates' contract had been terminated and he was being replaced by first team coach Alan Tait.[10]
The decision came after Newcastle went on an unbeaten run to quash any doubts of relegation largely due to an inspirational Carl Hayman. But a crushing home European Challenge Cup Quarter Final defeat by Cardiff Blues signalled the end of the Bates era. Following the loss of England talent Flood, Tait and Wilkinson in previous seasons, the last remaining England international at the club, Jamie Noon, departed for CA Brive. The front line was also notably weakened when club captain Hayman left the Falcons once his lucrative contract expired, to join former teammate Wilkinson at RC Toulonnais.
2010–11 season
Towards the end of the previous season Chairman Dave Thompson had to seek investment for the club due to increasing debts following the Nationalisation of Northern Rock, the club's main sponsor. After months of speculation, it was announced that local businessman Semore Kurdi had purchased a 40% stake in the club in September 2010, easing the club's financial difficulties.[11] Scotland number 8 Ally Hogg was signed, while Scotland and Lions prop Euan Murray also arrived to plug the gap left by Hayman. On the pitch in Alan Tait's first season the Falcons reached the Anglo-Welsh Cup final, losing to Gloucester 34–7. Despite this relative success the Falcons finished their worst ever Premiership season with just 23 points (four wins), only escaping relegation thanks to the inferior points difference of Leeds Carnegie. England Saxons pair, scrum-half Micky Young and prop Kieran Brookes, would both depart for Leicester Tigers at the end of the campaign.
2011–12 season: Relegation to Championship
The huge outflow of talent from 2008 onwards, and lack of suitable reinforcements, would come to bear during this campaign. Samoa international centre Jamie Helleur was a rare quality signing. The 2011–12 season saw Newcastle Falcons relegated from the Premiership. The Falcons started the season badly but rallied midway through as Gary Gold took over. After changing the set up at Kingston Park, the club nearly escaped relegation, but London Wasps held on to secure their Premiership status by a point. Despite finishing with a higher points total than the year before (32) it was not enough to keep them up. The Falcons still had a small hope that London Welsh may be refused Premiership status, however Welsh were promoted after an appeal. Many players, including Euan Murray, subsequently left the club.
2012–13 season: Repromotion to Premiership
The Falcons' season in the Championship sees the much changed side coached by director of rugby Dean Richards who appointed Will Welch as club captain, while experienced international locks Scott MacLeod and Carlo Del Fava were signed. The Falcons won their first game of the season 37–20 against Bristol [12] and went on to win their second 49–32 against London Scottish. At the halfway point of the season the Falcons were maintaining their unbeaten run, including a 24–13 score against a touring Tongan national side during the first international game to be held at Kingston Park since 1990. Former England Saxons wing Noah Cato signed from Northampton Saints to assist in the promotion push.
The Falcons confirmed their place in the Championship play off semi-final with a bonus point win at home to Cornish Pirates on 22 February 2013 and their position as league leaders was confirmed early the following month. At the conclusion of the season, the Falcons defeated the Bedford Blues 49–33 on aggregate in the final to win promotion back to the Premiership for the 2013–14 season.
2013–14 season
Prior to the beginning of the Falcons' return to the Aviva Premiership, star fly-half Jimmy Gopperth departed for Leinster Rugby. To replace Gopperth, former Falcon Rory Clegg was signed by Dean Richards for the second time, with Richards having previously signed Clegg for Harlequins when Clegg was just 19. Four years later, the return of Clegg, alongside the returning Kieran Brookes from Leicester Tigers, provided evidence that talent was coming back to the Falcons. The signings of former Scotland and Lions scrum-half Mike Blair from CA Brive, Saracens flanker Andy Saull, Scotland hooker Scott Lawson from London Irish, former Scotland fly half Phil Godman and one time France prop Franck Montanella showed the desire of the club to compete upon return to the top flight. Samoa wing Sinoti Sinoti and Argentina centre Gonzalo Tiesi were later added to the squad. Despite a difficult season, which saw a number of retirements through injury, including Carlo Del Fava, the Falcons secured their place in the Aviva Premiership for 2014–15.
2014–15 season
The Falcons made a statement ahead of the 2014–15 season with the signing of 2010–11 Premiership top try scorer and three time Premiership winner Alesana Tuilagi. One of Alesana's six rugby playing brothers, Andy Tuilagi also signed for the Falcons. Another notable signing was Italy lock Joshua Furno, while Samoa lock Kane Thompson was another new addition. Rotherham Titans duo, Juan Pablo Socino and Ruki Tipuna also joined the club. The Falcons finished the season in 11th place, with a points total of 34.
2015–16 season
Ahead of the 2015–16 campaign, England international prop Kieran Brookes and England under-20 lock Dominic Barrow departed for Northampton Saints and Leicester Tigers respectively. Fly halves Rory Clegg and Phil Godman, wing Noah Cato, flanker Andy Saull, scrum halves Mike Blair and Warren Fury along with centre Jamie Helleur were among those released.
A host of 2015 Rugby World Cup stars were signed in Tonga flanker and captain Nili Latu, Tonga scrum half Sonatane Takulua, Italy wing Giovanbattista Venditti and Scotland prop Jon Welsh. The return of former star scrum half Micky Young was also a coup for the Falcons, alongside one time All Black cap, fly half Mike Delany and former England lock Mouritz Botha.
2016–17 season
Following seven years in Bath, England prop Dave Wilson returned to the Falcons. Classy France international centre Maxime Mermoz also joined mid-season. Winger Vereniki Goneva had most metres in the Premiership with 1,615 while Mark Wilson received his first England caps.
2017–18 season: The Big One, Doddie Weir and a New Era
Ahead of the 2017–18 campaign, former England fly-half Toby Flood returned after nine years in Leicester and Toulouse.
On 17 January 2018, the Falcons were presented with a winding up petition by HMRC.[13]
Falcons ended the 2017–18 season in fourth place in the Premiership Rugby table, their highest placing in 20 years. Falcons played Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park in the semi-finals, where they lost 36–5.. Rob Vickers, Scott Lawson and Ally Hogg all retired following the end of the season after upholding exceptional careers over a decade. Scott Wilson, aged 24 at the time, was forced to retire due to a neck injury he sustained in the semi-final against Exeter. A benefit dinner was held in early 2019 to raise funds for Wilson's chosen charity.[citation needed]
2018–19 season: Second Relegation
Newcastle keen to follow on from the success of last season expanded their squad with key players such as Logovi'i Mulipola, John Hardie, Nemani Nagusa and George McGuigan.
Falcons returned to the Heineken Champions Cup after a 13-year absence. They were drawn to play against Toulon, Montpellier and Edinburgh in Pool 5. On 14 October, Falcons started their European Campaign against Toulon at Stade Felix Mayol. Less than 30 seconds into the game and Toulon were already on the board after Romain Taofifénua charged down the kick off and scored a try, one of the quickest tries scored in the history of the competition. In the fourth quarter of the game, three of Toulon's players were sin-binned and they were forced to make a decision after being awarded a penalty within kicking distance. However, instead of going for the posts they elected for a five-metre line-out which failed to result in a try. The final score came to 25–26 as Falcons become the second team in a European competition to beat Toulon at home, an accolade that only Saracens had achieved before.
Mark Wilson was announced in Eddie Jones' Autumn Internationals Squad following players being injured at the time. He started against England's 12–11 win over South Africa and won Quilter Internationals player of the series. He became a regular starter for England in the 2019 Six Nations along with Gary Graham making his debut for Scotland.
Following the success of the previous "The Big One", Falcons announced on 4 December that their match against northern rivals Sale Sharks would be played at Newcastle United's St. James' Park. The match would be held as a Charity Event in aid of Doddie Weir and the My Name’5 Doddie foundation. ISC incorporated the ‘Doddie’5 Tartan’ into the shoulders of the Charity Jersey along with the Famous Black and White stripes representing the iconic colours worn by Newcastle United. The match was a success with 27,284 spectators present as Newcastle beat Sale 22–17.[14]
Falcons confirmed the signing of United States international Greg Peterson in mid-March with Darren Barry, Josh Basham, Gareth Owen and Toby Salmon following shortly after. Tongan international Cooper Vuna later signed a 2-year deal with the club. They also announced a 5-year deal with sportswear brand Macron to provide official kits and leisurewear as their official supplier.
On 4 May, it was confirmed that Newcastle Falcons would be relegated to the RFU Championship after failing to beat Gloucester away. After this, many prominent players elected to leave the club to further pursue top-flight rugby. Following the confirmation of relegation into the Championship, Simon Hammersley and Chris Harris both evoked relegation release clauses held within their contracts and signed for Sale Sharks and Gloucester Rugby respectively. Wasps picked up Zach Kibirige with Director of Rugby Dai Young saying Kibirige was "simply too good an opportunity to miss". England International Mark Wilson signed a 1-year loan agreement with Sale Sharks which would ultimately allow him to still play for his country despite being registered to a Championship team. Finally on 3 July, it was announced that fan favourite Vereniki Goneva had signed for Harlequins following rumours and speculation on where he would go following Falcons' demotion. He signed along with fellow Fijian international Tevita Cavubati and Newcastle teammate Glen Young.
2019–20 season: Greene King Championship and the COVID-19 Pandemic
Keen to start the new season in the right direction, Falcons bolstered their Premiership side against every team they faced in the competition winning every match both home and away, their largest win being 41-0 against Bedford Blues on 14 March 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, the RFU officially cancelled the season on 20 March 2020, after initially postponing all rugby in England. As a result, Newcastle Falcons were declared champions for the season and promoted back into the Premiership on the basis of their playing record having been undefeated and at the top of the table when the league was suspended. The club made a series of salary reductions for players and off-field staff to ensure the survival of the company during an unprecedented time, this included all branches of the club including Newcastle Thunder and the team's charity branch, Newcastle Falcons Foundation.
It was also at this time that Johnny Williams announced he would be moving to Scarlets at the official conclusion of the season with Dominic Waldouck joining Gloucester Rugby as their Defence Coach. Nick Easter also joined Falcons' coaching squad shortly after.
2020–21 season: Post-Pandemic revival
After a wait of 8 months, Rugby Union restarted across England with teams cautiously returning to some level of normality. Newcastle, back in the Premiership, expanded and strengthened its squad with the flagship signing of Luther Burrell following a cross-code switch from Warrington Wolves. Home grown talent Gary Graham and Jamie Blamire both signed 3-year contract extensions respectively. Sinoti Sinoti, a fan favourite at the club who was a key asset in the Falcons' previous seasons left the club owing to "Personal Reasons".[15]
2021–22 season: RFU Investigation into Institutionalised Racism
On 25 June 2022 the Daily Mail interviewed player Luther Burrell highlighting racism in his rugby playing career, specifically mentioning how it had become commonplace in the Newcastle Falcons team.[16] Burrell had been the target of racist remarks between teammates who brushed it off as "locker room talk". The club launched an internal investigation following the story breaking with Luther receiving public support for his actions with many fans of the club and the Rugby Union community condemning the claims stated in the article. The Rugby Football Union announced on July 24 that they would conduct a full independent investigation into the allegations made by Burrell.[17]
Newcastle finished the 2021-22 Premiership Rugby season in 12th place, entitling them to play in the 2022-23 European Rugby Challenge Cup.
