Inside Newcastle’s cup final celebrations in Dubai, full details of how YOU can party with Eddie Howe’s heroes, and why Liverpool rematch is on the cards: NEWCASTLE CONFIDENTIAL

Newcastle WILL host Euro 2028 matches, as plans for a new stadium will not impact on St James’ Park’s involvement in the tournament, Confidential can reveal.

There had been suggestions that a new build on Leazes Park could overlap the current site, and that would lead to doubt over the ability to host the European Championship when it comes to the UK and Ireland in three years’ time.

However, Confidential revealed last week that the plans the club are currently pushing ahead with – a new super stadium of around 65,000 capacity – are further into Leazes Park.

This also means that an expansion of St James’ – another threat to the Euros games – has been parked for now.

In light of recent developments, sources say there is no danger of St James’ forgoing its host status.

Some modifications around media and stadium perimeters will need to be made to satisfy Uefa’s host requirements, but that will not be an issue.

Leazes Park, shown in the foreground, is the proposed site for Newcastle’s new 65,000-seat super stadium

The squad will showcase the Carabao Cup trophy on the Town Moor to a crowd that is expected to number in excess of 100,000 throughout the day

TOON MOOR!

Eddie Howe and his Carabao Cup-winning heroes will appear on stage on the Town Moor at around 6pm on Saturday, March 29, Confidential understands.

With a large-scale celebration planned around the Moor, the squad will showcase the trophy to a crowd that is expected to number in excess of 100,000 throughout the day.

The team will be introduced individually before the trophy is brought on stage.

Plans are still being finalised with police and the council, but it is hoped that a bus journey of some description will be possible around the event.

REDS REMATCH?

Newcastle could be set for a Carabao Cup final rematch with Liverpool sooner than we think… in Hong Kong!

Confidential understands the Magpies are continuing to explore a pre-season tour of the Far East, with facilities in Hong Kong identified.

And with Liverpool thought to be doing the same, a friendly at the brand-new Kai Tak Stadium has been mooted.

Newcastle and Liverpool are set for a rematch this summer after the Carabao Cup showdown

Newcastle’s historic win at Wembley was their first against Liverpool since December 2015 

A friendly has been mooted at the brand-new Kai Tak Sports Park in Kowloon, Hong Kong

We are told that Tottenham, Arsenal and AC Milan have also held talks with organisers, with games set to be played at the state-of-the-art 50,000-seater arena in Kowloon.

It is important to stress that nothing has been finalised, but Newcastle’s attention turned to Hong Kong last month after confirmation they would not be part of the Premier League Summer Series in the United States.

Eddie Howe and his squad are also likely to return to the adidas HQ in Herzogenaurach in Germany, where they spent a week last summer.

PINTS AND PADEL!

One the stag do leg of Newcastle’s current stay in Dubai is over, the footballs will come out – but there is another sport where the action will be far more competitive. 

Padel has taken the squad by storm and, during the last warm-weather break in Saudi Arabia, a tournament was organised. It was taken very seriously, too.

Seeds were arranged and the best player was paired with the least-best (worst…) and so on.

Kieran Trippier and Callum Wilson relax together out in Dubai after winning Newcastle’s first domestic trophy for 70 years

Fabian Schar was denied a second trophy this week despite being top seed in the padel tournament

The players have been enjoying a well-earned break in Dubai with lots of golf and socialising

The top seed? That was Fabian Schar. Catwalk good-looks, a degree in accountancy, top centre back and padel ace, is there anything he can’t do?

Well, he couldn’t win the Saudi knockout! Coach Simon Weatherstone (among the top seeds) and one of the club’s physios were victorious. And the beaten finalists? That would be Eddie Howe and Nick Pope!

Keep an eye on Confidential for news of a potential Dubai Classic!

In the meantime, Howe joined up with the group a little later owing to a family commitment, and we understand that a good time has been had by all in recent days.

The players have played golf and socialised at the Arabian Ranches Golf Club, while they have partied (and will party) at One and Only and O Beach Dubai.

With their next game not until April 2 at home to Brentford, it’s fair to say they have scope for a little merriment.

OLD BOYS NOT FORGOTTEN

Former Newcastle pair Miguel Almiron and Lloyd Kelly are eligible to receive Carabao Cup winners’ medals, and it’s up to the club to distribute them.

The winning team receives 30 medals from the EFL and it’s then left to them as to how they are shared.

Newcastle used 24 players during their cup campaign and both Matt Targett and Sean Neave – who did not feature in the competition – were unused substitutes at Wembley.

That means Almiron and Kelly are in line to receive theirs, even though they left the club in January for pastures new.

Miguel Almiron and Lloyd Kelly (pictured here in his Bournemouth days) will be eligible for Carabao Cup medals despite now playing for Atlanta United and Juventus respectively

SWEDE DREAMS

One story that made me smile this week. Some Newcastle fans agreed before the final that, whoever scored the winning goal, they would visit the player’s birthplace.

Now, if that was Dan Burn, a trip to Blyth is easy enough. However, when Alexander Isak netted the second in the 2-1 win over Liverpool, it meant that flights to Stockholm had to be booked.

So that is where Toon fan Nicola Wintrip and her party ended up this week, visiting Isak’s first club, AIK.

They say the Toon Swedish Fan Club has multiplied significantly in number since their visit!

VIRAL MOMENT

Finally, for all of the thousands of words written before, during and after last weekend’s cup final win, it was a clip of a supporter interrupting my YouTube video on Wembley Way that went viral.

It has surpassed 500,000 views now, and I’ll let you guys look it up on social media or by clicking here to watch the full video…

A fair few fans have been in touch with memes, stickers and GIFs of the moment, and one or two have also asked if I’d be OK, at some point, if it appeared on a flag.

That’s fine by me! 

Rob Lee and Alan Shearer react after the 1999 FA Cup final defeat by Manchester United

Steve Watson and David Batty battle with Eric Cantona in the 1996 Charity Shield at Wembley

TOON TEASER

It’s Toon Teaser time. Last week’s puzzler was… across four Wembley appearances between 1996 and 2000 (Charity Shield, two FA Cup finals and one FA Cup semi-final), Newcastle used 10 England internationals.

Could you name them?

The answers were; Alan Shearer, Rob Lee, David Batty, Peter Beardsley, Warren Barton, Steve Howey, Ian Rush, John Barnes, Kieron Dyer and Les Ferdinand.

This week’s puzzler is… since that FA Cup semi-final in 2000, a further 14 Newcastle players have been capped by England. Name them!