Imagine a football match where fans of two opposing teams aren’t just rivals but friends—so much so that they swap scarves, chant each other’s songs, and even adopt each other for the night. Sounds like a fairy tale? This is the extraordinary bond between Newcastle United and Athletic Club fans, a story that defies the usual script of football rivalries. And this is the part most people miss: it all started in 1994, during a UEFA Cup clash that turned strangers into lifelong allies.
On Wednesday night, Julen Izagirre will find himself in a unique predicament at St James’ Park. A die-hard Athletic Club supporter, he’ll be draped in the red and white of his beloved Basque team, but with a Newcastle United scarf wrapped around his neck. ‘It’s so confusing for me,’ he admits. For the first time, he’ll be in the away end of a stadium where he also cheers for the home team. ‘I don’t know how I’ll feel,’ he says. ‘My love for both clubs is so strong, I think I’ll suffer more than enjoy it. I don’t want either to lose.’
But here’s where it gets controversial: Could this kind of cross-club loyalty ever work in today’s fiercely competitive football world? Or is it a relic of a bygone era?** The roots of this unusual friendship trace back to 1994, when Athletic Club beat Newcastle 1-0 in Bilbao. What happened next was extraordinary. Athletic fans invaded the pitch, not to celebrate their win, but to applaud the Newcastle supporters. This gesture left an indelible mark on everyone involved, including six-year-old Julen, whose father, Mikel, was in the stands that night.
Even the players were moved. Gontzal Suances, who scored for Athletic in the first leg and later played for Newcastle, reflects, ‘It’s a joy that my dream of playing for Athletic is linked to such a beautiful story.’ Newcastle fans, though knocked out on away goals, were equally touched. Tony Waters recalls, ‘They wouldn’t let us spend a penny. I’ve followed Newcastle across Europe, but in Bilbao, I came back with as much money as I left with. They laid out the red carpet for us.’
The kindness wasn’t one-sided. Weeks earlier, Newcastle fans had warmly welcomed Athletic supporters to Tyneside, setting the stage for this reciprocal friendship. As Suances later learned, ‘The fans bonded so well, and Newcastle supporters were repaid for everything they had given.’
And this is the part most people miss: The connection goes deeper than football. Both Basques and Geordies share a fierce local pride and passion for their clubs. Bilbao, as Mikel Izagirre puts it, is a ‘very British city,’ with a strong cultural influence from the UK. This shared spirit made the friendship inevitable.
Newcastle’s 1994 European campaign was their first since 1977 and the first post-Heysel Stadium disaster ban. Despite a heavy police presence in Bilbao, the tension melted away. Karl Pedley remembers, ‘Minutes into the game, riot police were sitting down, helmets off, enjoying the match.’ After Newcastle’s defeat, Athletic fans sprinted to the away end, not to taunt, but to applaud. Newcastle fans responded by chanting ‘Athletic! Athletic! Athletic!’
What followed was pure magic. ‘The police led us down a concrete staircase,’ Pedley recalls. ‘At the bottom, a sea of red and white awaited. We thought, ‘Here we go,’ but they just wanted to shake our hands, pat our backs, and take us to a bar. It was like ‘adopt a Geordie.’ Every Newcastle fan was fed and watered that night.’
Chants were exchanged, shirts and scarves swapped—a rare sight, given red and white are also Sunderland’s colors, Newcastle’s bitter rivals. For Philip Long, an Athletic shirt remains a cherished memento. ‘It’s still in my wardrobe, alongside my Newcastle tops,’ he says. ‘I’ll never let go of it.’
So, here’s the question: In an era of heated rivalries and divided loyalties, can we learn something from this unlikely friendship? Could football ever return to a time when fans celebrate each other as much as their own teams? Let us know in the comments—do you think such bonds are still possible today, or are they a thing of the past?
