Alan Shearer's reaction to 10ft of horse manure dumped outside of house after derby defeat
Alan Shearer had 10ft of manure dumped outside his house after Newcastle were defeated by Sunderland.
Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe launched a fierce response following his side's 1-0 derby loss to Sunderland. The Magpies crumbled against the Black Cats and now face the task of repairing the damage inflicted on Wearside. For some supporters, that won't be possible until March when the return leg of the Tyne-Wear clash takes place at home.
However, Howe and his squad have opportunities to offer some consolation with a quarter-final home fixture in the Carabao Cup against Fulham approaching, as well as the FA Cup third-round clash with Bournemouth at the beginning of 2026, providing another chance to maintain their aspirations. With the derby loss at the Stadium of Light now irreversible, attention turns to what follows this crushing blow. Here's how other prominent Newcastle legends have handled setbacks in the past...
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Alan Shearer
The club's record goalscorer failed to convert from the penalty spot in this fixture 25 years ago as Sunderland triumphed 2-1 at St James' Park during a dreadful afternoon.
Shearer, being a local hero, endured abuse following that miss at the Gallowgate End as Thomas Sorensen produced an excellent save from 12 yards. Remarkably, the aftermath extended beyond football for Shearer as he could only look on whilst a heap of manure was deposited outside his residence in protest.
Shearer recalled to BBC Match of the Day top 10: "We got beat, last 10/15 minutes at home, Gallowgate End. The next morning, obviously I felt terrible, I got a buzz off the neighbour saying you need to come to the top your gates.
"There was a pile of manure, fish guts, flour, eggs, it must've been about ten foot high. Towering above the gates as well, it took me about three hours to clean all the s*** up. I don't know whether that was Newcastle fans or Sunderland fans. I waited all those years afterwards to get a penalty against Sunderland; it was my last ever kick of a ball. It was meant to be."
Shearer, as he mentions above, secured his revenge with a spot-kick in 2006 during his final touch of a football before hanging up his boots.
Sir Bobby Robson
Sir Bobby was at the helm of the Magpies for that notorious defeat to the Mackems in 2000/01. That campaign saw Robson face scrutiny after managing only an 11th-place finish in the Premier League.
However, the former England boss refused to let the loss overshadow his tenure as he reconstructed his squad and secured fourth position the following season, earning Champions League qualification. Sir Bobby subsequently claimed numerous derby victories both at St James' Park and the Stadium of Light.
Robson secured a draw against Sunderland in 2001/02 before claiming victory away from home, then duplicated the feat at St James' and on Wearside the subsequent campaign as the Black Cats suffered relegation.
Kevin Nolan
One of the Liverpudlian's earliest appearances for Newcastle came in a derby at St James' Park when Sunderland held the Magpies to a 1-1 stalemate in 2008/09. The two-point deficit turned out to be a decisive factor as Newcastle faced relegation that year.
However, Nolan maintained his cool and bided his time for the perfect opportunity. It arrived in spectacular style when he netted a hat-trick in a resounding 5-1 victory over the Wearsiders, cementing his status as a Geordie legend.
