It was the night the heavens opened and hell descended on Newcastle. Forget Tyne-Wear hostilities, it was the civil war between Ruud Gullit and Alan Shearer that blew a hole in the derby of 1999.

The Dutch boss named England’s captain on the bench and started instead with rookie Paul Robinson, a Sunderland fan, in attack. Duncan Ferguson was also kept in reserve, while Tommy Wright was in goal. Many fans arrived at St James’ Park not realising Wright had re-signed on an emergency loan.

When the line-ups were revealed in the press room, one journalist famously remarked: ‘That’s not a team sheet, it’s a suicide note.’

Meanwhile, in the visiting dressing room, it was advantage Sunderland, as striker Kevin Phillips remembers a quarter of a century on. ‘Reidy (boss Peter Reid) pinned the team sheet on the board and said, “I don’t need to give a team talk, just look at that. Go and win the game”. We all looked and said, “Wow. No Shearer. No Ferguson. They don’t like Gullit. They won’t be up for this!”.’

Phillips was wrong, at least in that Newcastle led 1-0 at half-time courtesy of Kieron Dyer. Ferguson was brought on ahead of Shearer before Niall Quinn equalised with a 64th-minute header.

Ruud Gullit named Alan Shearer as a substitute for the derby against Sunderland in 1999

The two butted heads during their time together at Newcastle, with Gullit sacked after losing the derby

Shearer had been on the pitch a matter of minutes when Phillips lifted the winner from inside the splash-pad of a goalmouth.

MATCH FACTS 

NEWCASTLE UTD 1 SUNDERLAND 2

St James’ Park, August 25, 1999

Newcastle United (4-4-2): Wright; Barton, Dabizas, Domi, Goma; Solano, McClen, Speed, Dyer; Robinson (Ferguson 57min), Maric (Shearer 72). Scorer: Dyer 28. Booked: McClen, Domi. Manager: Ruud Gullit.

Sunderland (4-4-2): Sorensen; Makin, Butler, Bould, Gray; Summerbee, McCann, Rae, Schwarz (Ball 69); Quinn, Phillips. Scorers: Quinn 64, Phillips 75. Booked: Butler, Phillips. McCann. Manager: Peter Reid.

Referee: Graham Poll. Attendance: 36,420.

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‘The ball hit a puddle and stopped dead,’ recalled the scorer. ‘Tommy Wright was out on me before I knew it. I spun off towards the corner of the six-yard box and thought, “I’ve still got a chance”. As I fell back, I scooped it, the only way I could in those conditions. I knew as soon as I caught it, “Goal!”. It was like slow motion and the ground was silent… an amazing feeling.

‘I’d scored a lot of goals, but I still never felt part of the club’s folklore. This was different. My first derby. I felt I’d become a hero.’

Phillips knew the sun was shining on his team — metaphorically, given the monsoon — when Kevin Ball smashed through a challenge with Ferguson 35 yards out and the ball flew towards Sunderland’s goal.

He said: ‘I was right behind it and I’m thinking, “Oh God, that’s in!”. It then smashes the crossbar and you just know, “This is our night”.’

John Carver was Gullit’s assistant manager. ‘I walked into Ruud’s office to dry myself off after the game and he was sitting there with a pad,’ he told Mail Sport. ‘He was writing his resignation note. I knew it was the end.’

The coach was also with Gullit when he revealed his plan to bench Shearer and Ferguson. ‘I was astonished,’ said Carver. 

‘I said, “Do you realise how big this game is?”. Ruud said, “I played in the Milan derby, that is bigger”. I’m convinced it was deliberate, that he was doing it because he wanted to leave.’

Then-Newcastle assistant, John Carver, said he 'was astonished' when he heard of Shearer being benched

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And leave he did, but not before Ferguson had beaten Shearer to banging on the door of the manager’s office the following morning. The pair demanded answers and got the one they wanted — Gullit was resigning.

Newcastle midfielder Rob Lee was exiled under the manager, and Phillips added: ‘Rob told me years later that he was the only person in Newcastle who celebrated my goal!’

On reflection, the biblical downpour that night was like the spiritual cleansing of a football club. Gullit went, Shearer and Lee stayed and Sir Bobby Robson arrived. From the gates of hell emerged a saviour. It is, perhaps, the only defeat in the history of the fixture that proved worthwhile.

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