Newcastle United players were treated to a private concert from James Bay at the team’s hotel on the eve of the Carabao Cup final.
The Magpies switched up their cup final preparations from the 2023 showpiece when they stayed at the Hilton at Wembley. Back then it was deemed difficult for Newcastle players to enjoy much privacy before the big game against Manchester United which ended 2-0.
One of the difficulties for the players was they were unable to take a pre-match walk due to proximity of the fans waiting outside the hotel grounds. However, this time around Newcastle stayed on the outskirts of London at their Hertfordshire base.
And with all their preparations completed, the eve of the game saw the ‘Hold back the River’ singer serenade them with some of his greatest hits. Bay, who has supported Newcastle since he was a child due to his love for Alan Shearer, also sang Let it Go and Waste to entertain the players.
Speaking to fans at the Boxpark at Wembley, Bay told the 2,500 lucky ticket holders that he had a good feeling about Newcastle’s chances but would not sing another song until after the match. Talking to them about how he ended up being a Magpies, Bay said: “I have supported Newcastle since I was five. I don’t come from a football family.
“I loved Shearer and I asked my dad who does he play for and then decided to support them because of that!”
Also on stage at the Boxpark Wembley were Steven Taylor, Yohan Cabaye, Tim Krul and Ryan Taylor who were all roared on to the stage. All were hopeful that Newcastle could make some history at Wembley.
Whitley Bay lad Taylor said: “Back in the day we had only a few members of staff when me and Ryan were at the club. Now they have so many. Eddie is tough on his players.
“I think today will be intense today because of that preparations. I think Isak will be the game changer for Newcastle. A lot of people wrote Harvey Barnes off but this is his opportunity now. Good luck to him.”
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