8 odd questions about Newcastle – and all the fascinating answers
Why are Newcastle United called the Magpies? Join us as we explore 8 fun facts about the Toon.
Every second, around 99,000 search queries are made on Google. People turn to the internet for everything from makeup tips to health concerns, from information about home insurance to dating advice.
So, it's no surprise that people are asking some searching questions about Newcastle, the largest city in Tyne and Wear and home to around 300,000 Geordies.
Ready to have your mind tickled? Here are eight weird questions about the Toon – and their equally fascinating answers.
1. How many Greggs are there in Newcastle?
Today, Greggs is a household name with more than 2,000 branches in the UK. But did you know the very first Greggs was opened in Newcastle?
Yes, the Greggs steak bake is up there with Newcastle's greatest contributions to the world – and it's all thanks to John Gregg, who set up his bakery on Gosforth High Street in 1951.
Despite its foundational role in the Greggs story, Newcastle ranks ninth in the 2024
list of "Cities with the most number of Greggs locations in the United Kingdom".
Top of the list is, of course, London – but it's curious to note that London's eight-million-odd population has the same number of branches as Glasgow's 600-odd thousand.
Newcastle has 20 branches serving a population of around 300,000. Whatever its ranking, Newcastle is Greggs' birthplace and the
sausage roll capital of the UK.
2. Why are people from Newcastle called Geordies?
There's no definitive answer to this question. It could come from the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745 when Newcastle favoured King George against the Jacobites. Could "Geordie" be a nickname for "supporters of George"?
Others say it comes from the coal mines of Durham and Northumberland. Still others say it's from the miners' lamp used in the area, invented by George Stephenson. Or could it be, as writer Frank Graham maintains, a dialect word for "fool" – meant as a pejorative but ultimately adopted as a badge of pride? We may never know.
3. Which Newcastle players are Geordies?
Like all Premier League teams, Newcastle United has players from all over the world, including Spain, Denmark and Sweden. But how many are from Newcastle itself?
The answer for the 2024/2025 squad is just two: goalkeeper Mark Gillespie and central midfielder Sean Longstaff.
However, the North East is also represented by Dan Burn (Blyth, Northumberland) and Lewis Miley (Stanley, County Durham).
The team itself is owned by a consortium that includes the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
4. Why are Newcastle United called the Magpies?
Like Crystal Palace and Leicester City, Newcastle United is an example of a team whose nickname derives from its crest.
Today's crest incorporates elements of the city's coat-of-arms. At its centre is a black-and-white-striped shield held up by two grey hippocamps (a type of mythological sea horse).
However, from 1976 until 1983, team players wore a badge that showed a magpie standing in front of the River Tyne, with the Castle Keep in the background. This design was simplified in 1983 before being discontinued in 1988.
But why a magpie? The answer relates to the black and white stripes of the Newcastle kit, adopted in 1894. This put people in mind of the Eurasian magpie – and hence the nickname was born.
Meanwhile, the club's supporters are known as the "Geordies" or the "Toon Army". The latter comes from the Geordie pronunciation of the word "town".
5. Why is Newcastle called Newcastle?
British place names are a fascinating puzzle. Figuring out where one comes from can feel like attempting a cryptic crossword with a hangover. But could Newcastle really be named after… a new castle?
Yes, it could. In 1080, Robert Curthose, the son of William the Conqueror, built a wooden castle on the River Tyne to defend against the Scots. It was named "Newcastle" after the Latin "Novem Castellum".
If it hadn't been for the Norman Conquest, Newcastle might be known by a different name altogether. The Romans called it "Pons Aelius" or "Aelian Bridge" (pretty cool). The Anglo-Saxons called it "Monkchester" (also cool, but lacking Aelian Bridge's sci-fi vibe).
Today, you can visit and explore the two buildings that make up Newcastle Castle, the Castle Keep and the Black Gate. In fact, castle-philes are spoilt for choice in the North East, which has some remarkable fortresses along the coast.
6. What rhymes with Newcastle?
"There once was a man from Newcastle…" How would you continue this limerick?
Partial rhymes for Newcastle include tassel, vassal and hassle. Pronouncing it with a long a (new-car-stle) unlocks parcel and metatarsal – but it might not sit well with the Geordies themselves.
As for full rhymes, well, that's one for the poets among you to figure out. There once was a man from Newcastle whose hat had a lovely blue tassel? There's room for improvement, for sure…
7. Was Lucozade invented in Newcastle?
Believe it or not, the answer to this strange question is yes.
Perhaps it's the word "Lucozade" itself that suggests it's a more recent invention. Surely, you might think, Lucozade was made in 1980s USA?
But no. First known as "Glucozade", the energy drink was concocted by Newcastle pharmacist William Walker Hunter as long ago as 1927. It was bought out in 1938 by Beecham's – yes, that Beecham's – and was promised to "aid recovery" from illness.
These days, it's primarily known as a sports drink, partly thanks to advertising campaigns by athlete Linford Christie and Newcastle footballers John Barnes and Alan Shearer. But back then, you'd get it at the pharmacy and be given it when you visited the hospital.
What next – Monster was originally a fine wine? Nothing surprises us anymore.
8. Can Newcastle beat Arsenal?
This is a question that has exercised many. Well, it's happened before, so who's to say it won't happen again?
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