The most frequently cited explanation for the term "Geordie" is the Geordie-lamp designed by George Stephenson to protect the miners of the north-east from the dangers of pit life in the last century. As a new millennium approaches, not only is Geordie now synonymous with football rather than mining, it has an international dimension seen to the full at St James's Park yesterday.
In progressing to a second consecutive FA Cup semi-final, Newcastle United were indebted to their Georgian Geordie, Temuri Ketsbaia, and a Greek Geordie called George Georgiadis.
Ketsbaia, who had a marvellous game, scored the first and third, Georgiadis, a 55th minute substitute, the decisive second. Somehow it was inevitable, and appropriate, that the glorious fourth came from the boot of the only Geordie-born player in black and white stripes, Alan Shearer.
Shearer's goal arrived in the 81st minute and topped a rousing half hour passage of play to which Everton contributed fully, but in which Newcastle scored three times. Last year's beaten finalists now face either Tottenham or the team they defeated in last season's quarter-finals, Barnsley, and no doubt all Geordies will be rooting for Barnsley.
Meeting the Yorkshire-men would represent another spoonful of that most vital of FA Cup ingredients, luck. Newcastle certainly had some yesterday: Ketsbaia's 21st minute opener deflected off Marco Materazzi and Georgiadis's goal, which made it 2-1, also took a fortuitous ricochet off Everton's Italian defender.
Evertonian minds have something rather immediate on which to concentrate: Wednesday night's titanic relegation clash against Blackburn at Ewood Park.
They need not be too downhearted, for Walter Smith's side, even 2-1 down, were still in the game, though by then they were chasing it.
Smith deserves credit for the calibre of the chase as it was his adventurous decision at half time to push Don Hutchinson up front alongside the under-achieving Francis Jeffers and Danny Cadamarteri that produced Everton's revival and their equaliser.
A spectacular strike it was too, and from an unlikely source - David Unsworth. Collecting the ball 25 yards out after Hutchinson's direct and effective run, Unsworth worked it past Steve Howey before hitting an unstoppable diagonal drive into Shay Given's top left hand corner from 20 yards.
Newcastle United: Given, Barton, Domi, Howey, Dabizas, Lee, Maric (Georgiadis 54), Hamann, Solano, Shearer, Ketsbaia. Subs Not Used: Harper, Charvet, Saha, Brady. Booked: Barton, Dabizas. Goals: Ketsbaia 21, 73, Georgiadis 61, Shearer 81.
Everton: Myhre, Materazzi, Weir, Watson, Unsworth, Barmby, Hutchison, Grant, O'Kane, Cadamarteri (Oster 73), Jeffers (Bakayoko 73). Subs Not Used: Simonsen, Short, Branch. Booked: Hutchison. Goals: Unsworth 57.
Referee: G Barber (Pyrford).
