Although the Community Shield has been described by some media sources as a "glorified friendly",[REF][REF][REF] the 1996 renewal sparked considerable local interest as it was to be the club's first appearance at Wembley since losing the 1976 League Cup final to Manchester City [REF].
After such an intense build-up, Newcastle fans were ultimately left disappointed as their side were soundly beaten in, according to Journalist David Lacey, "the most passionate Charity Shield in living memory by the second biggest margin since the occasion moved to Wembley 22 years earlier" [REF].