Arsenal legend Martin Keown has revealed how Newcastle United supports made him fall in love with football.
The former Gunners and England defender opened up on how the passion of the 1974 FA Cup final made him vow to make it in the game.
The Magpies were due to face Liverpool at Wembley, and it was a chance encounter with United fans that sparked Keown's interest in the sport.
Writing for Sportsmail, Keown wrote: "In a 1987 Q&A for a magazine, I was asked who my childhood hero was, and I said Kevin Keegan. That was because he played a part in me getting into football in May 1974.
"I was seven at the time, and my mum and dad ran a mini-supermarket that also sold alcohol in Oxford.
"One day, two Geordie chaps came in, and bought all the Newcastle Brown Ale we had on the shelves. They cleared us out of the stuff!
"It was to drink while they supported their team in the FA Cup final that afternoon. Their excitement was infectious and, at the time, I was the only member of my family with an interest in football.
"Later that day, my mum put BBC One on our television for me, and I got to watch Liverpool face Newcastle."
In the end, it turned out to be a thoroughly disappointing afternoon for the Toon Army as Liverpool ran out comfortable winners.
But the occasion proved inspiring enough for Keown to dedicate himself to a career in football.
The former Arsenal defender added: "I watched every minute of it, from the build-up, to the players walking out in front of 100,000 at Wembley, to Keegan scoring twice for Liverpool in a very one-sided 3-0 win.
"I was taken aback by the passion of the fans. From that moment on, I knew what I wanted to do in life."
