Newcastle United's recent rollercoaster ride through the divisions and off-the-field turmoil are in stark contrast to the Tyneside club's earliest and most memorable days.

Famed for the number and fanaticism of their fans, the Magpies have demanded far more publicity than their actual success probably deserves.

Newcastle United Football Club have missed only one Premier League season (the first in 1992-93) and have finished in the top four on five occasions, most famously in 1996, under Kevin Keegan, when they let a 12-point lead over Manchester United slip to finish second, but there was been no major silverware of late.

Newcastle United originated, like many others in this era, when a local cricket club formed a football team in 1881 to keep fit in the winter.

They changed name a year later to Newcastle East End FC and turned professional in 1889. They eventually merged with bitter rivals Newcastle West End, moving to their St James' Park ground, and in December 1892 Newcastle United was born.

Newcastle Football Club joined the Football League in 1893 and success followed with three League titles, won in 1905, 1907 and 1909. The fourth and last Championship win came in 1927, inspired by the prolific Hughie Gallacher, who scored 38 League goals in 36 games.

Though League successes came to an end, the Magpies racked up an amazing six FA Cup triumphs, the last three coming in quick succession in 1951, 1952 and 1955, inspired by another legendary striker, 200-goal Jackie Milburn.

Newcastle United had to wait 13 years for the next significant success, clinching the Inter City Fairs Cup, now the UEFA Cup, by beating Hungarian side Ujpest over two legs.

The following years lacked trophies, but were studded with near misses in various cup competitions and a series of star names graced the famous Magpies shirt.

Strikers such as Malcolm Macdonald in the 1970s, Keegan and Peter Beardsley in the 1980s, Andy Cole, Les Ferdinand, Tino Asprilla, David Ginola and Alan Shearer in the 1990s were Newcastle United heroes, Shearer joining for a world-record £15 million from Blackburn and eventually overhauling Milburn's club-record goals tally with 206 in all competitions.

Recent campaigns have been marked by instability both at Newcastle United's boardroom level and in the manager's seat, with a host of big-name bosses, including Kenny Dalglish, Ruud Gullitt, Sir Bobby Robson, Graeme Souness, Sam Allardyce and Keegan again, all trying to bring back the glory days.