Hundred matches in Europe for Newcastle

English north-east club Newcastle United started the 2006/07 UEFA Cup group matches with a significant win, having come all the way from the third round of the Intertoto Cup.

Antoine Sibierski's netting in the 1-0 triumph over Zico's Fenerbahce at St James's Park in Group H could prove vital to the club's prospects of progressing to the knock-out phase of the UEFA competition.

It was Sibierski's (ex-Manchester City) second European goal for Newcastle following his winner against FC Levadia Tallinn in Estonia.

Newcastle are currently tied on three points with Palermo. The Sicilians, who beat Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 in Germany, face Newcastle at home tonight.

With the current format, it is indeed vital for every side in the group to win the first home game. Three of the five teams in the group qualify for the knock-out stage.

Manager Glenn Roeder was very pleased with Sibierski's goal and the clean sheet obtained from a makeshift defence that had the new centre-back pairing of Steven Taylor and Peter Ramage - two homegrown Geordie duo.

Path to group phase

Intertoto Cup
Third round: Lillestrom (Norway) - Home 1-1 (Luque), Away 3-0 (Ameobi 2, Emre).

UEFA Cup
Second qualifying round: FK Ventspils (Latvia) - Away 1-0 (Bramble), Home 0-0.

First round: Levadia Tallinn (Estonia) - Away 1-0 (Sibierski), Home 2-1 (Martins 2).

Next group matches...

Today: Away vs Palermo.
November 23: Home vs Celta Vigo.
November 30: Away vs Eintracht Frankfurt.

Following their home match against Fenerbahce, Newcastle have now played a total of 100 games in Europe.

In this their 14th participation, the highlight of Newcastle's European career came when they won the Fairs Cup in 1969. Newcastle's history in the Fairs Cup and UEFA Cup in terms of digits and scorers:

1968-69 Fairs Cup
First round: Feyenoord - home 4-0 (Scott, Robson B., Gibb, Davies); away 0-2.

Second round: Sporting Lisbon - away 1-1 (Scott); home 1-0 (Robson B.).

Third round: Real Zaragoza - away 2-3 (Robson B., Davies); home 2-1 (Robson B., Gibb).

Quarter-final: Setubal - home 5-1 (Robson B. 2, Gibb, Davies, Foggon); away 1-3 (Davies).

Semi-final: Rangers - away 0-0; home 2-0 (Scott, Sinclair).

Final: Ujpest Dozsa - home 3-0 (Moncur 2, Scott); away 3-2 (Moncur, Arentoft, Foggon).

1969-70 Fairs Cup
First round: Dundee Utd - away 2-1 (Davies 2); home 1-0 (Dyson).

Second round: Porto - away 0-0; home 1-0 (Scott).

Third round: Southampton - home 0-0; away 1-1 (Robson B.).

Quarter-final: Anderlecht - away 0-2; home 3-1 (Robson B. 2, Dyson).

1970-71 Fairs Cup
First round: Inter - away 1-1 (Davies); home 2-0 (Moncur, Davies).

Second round: Pecs Dozsa - home 2-0 (Davies 2); away 0-2 (lost tie on penalty kicks).

1977-78 UEFA Cup
First round: Bohemians - away 0-0; home 4-0 (Gowling 2, Craig 2).

Second round: Bastia - away 1-2 (Cannell); home 1-3 (Gowling).

1994-95 UEFA Cup
First round: Antwerp - away 5-0 (Lee 3, Sellars, Watson); home 5-2 (Cole 3, Lee, Beardsley pen).

Second round: Athletic Bilbao - home 3-2 (Fox, Beardsley pen., Cole); away 0-1.

1996-97 UEFA Cup
First round: Halmstad - home 4-0 (Ferdinand, Asprilla, Albert, Beardsley); away 2-1 (Ferdinand).

Second round: Ferencvaros - away 2-3 (Ferdinand, Shearer); home 4-0 (Asprilla 2, Ginola, Ferdinand).

Third round: Metz - away 1-1 (Beardsley pen); home 2-0 (Asprilla 2).

Quarter-final: Monaco - home 0-1; away 0-3.

1999-00 UEFA Cup
First round: CSKA Sofia - away 2-0 (Solano, Ketsbaia); home 2-2 (Shearer, Robinson).

Second round: Zurich - away 2-1 (Maric, Shearer); home 3-1 (Maric, Ferguson, Speed).

Third round: Roma - away 0-1; home 0-0.

2003-04 UEFA Cup
First round: NAC Breda - home 5-0 (Bellamy 2, Bramble, Shearer, Ambrose); away 1-0 (Robert).

Second round: Basle - away 3-2 (Robert, Bramble, Ameobi); home 1-0 (Smiljanic og).

Third round: Valerenga - home 3-1 (Shearer 2, Ameobi); away 1-1 (Bellamy).

Quarter-final: PSV Eindhoven - away 1-1 (Jenas); home 2-1 (Shearer, Speed).

Semi-final: Marseille - home 0-0; away 0-2.

2004-05 UEFA Cup
First round: Hapoel Bnei - home 2-0 (Kluivert 2); away 5-1 (Kluivert 2, Shearer 3, 1 pen).

Group phase match one: Panionios - away 1-0 (Shearer pen).

Match two: Dynamo Tbilisi - home 2-0 (Shearer, Bellamy).

Match three: Sochaux - away 4-0 (Bowyer, Ameobi, Bellamy, Robert).

Match four: Sporting Lisbon - home 1-1 (Bellamy).

Third round: Heerenveen - away 2-1 (Shearer, Bowyer); home 2-1 (Breuer og, Shearer).

Fourth round: Olympiakos - away 3-1 (Shearer pen, Robert, Kluivert); home 4-0 (Dyer, Shearer 2, Bowyer).

Quarter-final: S. Lisbon - home 1-0 (Shearer); away 1-4 (Dyer).