Newcastle United had one of the strangest decisions of the season go against them in their clash with Burton Albion at St James’ Park on Wednesday night.
As Matt Ritchie stepped up to take a penalty for Rafa Benitez’s side, team-mate Dwight Gayle encroached into the area before the winger had kicked the ball.
In normal circumstances, the spot-kick would have been retaken, but after consultation with his linesman, referee Keith Stroud instead decided to award the Brewers an indirect free-kick much to the confusion of everyone in the stadium.
The match official was forced to issue an apology after the game – which the Magpies went on to win 1-0 as Ritchie did get on the scoresheet – after admitting he had got the ruling wrong.
It isn’t the only strange thing that has happened on Tyneside over the years though.
Here are FOUR strange St James’ Park incidents that Newcastle fans will never forget…
The Kieron Dyer/Lee Bowyer fight
With Newcastle trailing 3-0 to Aston Villa in a disappointing performance at St James’ Park, Magpies midfielder Lee Bowyer took his frustration with team-mate Kieron Dyer for failing to pass him the ball to another level.
In front of more than 50,000 fans, the two had it out on the field and were both dismissed by the referee – leaving the pitch with ripped shirts.
The duo were made to publicly apologise as they sat either side of manager Graeme Souness in an arranged press conference.
The Di Canio knee slide
With both sides facing relegation worries, Newcastle’s meeting with arch-rivals Sunderland in April 2013 had taken on extra significance.
Without a win at St James’ Park for 13 years, the Magpies would have been confident of turning over Paolo Di Canio’s Black Cats, but it didn’t quite turn out like that.
The Wearside outfit ran out comfortable 3-0 winners, with Di Canio sliding on his knees down the touchline – while wearing a suit – to celebrate Adam Johnson’s second goal.
The Italian then had to stand on the sidelines for the rest of the game with mud stains on his black trousers.
Steven Taylor’s handball
Incredibly, just ten minutes before Kieron Dyer and Lee Bowyer had been dismissed for fighting each other on the pitch against Aston Villa, Taylor was also red-carded in another strange incident.
After Darius Vassell had skipped past Magpies goalkeeper Shay Given, the centre-back was the only thing between the striker and putting the ball into the back of the empty net.
Vassell struck the ball towards goal and it clearly hit Taylor’s arm, although the defender tried to cover it up by rolling around the floor holding his midriff.
He didn’t fool referee Barry Knight, though, and it compounded a miserable day for the club.
That Arsenal game
While it may not have been strange in one sense of the word, it certainly was in another.
Trailing 4-0 after just 26 minutes – and still on 68 minutes – Newcastle looked to be heading to a humiliating home defeat against Arsenal at St James’ Park in 2011.
However, two penalties from Joey Barton (strange, right?), a goal from Leon Best and a stunning late Cheick Tiote strike – his only ever goal for the club in more than 150 appearances – somehow gave the hosts a point in one of the most exhilarating games in Premier League history.