Keith Gillespie recalls night Newcastle beat Barcelona as Tino Asprilla flew to Bangor

Keith Gillespie has revisited the night Newcastle United beat Barcelona 3-2 in their first Champions League fixture, recalling both the decisive on-field partnership with Faustino “Tino” Asprilla and an unexpected reunion when Asprilla flew from Colombia to attend Gillespie’s 50th birthday in Bangor.

On Sept. 17, 1997, Asprilla scored a hat-trick at St. James’ Park, with Gillespie providing two crosses that the Colombian striker headed home. The victory, against a Barcelona side that featured Rivaldo, Luis Figo and Luis Enrique, remains one of the club’s most celebrated European nights.

Gillespie said he did not expect to find Asprilla at his birthday meal in Northern Ireland this year and was stunned when the former striker appeared among friends. Asprilla travelled roughly 5,000 miles from Bogota and spent the day trying to remain unnoticed before joining the celebrations. Gillespie said Asprilla, who arrived with former teammates John Beresford and Darren Peacock, made a short speech, danced and spent the evening smiling.

Recounting the match, Gillespie described the understanding between winger and striker. He said he had been matched with Sergi, then one of the world’s leading left-backs, and often relied on direct runs and pace rather than tricks. For the first goal he said he "stood him up" with a feint and delivered a cross that Asprilla headed in. For the second, Gillespie said he had started his run deep inside Newcastle’s half, which forced him to cross earlier than usual, but Asprilla’s movement sent a defender to the near post and the header found the net.

Asprilla’s first goal came after he beat goalkeeper Ruud Hesp and was fouled in the 22nd minute, winning a penalty that the striker converted after referee Pierluigi Collina had him move the ball slightly before taking the spot-kick. Asprilla has repeatedly denied diving, saying he had got to the ball first. He described the night as "one of the biggest games in the club's history" and recalled the crowd’s reaction and the presence of his father among the fans.

Gillespie emphasised that the performance was under the management of Kenny Dalglish, correcting a common recollection that Kevin Keegan was in charge. He noted the result had come on the back of a surprise defeat to Wimbledon earlier in the week and while Newcastle were without injured striker Alan Shearer and after the club had sold Les Ferdinand, making Asprilla’s contribution all the more pivotal.

Asprilla arrived at Newcastle in 1996 from Parma for a reported £7.5 million. He later said Parma were willing to sell because incoming coach Fabio Capello had listed him among those he did not want; Capello subsequently left for Real Madrid and the move to Tyneside went ahead. Asprilla has been candid about his lifestyle and occasional brushes with discipline; Gillespie recalled that Dalglish once fined Asprilla for missing a team meeting and said the Colombian often operated on what teammates called "Tino Time." Asprilla himself has joked about misunderstanding the clocks when they went back and turning up early as a result.

After the Barcelona victory, Gillespie said players returned to the Gosforth Park Hotel because Newcastle had a league game at West Ham the following Saturday and did not mark the night with a late celebration. He added that he has talked about the match "a thousand times" and that it remains a career highlight alongside victories with Northern Ireland.

The bond between Gillespie and Asprilla has endured. The pair speak monthly by video call, and Gillespie recalled Asprilla once showing him around his ranch in Colombia where, in jest, Asprilla pointed at a horse and implied Gillespie had backed it. Gillespie has previously spoken publicly about his struggles with a gambling addiction during his playing days; the anecdotes underline how personal relationships formed in football can persist beyond careers and national borders.

Gillespie also described a frightening incident at a Newcastle pub talk in 2018 when masked men carrying baseball bats burst into the room looking for someone who was not present. He said the men charged about for roughly 90 seconds before leaving; no one was hurt. Gillespie said he did not find the episode as terrifying as some might, given his upbringing in Northern Ireland, but added he hoped never to experience anything similar again.

The 3-2 victory over Barcelona remains a landmark in Newcastle’s European history. For Gillespie and Asprilla, the night’s events are tied to enduring memories, personal anecdotes and a friendship that continues decades later. Their combination of Gillespie’s pace and crossing and Asprilla’s aerial ability produced a result that is still recalled by fans and former players alike as one of the club’s greatest nights.