Newcastle's Carabao Cup win: part feelgood story, part PR triumph for dictator state ambition | Barney Ronay

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Supporters are left with a choice of being a conduit for Saudi state propaganda or walking away and letting it win

Well, that's the nice bit done. Warm feelings, heritage bonds, a cocoon of distracting noise. Wembley is such a different place on these domestic cup days, certainly compared with the Cliff Richard concert vibe of a midweek international.

And that feeling was there right from the start of the Carabao Cup final on Sunday as Newcastle were awarded their first corner, drawing the most extraordinary outburst of noise, static, shared energy from one end to the other, filling all that empty Wembley air.