The inside story of Newcastle United-themed 'pub team' who face Man Utd foes in historic Euro tie

Brunos Magpies, from Gibraltar, are set to take on Copenhagen, who dumped the Red Devils out of Europe’s premier competition last season, on Thursday in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League.

They saw off former Irish champions Derry City in the first round qualifier, to set up the historic tie.

And here’s a potted history of the club.

How Bruno’s Bar became Bruno’s Magpies

If you’re a Newcastle United fan, clued up about the smaller leagues of European football or just so happen to have visited Gibraltar, then you may know all about Bruno’s Magpies. There’s also a fair chance you won’t.

Wearing black and white stripes and named after United for ten years, the link between the clubs only recently grew stronger with the Toon’s own addition of a Bruno. “It’s mad really. What we’re hoping for one day is for Bruno Guimaraes to buy us and then he can have his own team named after him already,” jokes Louis Perry.

Founder and chairman, Louis has also been a player, the director of football and kitman for Bruno’s Magpies. 9-5 he’s an estate agent too.

“It’s been a long 10 years,” Louis laughs.

The Magpies were set up with a particular goal in mind. After moving over from the south of England in 2012, Louis just wanted to play football, something which turned out to be much harder than it ought to have been.

The Gibraltar National League didn’t used to be a serious league, “It was a pub league, really, until Gibraltar joined UEFA- then things got a little more serious,” says Louis.

Even though it wasn’t an overly-competitive league, no local team would let him play.

Despite being a forward, when Louis’ first chance at a trial came around he decided to say he was a left-back- because that’s what the team needed: “I got a trial with a team who hadn’t won a game for two years and I scored two goals. At the end of it I went up to the manager feeling like Messi and thinking I’m going to get my contract, but they basically said ‘unfortunately the assistant manager is a left-back and we probably don’t want to p--- him off.’

“That was it, I couldn’t do it.”

So he decided to set up his own team. After going to the Gibraltar Football Association and realising he needed £500 to set up a first team and another 500 for a reserve team he went to his nan, who owned a bar on the strip called Bruno’s. She also agreed to sponsor the team.

“Next I went to my good friend Mick Embleton, who’s from Newcastle, because I needed an ‘adult’ and he had some coaching abilities,” laughs Louis.

He asked Mick to be the manager and he said yes on one condition: the team be called ‘The Magpies’ and wear black and white stripes.

“He forced my hand a little bit,” he admits. Louis is a lifelong Portsmouth supporter.

Bruno’s Magpies evolved from there, but their recruitment drive proved to be challenging.

“At the start we didn’t know how to get players, so I would just go to the bar with Mick and go up to anyone that looked relatively in shape and asked if they played football,” says Louis. “We were doing trials on the beach because there are only two pitches.

“It was done so aesthetically, all we could do is look at people and go ‘yeah, he looks alright.’”

Four Geordies ended up making it into that first team, but Louis jokes this may be because Mick was picking and was hoping for some homegrown talent.

And it’s a link that seems to persevere even a decade later.

“Geordies being Geordies, whenever they come over to Gib they end up finding out about the Magpies,” says Louis. “20 guys came to watch once when they were on a stag do before they went out drinking. It’s a different level, you are built differently.”

Looking back on the ten years, Louis adds: “It’s been a long old slog but it’s been really enjoyable and we’ve had lots of fun doing it.”