They were last champions in the 1920s. The 1920s! I myself was astonished when I looked it up a few years ago. The mackems have been champions more recently. That's a fact.
Looked at coolly, and setting hatreds aside (I personally don't hate the Geordies, never have done, but there's those on here who do — fair enough) they are almost certainly the most underachieving big club across the entire league. Of course there are those who will immediately scoff and say that they aren't a big club, but by any other metric than trophies they actually are. The north-east loves its football, always has done (Newcastle, Sunderland and Middlesbrough, whichever one you take). It is the big underachieving region in the land.