Food bank's yearly bill paid for by fans
Getty ImagesFootball fans have helped raise more than £140,000 for a city food bank - enough to pay for an entire year's worth of food.
Newcastle United Fans Foodbank volunteers shake buckets outside St James' Park, and this season they collected about £73,000, which is being matched by club co-owner Jamie Reuben.
Co-founder of the volunteer group Bill Corcoran said the sum was more than enough to cover the £118,000 Newcastle Foodbank spent on food last year.
"We can't have starvation going on in this city unchallenged and that's why we decided to do something about it," he said.
The facility is used by up to 1,200 people a week - many of those being children and the elderly.
But that number could increase because of international issues such as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the Iran war forcing up food prices, Corcoran said.
He said it was the "greatest privilege of his life" to raise money for those in need and he thanked everyone who donated to the charity.
"We get enough thanks but you people, all of you individually, thousands of you, tens of thousands of you, thank you wherever you are right now," he said.
"Thank you for all you've done over the years because next year will be our 10th season, and that's probably too long, but thank you for staying with us."
