North celebrities willing their teams to victory

May 24 2009 by Coreena Ford, Sunday Sun

FOOTBALL mad celebrities from around the North have told how they are willing the region’s top teams to victory on “Survival Sunday”.

Some will be glued to telly sets, radios and in stadium stands today, as Newcastle Utd, Sunderland and Middlesbrough face the fight of their lives in titanic battles against Aston Villa, Chelsea and West Ham respectively.

But others have admitted the tension will be too much to bear, prompting them to make other plans to keep them distracted.

In the Sunderland camp, former Top of the Pops producer Chris Cowey will be suffering in exile in London, where he’ll be watching the action in a pub.

He said: “I have a “Likely Lads” ritual every Saturday of avoiding any football scores to heighten my enjoyment of Match Of The Day but I don’t think that’s going to happen today, not without going into some David Blaine-style self-imposed total blackout.

“We all know the possible permutations, the cheers and tears, football’s final day fickle finger of fate, when the unthinkable really can and will happen, and I hope those rich lads who are representing our fiercely proud North-East clubs this weekend run on to the pitch with just a bit of that pride in their shirts.

“I wish I was there, I wish both Sunderland and Newcastle could avoid the Championship, but for Boro sadly it seems a lost cause.”

Agony aunt Denise Robertson – Sunderland Away Supporters Club vice president – will be holding her breath today, and willing on all three North teams.

She said: “I know how important all the teams in the region are to the supporters, so it’s a shame any of them have to go down.

“What I find particularly hard is if Sunderland stay up it can only be at the expense of another North East side.

“Football matters to us. It’s one of the few things we can take pride in, which is why it’s difficult when things aren’t going well.

“I’ll be keeping everything crossed . . . my fingers, toes and my kidneys.”

Author Terry Deary, pictured left, creator of the Horrible Histories, remembers when Sunderland were relegated from the top flight for the first time over 50 years ago.

He said: “They were playing Chelsea at Roker Park. Defeat meant they went down. So, that day, I went for a walk from my home in Seaburn to Whitburn while the match was on. Anything to avoid the tension.

“Sunderland lost 1-0.

“Fifty years on it’s no better. So this time I’m off for a 10-mile run round the hills of Durham from 4pm till 6pm. I won’t be back till it’s all over and the fates are decided. Being a Mackem, of course I expect the worst.”

Racing pundit John McCririck, an ardent Toon supporter says statistics are against Newcastle.

He said: “But if we win there’s a good chance we’ll be all right. Of course playing Aston Villa that’s a big ‘if’. It’s a huge ask.

“If we look back on what’s been a terrible season for me, one of the crucial moments was when we let James Milner go . . . to Aston Villa.

“I just hope it’s not him who returns to spell disaster for Newcastle.”

Magpies fan Geordie actress Denise Welch, pictured left, said: “It would be terrible if we go down, but it’s testament to our region that the fans will still stick by the team.”

Viz creator and stand-up comic Simon Donald, who will be watching the Newcastle match on TV with pals, said: “I’m very worried about today, but if we go down it’s because we are terrible, and we have been all season.”

Meanwhile, the Middlesbrough celebrity contingent are braced for bad news.

Maximo Park frontman Paul Smith said: We’re having a Maximo Park footy tournament to take my mind off the whole affair, with a trophy, medals and a player of the year statuette . . . it’s serious stuff.”

Lifelong Boro fan and Riverside regular Roy Chubby Brown, had plenty to say, but not much we could print.

He said: “We really are utter s****. If Middlesbrough had two good wingers they still wouldn’t take off.”