"Stand Up If You Love The Toon!"

And now the FA are about to act, just as they did with Manchester United supporters a couple of years ago. The FA feel the only way to stop this yearning for the terraces, is to slash their ticket allocation..

This weekend's match at Smog City will see the Magpies receive just 50% of their normal allocation at the Riverside Stadium because Boro claim they have failed to listen to previous warnings about the dangers of standing.

Newcastle fought the ban, but the club failed in their appeal to have the decision by the Middlesbrough Council Safety Advisory Group over-turned.

Amazing though it may seem, but Manchester United (of all clubs) complained about the behaviour of Newcastle's travelling contingent in recent seasons. And there has been support from the most unlikeliest of clubs - Sunderland - who have given the club 500 more tickets than usual for the Easter Monday derby, taking the United fans' total to 3,500.