Heartwarming moment Newcastle United fan received tickets for his 80th birthday

Newcastle United super fan Eric Selby was gifted two tickets to the opening home game of the season by his grandson
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A long time Newcastle United fan has received tickets to a match for his birthday, with the 80-year-old superfan elated by the gift.

Eric Selby, 80, is a lifelong Newcastle United supporter and was almost brought to tears when his grandson, Liam Ashford, surprised him with tickets to the first home game of the season against Nottingham Forest.

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The last time Eric had attended a Newcastle United match was in the 1970s.

Superfan Selby will see Newcastle United on their opening game of the seasonSuperfan Selby will see Newcastle United on their opening game of the season
Superfan Selby will see Newcastle United on their opening game of the season

The 80-year-old started supporting the Toon Army along with his uncles when he was a young boy growing up in Gateshead and has been a fan ever since, even inspiring his grandson with a love for the club.

Liam’s girlfriend Emily Winestein videoed the heartwarming moment to show to Liam’s brother, Connor, who could not make it on the day of the gift giving.

Liam said: “I wanted to make sure my brother would be able to see the reaction, as we knew it would be a good one.”

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The video, which went viral when posted on Twitter, racked up over a million views including Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer, who sent a personalised message to Eric.

Eric, who is visually impaired, said: “Things like that never happen to me - I was absolutely gobsmacked and I’m still telling everyone about it now!

“I’m looking forward to just being in St James Park with my grandson and soaking up the incredible atmosphere”.

Liam said the public reaction to the video had been “insane”.

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“The messages are so lovely, and there’s hundreds of them - if we take up every pint we’ve been offered we wouldn’t even make it to the game.

“There were even messages from West Ham fans, Liverpool fans, even Sunderland fans and most couldn’t believe he was 80!

“Football supporters sometimes get a bad rep, but to me this response shows that football is truly a game for everyone.”