A disabled Newcastle United fan who was subjected to vile abuse as he made his way from the match was delighted when he was invited to be a special guest at St James' Park on Sunday.
The Chronicle revealed in December how, Luke Walker, who has cerebral palsy, was mocked by a by a cruel bus passenger in October following the Toon's victory over Aston Villa.
The 36-year-old season ticket holder told how the incident, which Northumbria Police is treating as a suspected hate crime, had put him off travelling from his home in Yarm to St James' Park.