Tony Britten thought he had seen it all. The man who wrote the Champions League anthem has watched Andrea Bocelli perform his masterpiece and even witnessed Cristiano Ronaldo mouth the iconic chorus before a huge game. But Sam Fender walking out at St James' Park to those familiar strains? That had never happened before.
"That was a first," Britten told ChronicleLive. "Goodness me - that's one to tell the grandchildren!"
Among those in attendance at Fender's gigs last month was Callum Wilson. A remarkable campaign had come to an end and the Newcastle number nine already knew he was now representing a Champions League club.
