A mum has come up with an ingenious plan to keep the peace with her warring identical twin sons who support rival football teams - by creating amazing half-and-half birthday cakes.
Dylan and Craig Atkinson from Leam Lane, Gateshead, turned 18 on Monday but despite their similarities in looks, the pair couldn't be more different. While Dylan supports Newcastle United like his mam Laura, Craig has followed in Laura's step-dad's shoes by supporting Sunderland AFC.
The differing football loyalties started when the lads were about 10 years old and have continued throughout their lives. Laura said it can cause the odd family feud and has even led to Dylan and Craig no longer being friends on Facebook.
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And to help keep the peace, Laura, 36, decided to celebrate her boy's differences by getting them half-and-half football cakes every year for their birthday. The cakes have gone down a treat with the boys and others as Laura shares the crazy creations on Facebook.
She said: "Even though I'm a Newcastle fan I can't just get a Newcastle cake, it pains me to have to buy red and white things! On one of their birthdays, Craig had a full red cake to himself for Sunderland and Dylan had a black and white one but Craig wanted red sponge too!
"They absolutely love their cakes. Every year we have to get a football cake, people have started asking me: 'What are you going to do this year?' I start planning their birthday cakes from April."
This year's cake that Laura made was a white two-tiered cake with fondant versions of Dylan and Craig sitting on a sofa with one wearing a Newcastle shirt and the other wearing a Sunderland shirt. But the differing football teams is only one part of their personalities with Laura saying they are "chalk and cheese".
Laura said: "They are chalk and cheese right down to football clubs. From when they were 10, one was Newcastle and the other was Sunderland and that's how it's been all through these years.
"I'm a big Newcastle fan so Dylan followed me and my step-dad is mad about Sunderland so Craig follows my step-dad. It's got its good points and bad points but at least we don't have to deal with derby days anymore!
"When they were nine or ten, on derby days, Dylan would be singing Newcastle chants and Craig would be singing Sunderland chants. One year, I taped them back-to-back and stuck a sock in their mouths it got that bad!
"As a joke, we always say to Craig 'Mind the step' because of where Newcastle are compared to Sunderland! We joke with Craig that they were both born in the RVI in Newcastle too!"
Laura said things can get a bit heated but said the twins have always got each other's backs. She said: "They're identical twins but they couldn't be more different. They have always got each other's backs - except when it comes to football! They do get quite mad with each other, I have known them to unfollow each other on Facebook over football scores!
"Sunderland won the other night and Newcastle got beat and when we were having a takeaway before their 18th birthday Craig was saying: 'Yous got beat' and Dylan said about Newcastle being better than Sunderland and I just think when are they going to give up?!"
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