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Toon Army Converge On New York
Written by Newcastle Utd
United will be roared on by more than 100 Magpies supporters from across the Atlantic on Sunday
A corner of New York City will turn black and white on Sunday when more than 100 Newcastle United fans from across North America converge on the Big Apple for a special Tyne-Wear derby screening.
The event has been organised by members of the Toon Army USA supporters group, with Magpies fans from cities across the United States and Canada joining forces with Toon Army New York regulars at the Football Factory bar at Legends, directly opposite the Empire State Building.
Supporters from locations including Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, Miami, Philadelphia, St. Louis and Toronto will all be in attendance - with all Newcastle fans in the area welcome to come along. Admission is free.
Steve Hunter, one of the organisers from Toon Army Dallas, said: "I went to New York to watch the derby back in 2013 and I was blown away by the passion and the sheer numbers of Newcastle fans there.
"I was struck that none of the other Toon Armies in the States were there for the big game though, and I'd always wanted to change that. So this year I thought I'd try and set up a meet with all the Toon Armies in America.
"We set up an event on Facebook and immediately we had close to 100 people sign up from all over the States. It's been so popular we've designed a T-shirt specifically for the event."
With passion for Premier League football on the rise in North America, the group is already considering similar events for future derby fixtures, with Chicago and Dallas already potential host cities.
Steve added: "The Toon Armies in the States have seen membership rapidly increase over the last couple of years, with new groups opening up all the time.
"We currently have 220 members in Toon Army Dallas, mostly from the Dallas/Fort-Worth area. We now boast a regular crowd of between 30-40 for every game. One-hunded degree heat, tornado watches, ice storm... Toon Army Dallas always shows up!"
Sunderland vs Newcastle United kicks off at 4pm BST (11am ET) on Sunday, 5th April. Legends, in New York City, will be open from 8.30am (ET) and admission is free.