Newcastle fans cycle to Dortmund for charity

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe greets the five charity cyclists at St James' Park

Five Newcastle United fans are cycling to Germany, ahead of the Magpies' Champions League clash with Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday.

The supporters hope to raise over £10,000 for the Bravehearts of the North East children's charity.

They left St James' Park on Saturday and, after taking the ferry from North Shields to Amsterdam, will make their way to the Signal Iduna Park stadium.

The aim is to be there ahead of kick-off at 17:45 GMT (18:45 local time).

The five fans - Michael Embleton, Jonny Purvis, Scott Beattie, William Jones and William Armstrong - describe themselves as "normal guys" rather than "avid cyclists".

So far they have raised over £5,500, and have had an offer to match that by up to £5,000.

The cyclists took the ferry from North Shields to Amsterdam on Saturday

Although they will cycle about 181 miles (291km) on their route to Germany, the 'fearsome fivesome' do not have tickets to attend the match itself.

They said the chance to raise money and follow their favourite team would push them through any pain barrier they might have to confront while cycling.

The trip is also a chance to take in the local scenery, albeit in wet weather, with a stop at Soestdijk Palace in Baarn

"We're a close-knit group, so we'll get through the challenging days together," Mr Purvis told BBC Radio Newcastle.

"The charity is in the back of our minds, and the great cause we are raising money for.

"If we can come away with three points as well, it would make the trip all the better."

Jonny Purvis (left) and Michael Embleton (right) are two of those cycling to Dortmund

Newcastle are hoping to secure a win over Dortmund, after losing 1-0 to the Bundesliga side when the German team visited Tyneside on 25 October.

The following day the German club's bus driver fell foul of parking restrictions in Tynemouth and was fined £50.

Bravehearts of the North East supports children with life-limiting and life-challenging conditions,

Chris Forster, of Bravehearts, said: "We're a pure self-funding charity, so we rely very much on the support of the guys, who've very kindly identified us as a charity they'd like to support.

"They have worked very, very hard [and] they are raising a lot of money for us, but more importantly, it's raising awareness of the charity - we are 35 next year," he added.