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      Plans to install new football regulator would destroy the Premier League, warns Reform MP Rupert Lowe

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      A NEW football regulator would destroy the Premier League, ministers have been warned.Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe said a quango would strangle the competitiveness of one of Britain’s best assets.Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe, former chairman of Southampton FC and FA Board member, said setting up a regulator could see the Premier League destroyedCredit: PAHe insisted the league had built itself up without “interference from government or the state” and did not need it now. Mr Lowe — former chairman of Southampton FC and FA Board member — said setting up any regulator would be an own goal.Speaking to The Sun’s Never Mind The Ballots show, he said: “The Premier League’s an unbelievable success.“It brings huge soft power to Britain, it brings huge amounts of tax revenue to the Exchequer.”READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWSHe then warned that London’s once world-beating financial centre was “destroyed by regulation”.He asked: ““Will the Government take responsibility if football goes the same way as our financial markets after they introduce a regulator?“Light touch self-regulation built the Premier League. Regulation will destroy it.”Mr Lowe also called for the lifting of the 3pm blackout, which forbids matches being shown live on UK television at the traditional kick-off time on Saturdays. Most read in FootballThe regulator would have powers to force Premier League sides to bail out cash-strapped lower-tier teams, clamp down on dodgy owners and ban clubs joining breakaway “super leagues”.The Tories introduced the Football Governance Bill but have since pulled their support.Unify League explained after European Super League launches again in new format Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy is battling to get the legislation through the Lords where a cabal of peers is trying to sink it.Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy is fighting to push the legislation through the Lords, where a group of peers is trying to block itCredit: GettyA new football regulator planned by Labour would destroy the Premier League, ministers have been warnedCredit: AFP More

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      I was going to the toilet 40 times a day, it nearly finished my career – FA Cup star opens up on horror bowel disease

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      JACK FITZWATER has revealed how he thought his football career was in jeopardy when he was forced to visit the toilet 40 times a day.The defender hopes to help League One club Exeter topple Champions League-chasing Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup at St James Park on Tuesday.Jack Fitzwater has opened up on his struggles with colitisCredit: RexThe Exeter defender revealed he was playing through pain and discomfort to hide itCredit: RexColitis is an inflammatory bowel diseaseCredit: GettyThe 27-year-old thought his career was in jeopardyCredit: RexBut two years ago his health and career were in peril when he started suffering from colitis — an inflammatory bowel disease.Fitzwater, 27, admits he was so embarrassed by his increasing visits to the loo he tried to hide his problem from everyone before telling family, close friends and eventually team-mates.He told SunSport: “It came out of the blue in February 2023. The symptoms steadily got worse.“As a man you try to hide it so I didn’t get seen until that summer, after the season had finished, and by that time the symptoms were terrible.“It’s only then I discovered I had colitis, which is an inflammation of the bowel and you can get it at any age, any time.“When you’re a footballer people think you’re young, fit and healthy. But privately I was struggling.“Symptoms can be blood in your stools, huge fatigue and feeling generally unwell.“I went to the toilet 40 times a day at the worst point. People think you’ve got to be making that up but anyone with colitis or Crohn’s disease will understand it’s a real problem.“It’s not only draining mentally but physically as well.”Fitzwater managed to get through most training sessions and games despite suffering discomfort — so to his team-mates everything would have appeared normal.What is Ischemic ColitisBut he admitted: “I would have to on occasion during the warm up run off and go to the toilet.“I was still able to perform at a decent level in games despite the pain but there were times I had been up during the night for hours so getting up in the morning was a nightmare.”Although he was able to hide his problem from team-mates for some time, it was impossible to do so in his personal life.His toilet visits were far too regular at home.He said: “My fiancee and family started noticing so I had to tell them.“We all deal with things in different ways. I hid it because I’m a man — and you don’t want to show weakness to anyone or anything.“Yet you later realise when you do and speak to the people you need, the problem gets fixed quicker than if you were to hide it all the time.“It was hard and embarrassing for me but anyone who has had it will understand how horrible it is.“Thankfully, I finally listened to what my body was telling me and went to see doctors and got the right treatment. Being comfortable with being vulnerable was something that helped me out hugely.”Fitzwater says listening to medical specialists must always be the priority because once treated the problem can be sorted.Colitis: All you need to knowWhat is colitis and what are the symptoms?Colitis is a condition where the colon and rectum become inflamed.The colon is the large intestine, or bowel, and the rectum is the end of the bowel where stools are stored. Ulcers can develop on the colon’s lining and bleed and produce pus.Ulcerative colitis is a form of colitis that is caused by autoimmune inflammation (the body attacking itself), whereas colitis can be caused by a number of factors including infection.Ulcerative colitis is similar to another condition which causes inflammation of the gut – Crohn’s disease.Symptoms can often be very mild for weeks or months but flare ups with extreme symptoms can cause a lot of pain and trouble for sufferers.Flare ups can include painful and swollen joints, mouth ulcers, areas of painful, red and swollen skin and irritated and red eyes.In addition to this people will often need to empty their bowels six or more times a day and have shortness of breath, a fast or irregular heartbeat, high temperature and blood in stools.Stress can be a factor as can a gut infection.Who can be affected by colitis and how does it differ from Crohn’s disease?It is thought that about one in every 420 people in the UK has ulcerative colitis.It is more common in people of European descent, especially those descended from Ashkenazi Jewish communities and black people.The condition is rarer in people from Asian background, although the reasons for this are unclear.The difference between ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease is that colitis is limited to the colon, while Crohn’s disease can occur anywhere between the mouth and the anus.In Crohn’s disease, there are healthy parts of the intestine mixed in between inflamed areas, on the other hand, ulcerative colitis, is continuous inflammation of the colon.Former Chelsea midfielder Ray Wilkins, who died aged 61 after suffering a heart attack, battled poor health including ulcerative colitis.The defender advises against going online to search for the symptoms and take the results as gospel.He said: “The worst thing was going on to Google and doing a search. I found some accounts on Instagram of people who have had it and shared their experiences.“You end up fearing the worst-case scenario but, once you get to know what it’s about, you come to terms with it and understand it can be effectively treated.”Fitzwater was overwhelmed by the support he received from the club and later the wider public when he decided to let everyone know on social media that he was suffering with colitis.He said: “I told people on my private Instagram account and got so much good feedback — and then made it public by explaining what it was and what I was doing about it. It gained lots of traction.“It’s helped a lot of people. So many people in sport and other walks of life have messaged me since then gone and got treatment.“The club, management, coaches and team-mates have been massive. Only the physios and doctors knew at first.“They have all been helpful and asked me questions about what it was. They didn’t have a clue about it.“And then, as is the case in football, everything moves on to the next thing and life is back to normal.”Fitzwater battled the condition for 18 months and is now feeling fit and healthy.The Grecians ace is back in the team and has been an important part of the club’s run to the fourth round to set up this tie against the Premier League big guns.He said: “I must take medication daily and will do so for the rest of my life. It’s part of my morning routine now. I take it with my vitamins.“It’s all about staying as healthy as possible and enjoying my football.”Fitzwater recalled how he had to go to the toilet 40 times in one day at its worstCredit: GettyHe said the worst thing someone can do is searching the internet and taking results as gospelCredit: GettyHe hopes speaking out will help others who have been hit by the diseaseCredit: Rex More

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      Kyle Walker’s new Italian love revealed as he stays at £2,200-a-night hotel suite following AC Milan move

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      LOVE rat Kyle Walker appears to have a secret new passion — for olives.The footie ace has been gorging on them as he embraces his new Italian life away from marriage woes with wife Annie in the UK.Kyle Walker appears to have a secret new passion — for olivesCredit: Gary StoneThe love rat has been gorging on them as he embraces his new Italian life away from his marital woes with wife Annie in the UKCredit: SplashWalker fathered two lovechilds with his ex Lauryn GoodmanCredit: AlamyThe former Man City captain, who fathered two love children with his ex Lauryn Goodman, is now on loan at AC Milan.He is staying in a suite at a five-star hotel in the city.And we can reveal Kyle, 34, seems to have left his wild nights out behind — instead tucking into olives in the hotel bar before getting an early night.When his side triumphed over AS Roma in the quarter final of the Coppa Italia on Wednesday, the defender promptly called it a night and went home.Read More on SportOne staff member at the Melia Hotel — where rooms go for £2,200 a night — said: “When I think of Walker I think of olives. He just loves eating olives.“He comes to the bar often. He doesn’t drink beer or anything like that. I’ve only seen him with a friend he hangs out with. I don’t know what is going on behind the door in his room but he is behaving by the looks of things.”Kyle has also been splashing cash at Milan boutiques, such as Hermes where modest jackets sell for thousands of euros.He was seen clutching the brand’s bag in Quadrilatero della Moda, a district lined with high end stores.Most read in FootballIt comes amid further ­turmoil as reports suggest ex Lauryn, 34, could be moving to Italy too.She got pregnant with son Kairo while Kyle was on a break from Annie in 2019.Kyle Walker’s wife Annie Kilner set to get £750k to star in Celeb Big Brother – but only if bosses agree to strict ruleHe got back together with Annie and they wed in 2021.But he and Lauryn briefly rekindled their relationship and daughter Kinara was conceived in 2022.We recently reported that Kyle and Annie were barely speaking to each other.AIDS HEALTH & FERTILITYOLIVES are known for boosting fertility and health — eat enough and your system will work brilliantly.They’re packed with vitamins and minerals and so help to keep everything functioning really well, which tends to make you a better sportsman. My advice to Kyle would be to keep eating them — especially if you want more kids. More

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      England legend Bobby Moore’s ‘gem of a find’ West Ham top set to sell for HUGE sum

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      A FOOTIE shirt worn by England and Hammers legend Bobby Moore is set to sell for £18,000.The long-sleeved West Ham top was sold to fan Colin Fitzgerald, 12, for 2s 6d (£1.25 today), by the club’s groundsman in the mid-1960s.A football shirt worn by England and Hammers legend Bobby Moore is set to sell for £18,000Credit: GettyThe long-sleeved West Ham top was sold to fan Colin Fitzgerald, 12, for £1.25 in the mid-1960sThe online auction for the ‘gem of the find’ shirt is with Stacey’s, of Rayleigh, EssexBrother Peter, 69 is selling to help his son buy a house.Bobby won the World Cup in 1966. He died in 1993.The online auction is with Stacey’s, of Rayleigh, Essex.Expert Dave Davies said: “This is a gem of a find.”READ MORE ON FOOTBALL“I expect it to go for well over £10,000 and this is the first time I have seen a genuine Bobby Moore West Ham shirt.”But it could be much higher.“The theories over the whereabouts of his disappeared England shirt make it all the more valuable to a generation of fans who think Bobby is perhaps the greatest defender ever.“Other shirts worn by famous players like Eric Cantona, George Best and Gazza have gone for huge prices – so this could run into the tens of thousands.Most read in Football“If there is more than once dedicated collector bidding for it, its value could soar.”Dave Alexander, of Football Wanted – helping with the auction – said: “The authenticity of this shirt is second to none, and the price could go through the roof.”Bobby Moore’s family launching legal bid to get back his lost 1966 World Cup shirt worth £1mUnlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme – Sun Club. More

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      Man quizzed under caution for ‘head-butting security guard at former Man Utd star Nicky Butt’s 50th birthday party’

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      A MAN has been quizzed under caution for allegedly head-butting a security guard at a 50th birthday party for former Manchester United star Nicky Butt.The Sun told last week of the alleged assault at swanky private members’ club Soho Farmhouse.Nicky Butt’s birthday party was held at celeb haunt Soho Farmhouse, OxfordshireCredit: soho farmhouseGuests at the party included David and Victoria BeckhamCredit: GettyThe suspect was questioned by police in the presence of a solicitor at an undisclosed location. Police are still continuing to probe the January 24 incident at Great Tew, Oxon.Trouble erupted between 7pm and 8pm following a lunch held for ex-England star Butt and attended by his Man Utd Class of 92 team-mates David Beckham, Gary Neville, Paul Scholes and their Wags.Around 30 guests were at the lunch to celebrate Butt’s birthday three days earlier.READ MORE ON FOOTBALLA man at the party is said to have caused offence by urinating against a courtyard wall. When the guard told him to stop he was then attacked, it is claimed.A source said: “The guard went to have a word with the guy causing offence and was then head-butted in the face.“There was blood everywhere and people were shocked as the guard came inside with his face in a total mess.”Most read in FootballThe former Man Utd players and their partners left soon after the alleged assault. Beckham and wife Victoria returned to their £12million estate nearby while Butt, Neville and Scholes headed north with their partners.Man Utd star Nicky Butt’s 50th party at centre of police probe after ‘head-butt’ left security guard with ‘broken nose’Police were notified at 9pm and attended.A statement was taken from the guard, who went to hospital with a suspected broken nose.Thames Valley Police confirmed: “A man was questioned under caution on January 30 and inquiries continue.”The suspect was not arrested but was formally warned anything he said could be used as evidence in a court of law.A decision will now be made on whether to charge him.Former Manchester United star Nicky Butt was celebrating his birthdayCredit: PAMany of Butt’s class of ’92 teammates were in attendanceCredit: Getty More

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      I jumped in front of a lorry after blowing my life savings at casino – now it’s a joy to be alive, says Clarke Carlisle

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      AFTER being released from his club ten years ago, former footballer Clarke Carlisle lost a £100,000-a-year TV job and blew much of his life savings in one trip to a casino.The same night as that loss, the ex-Premier League star, who was battling depression, went missing before jumping in front of a truck in an attempt to end his life.Ex-Premier League star Clarke Carlisle and wife CarrieCredit: Richard WalkerClarke went missing in 2015 before jumping in front of a truck in an attempt to end his lifeCredit: *Clarke in action for football club BurnleyCredit: PA:Empics SportBut today, the 45-year-old speaks of the joy of being alive — and explains that instead of turning to gambling in his dark days, he now seeks solace . . . by hiding behind the fridge.Clarke and his wife Carrie work to help others facing suicidal thoughts, holding online talks and courses for people dealing with mental health issues.The defender, whose clubs included Blackpool, Burnley and QPR, said: “I have been to the edge of existence.”Now I can proudly say I’ve not had an episode of depression for years. I’ve not needed meds for three years. I am the most well I’ve ever been.”Read more on Clarke CarlisleCarrie added of one of his new coping mechanisms: “He literally goes and hides behind the fridge. He goes there and takes a little moment.“I won’t even know he’s there, and I’ll open the fridge and the fridge light will go on and I’ll see the ears from his Batman onesie.”Clarke, who has two children with Carrie and three from previous relationships, added: “I know when I start coming down and I need to withdraw. I would stand in the dark, on my own and in my own thoughts.“So I would stand there when I needed to with-draw. The key part of it, it is also where the radiator is. When I do experience depression, I physically get cold. It’s about finding the way for you to deal with things.”Most read in FootballClarke, who was chairman of the Professional Footballers’ Association and has also appeared as a contestant on TV game show Countdown, said: “I was a perfectionist as a footballer, critical of things that I would do.“I was in an environment where it is about wins and losses. I tried to replicate that in normal life and in my relationships. My self-worth was governed by results and performances on this pitch.Clarke Carlisle joined Jim White on talkSPORT to discuss mental health and his own battles“So if we won, I felt great. I was a good human and then that would give me positivity going into all my wider interactions, because in my head, that makes me a good dad, a good husband, a good son.“If we lost, that meant I was a terrible human because other people were sad and I’d let them down, which made me a bad dad, a bad husband, a bad brother.“Now I prioritise the things that matter. I meditate a lot, I pray, I prioritise family. I make sure I put the kids to bed at least once a week.“I make sure that they can come into my bedroom and jump on me in the morning. And Carrie and I make sure we have monthly date nights.”With the annual mental health awareness Time To Talk Day next Thursday, Clarke said he still finds exercise triggers pressures he felt in his playing days and gets PTSD around the anniversary of his suicide bid.He is now calling for an independent body to oversee the mental health of all footballers in the UK.‘Terrible human’Ex-TV presenter Carrie, a former alcoholic, said starting the process of writing a series of self-help material, such as Shut Up, Alcohol, played a part in helping Clarke get better.Clarke was released by Burnley in 2012 and in 2014 lost his £100,000-a- year ITV Champions League pundit role before that fateful trip to the casino. He then went missing before throwing himself in front of a lorry on the A64 Leeds to York dual carriageway.Clarke was airlifted to Leeds General Infirmary. He suffered cuts, bruises, internal bleeding, a broken rib and a shattered left knee.On Christmas Day 2014, he was admitted as an in-patient to a psychiatric unit in Harrogate and placed on suicide watch.He remained there until he was discharged in February 2015, when, shortly after, he did an interview with The Sun.Ten years on, Clarke said: “After that, I knew I was very unwell. In the lead-up to that, I was being very negative, hypercritical, insular.“I’d never done anything about my depression, and I was clinically depressed.Clarke and Carrie getting married in 2016Credit: SuppliedClarke revealing superman-style vest in game for QPR in 2002Credit: Getty”I didn’t take medication for a myriad of reasons but predominantly because I thought, ‘I’m a man and a Premier League footballer’. I didn’t understand that my thoughts were different or dangerous.“A lot of it was tied into self-worth. I do have an analytical mind. I was using alcohol so that my brain stopped thinking. I was using gambling so that my brain was thinking about something else.“I’m really blessed I never got into drugs. If I had I would be dead now.“Football was pretty much the only thing I thought gave me value. So when I left, I was totally bereft of anything that anyone else valued about me.“I brought my football home, the perfectionism, the autistic portion, compulsive aspect, the need for everything to happen at this time, at this pace, immediate success or failure. There’s no middle ground.I knew then he was an amazing, handsome man. And I know that even more to this dayCarrie“And it’s a dynamic that is ingrained within you, and everything falls into these two categories.”For the first year of my therapy, I had to discover this middle ground of things just being OK, being good enough.“Because in football that had never been good enough, because it’s not the best, it’s not perfect. This transferred into relationships. It was so, so destructive. It was dangerous.”In 2016, Clarke met Carrie, who worked as an ambassador at football anti-racism charity Kick It Out.She said: “It was a whirlwind romance. We gave each other our business cards and I don’t think we ever thought we’d see each other again.‘Dead by tomorrow’”But he emailed and we went for dinner. Within five minutes of sitting down for dinner, he was like, ‘We are gonna get married, have babies’. On the second date he brought his psychiatric papers.“We moved in together three weeks later. Then we got engaged a few months later. And then nine weeks after, we got married.“I knew then he was an amazing, handsome man. And I know that even more to this day. I’m obsessed with him.”The pair worked with each other to support their needs, Carrie with her anxiety and Clarke with his depression.But in 2017, Clarke went missing again and was eventually found in Liverpool before being taken to a psychiatric facility in Blackburn.Carrie said: “When Clarke was found, I wanted to bring him home. I was six months pregnant and I was like, ‘Let’s just go back to this place’, because up to 24 hours ago, I didn’t know anything was wrong.“Luckily, someone took me aside and said, ‘OK, Mrs Carlisle, if you take him home, he’ll be dead by tomorrow’. And that was a slap in the face that I needed.”Clarke then began counselling. He said: “I started to dig deeper and realised I needed to be well.Clarke on TV’s Countdown in 2010Credit: Channel 4“I needed to be alive. I wanted to be here.”Carrie asked him to read through some thoughts she had around her Shut Up, Alcohol method, which she developed in 2006.Clarke said: “The incredible thing about my awesome wife is that she’s been able to put that into a clear and really quite simple process of self-progression and self-accountability, and it brings the power back when you’re talking about your mental health.”You’re not waiting on the NHS to come and fix you.“She asked me to read something she was writing about other issues and it helped me with my attitude to gambling.”Using her Shut Up method, Carrie has written more than 20 books, as well as devising courses to accompany each one.The pair offer online talks and courses for issues such as alcohol, gambling and suicidal thoughts.Carrie said: “Most people don’t want to die.“They just can’t live like this any more. We aim to guide them on their own journey out of it.“We both see it as a great opportunity to pay our own lived experiences forward.”I do miss certain moments of footballClarke CarlisleClarke, who now has a degree in psychology, says he is in the best shape mentally he has been for years. He is “finally able” to enjoy watching football again.But he said: “I can’t go and do a simple run without thinking, ‘Oh, you’re only cheating yourself. You can go faster than this’, or ‘You should have been in the Olympics next year’.”“But I do miss certain moments of football — the first day of the season, a magnificent end of the season, a successful season.”Last week, ex-Premier League referee David Coote said he would be prioritising his mental health after a series of scandals led to him being stripped of his job.And Clarke now wants an independent advisory board for players and referees to help them deal with mental health.He said: “It would great to see a new independent body. They need to stop acting in silos, whether it’s the individual organisations — EFL, Premier League, the WSL, the Championship, the PFA, the FA.“They’re all individual things and giving cursory nods to each other’s activities.“But there is no continuation of care. We need an external third party, an advisory board.“But everyone, even if you are not in football, should be aware that there is help out there.“I have a professional coach. I have the people who I trust. I prioritise the things that make me feel good and keep me well, irrespective of what’s going on.“I am proof that you find a path. You just need to talk to the right people.”READ MORE SUN STORIES Find out more about Clarke and Carrie’s work at clarkeandcarrie.com.Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme – Sun Club.Help for mental healthIf you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support.The following are free to contact and confidential:Mind, www.mind.org, provide information about types of mental health problems and where to get help for them. Email info@mind.org.uk or call the infoline on 0300 123 3393 (UK landline calls are charged at local rates, and charges from mobile phones will vary).YoungMinds run a free, confidential parents helpline on 0808 802 5544 for parents or carers worried about how a child or young person is feeling or behaving. The website has a chat option too.Rethink Mental Illness, www.rethink.org, gives advice and information service offers practical advice on a wide range of topics such as The Mental Health Act, social care, welfare benefits, and carers rights. Use its website or call 0300 5000 927 (calls are charged at your local rate).Heads Together, www.headstogether.org.uk, is the a mental health initiative spearheaded by The Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales. More

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      Kyle Walker’s football agent at centre of drugs raid after cops uncover over 90 cannabis plants DAYS after AC Milan deal

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      THE home of a top football agent who helped seal Kyle Walker’s move to AC Milan was last night at the centre of a drugs raid.Michael Rankine, 40, joined the former Manchester City skipper on his private jet last week as he flew out to sign for the Italian giants.Michael Rankine, above at at Kyle Walker’s unveiling in Milan, was at the centre of a drugs raidRankine also represents Chelsea and England ace Cole PalmerThe ex-footballer was even photographed with the England full-back as he was unveiled to the fans holding up his new number 32 shirt.But 48 hours after he returned to the UK, a police raid at his home was said to have uncovered more than 90 cannabis plants with a potential street value of £75,000.They also recovered equipment used to produce the Class B drug.A source said: “It was a huge shock to everyone after what should have been a ­triumphant return from Italy.”READ MORE IN SPORTSThey added: “Michael flew out with Kyle in his jet on Thursday. His uncle Mark, who is Kyle’s agent, was also on the flight.“They got the deal over the line and were jubilant. Michael posed with Kyle for pictures, returned to the UK over the weekend and then on Monday his home was raided by police.”Rankine, who played as a striker for Doncaster Rovers, Scunthorpe and Bournemouth during a 16-year career, is employed as a consultant for London firm CAA Base.It represents a host of Premier League footballers such as Tottenham’s Son Heung-min and James Maddison and manager Ange Postecoglu.Most read in FootballOn its website, CAA Base said Rankine joined the company in late 2018 after retiring from the game. It adds: “Based in Yorkshire, he helps recruit, manage and guide young professional footballers.” His ex-pro uncle, Mark, who played for Wolves and Sheffield United, also works for the company.Kyle Walker lands in Italy to complete AC Milan loan dealHe represents players including Chelsea and England ace Cole Palmer and New­castle and former Three Lions defender Kieran Trippier.Rankine is also a cousin of former Tottenham Hotspur and England star Danny Rose.South Yorkshire police ­confirmed in a statement that officers executed a warrant at an address in Doncaster.The raid happened on a busy residential street in full view of neighbouring families.Police added: “Following officers entering the property, we discovered a cannabis set-up.”The Sun contacted CAA for comment. Walker’s loan deal is tipped to lead to a full-time £4million summer move.Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme – Sun Club.Rankine during his playing days for Scunthorpe in 2005Credit: Getty More

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      Cheapest Premier League club to support home and away revealed – how much do your team’s fans fork out?

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      BRENTFORD is the cheapest Premier League club to support home and away, analysis shows — and Newcastle the dearest.Diehard Bees fans typically spend £4,128 a year, with travel costs kept down as they play several London derbies.Brentford is the cheapest Premier League club to support home and awayCredit: GettyCrystal Palace is the second-cheapest Premier League club to follow — at £4,157 a year.Meanwhile, Toon fans living in the North East fork out £7,455 for their footballing passion — with long distances travelling to away games costing £5,440 alone.Second-biggest outlays come from Bournemouth supporters who spend £6,704 ­following their side, with several mammoth trips from the South Coast.Cherries fans cough up an average of £61.94 on merchandise, the most of any top-flight supporters.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWSIn terms of share of income, Tottenham, Arsenal and Chelsea are the most affordable, partly because of all the local derby matches in London.Fulham have the highest average season ticket cost at £1,869 while Manchester United’s home shirt is the most expensive at £110.Manchester City were the third most expensive club to support – £6,037 annually – while their fans spent 30p less than Bournemouth’s in club shops.Southampton have the cheapest full kit at £97.Most read in FootballUnlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme – Sun Club.I’ve spent £10k travelling to 118 football grounds around the world… but tickets aren’t my only eye-watering expense More