Having completed 100 runs in 100 days, Tyneside champion, Tony ‘the fridge’ Morrison, has been afforded the opportunity to play alongside his heroes at the upcoming Entertainers Game next month.

Tony, himself a former football coach with some 25 years-service behind him, has been fundraising for the past five years with the household amenity a seemingly permanent fixture upon his back.

It’s not a burden in the normal sense of the word, with the weight, it’s more a representation of the burden in which cancer brings to families across the globe and, as technology has developed, ‘the fridge’ continues to push new boundaries.

“I was going to do America this year but, because of personal, family reasons, I put that on hold and looked at doing something closer to home,” Tony began.

“I’d already done a smaller version and felt that I had loads left in the tank so thought that, because of that I thought of a number that I maybe couldn’t do, set a challenge for myself which is why I went for 100 hundred Great North Runs in 100 days.

“It’s been an amazing feeling and has helped to get something off my chest. I needed to something that helped get rid of those demons and finishing Sunday’s Great North Run was the hundredth.”

Support for Tony has been immense, so much so that even the homeless have recognised him on his travels and donated, a point which Tony has repaid in providing left-over food from the weekend as a little thank you for their part in his ongoing charitable runs.

“A lot of people have supported me, it’s humbling and very emotional and seems to really give people hope,” continued Tony.

“It seems to inspire people even at their lowest ebb in life, including the homeless who have been a great support and I’m pleased that I’ve been able to repay that faith.

“I bumped into so many different supporters on Sunday, so many people that have come forward over the past hundred days that it’s been rather humbling really, even a little lad whose dad had made him a mini fridge so he could come alongside me for a time – that was beautiful.”

Awarded ‘Fundraiser of the Year’ at the Pride of Britain awards in 2014 Tony believes that this occasion outstrips that with black & white blood running through the family veins.

Steve Wraith, himself a lifelong Newcastle fans and the Managing Director of Newcastle Legends said: “Tony has done some fantastic work for charity over the past few years.

“It’s certainly a massive endurance carrying that fridge on his back and I’ve actually tried it myself and I couldn’t do a mile with it let alone the thousands that he does.

“He’s an absolutely cracking bloke, a lifelong Newcastle United fan himself so for the fans to be able to stand and applaud him, on the day, is even better. He also gets the chance to play alongside his heroes which I know he’s looking forward to doing.”

With Tony looking at running all 31 of the Great Runs next year his plans are to conquer America in 2018, once the logistics and natural occurrences have been looked at.

But first though he gets the opportunity to play alongside his black & white heroes at the “20^th Anniversary Entertainers Game” on October 9 at Kingston Park.

The Newcastle Legends, managed by Alan Shearer and Les Ferdinand, and sees the like of Robert Lee, Steve Howey, Temuri Ketsbaia etc., turn out in aid of the Alan Shearer Foundation is an opportunity to good to miss for any United fan and for Tony, who has been following his Toon since the early seventies, added: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be asked to play.

“I couldn’t be more excited to do this having followed the club since ’73; if you cut me in half then you’ll see black and white blood in me, I couldn’t be any more a fan.

“I’ve got loads of good memories from watching the lads, even take my own to watch them, so to be able to play alongside them, the Entertainers, is a dream come true and even tops being awarded the Pride of Britain.”

Tickets for the game, which takes place on October 9 and kicks off at 1:30pm (gates open at noon) are available now priced at £10 for adults and £5 for children; corporate packages are also available.

You can purchase tickets from www.newcastlefalcons.co.uk and the ticket hotline of 0871 226 6060, and for corporate packages telephone 0191 214 2892.