All three North-East teams suffered defeats on the final day of the Premiership season, dubbed Survival Sunday, but tears shed by fans were of both joy and devastation, as one club survives and two suffer the ignominy of relegation.

THE sea of black and white spills out from the sunbaked beer garden at Shearer’s Bar onto the road outside St James’ Park, Newcastle.

As their team kicks off at Aston Villa, supporters – beers in hands – are in good spirits, each urging their side to an 11th-hour victory with familiar chants from the terraces.

But despite the vocal Geordie optimism, there is tension and an irrepressible sense of fatalism that the unthinkable might just happen.

Over the road, the television crews and photographers loom ominously; tears of pain or tears of relief, they will be captured come six o’clock.

Nearly 36 miles away, in the Red Lion, in Darlington, kick-off is greeted with a tentative cheer. Groups form in arcs around the various televisions in the bar, nervously sipping their pints as both Newcastle and Aston Villa players launch early forays into opposition territory.

Newcastle create a couple of decent chances, the best falling to Damien Duff who forces a mistake out of Brad Freidel. But the ball squirms right of the goal and the majority of the Red Lion punters are left holding their heads in disappointment.

At The Cumberland Arms in Bishop Auckland, fans from all three teams stand side-by-side – there’s no taunts, no gloating – everyone is in this together and, at the moment, no team is safe.

Then there is a roar from the black and white contingent... Manchester United have scored at Hull.

“As it stands Newcastle and Sunderland are staying up,” says one fan.

Eyes flick from screen to screen to catch snippets from both the Newcastle and Sunderland games.

Minutes later Toon fans are plunged into gloom as Aston Villa take the lead from which the Magpies are never to recover.

Sunderland are putting up a good fight against Chelsea and other results are making the beer being drunk by Wearside fans that little bit sweeter.

Back in the Red Lion, Middlesbrough fans have accepted their fate – many accepted it several weeks ago.

One fan sits in the corner ironically chanting “You’re going down with the Boro”

to Newcastle fans in an effort to raise his spirits.

When the final whistle blows, the shell-shocked Shearer’s Bar crowd – all tears and hugs – spills out onto the street.

Lifelong supporter Martyn Spence, 33, from Wallsend, North Tyneside, said: “It was expected, but I understand everyone’s frustration. It means a lot to people.

“I have had a few tears because I am in shock.”

POLICE are forced to deal with a small flare up while many show their vocal, endless devotion for club, regardless of who they will be playing next season.

Across the region, Newcastle fans agree on one thing – if the club are to bounce back from this massive blow – their hero manager Alan Shearer should stay.

Kevin Jones, a 57-year-old Newcastle fan from Witton Park, County Durham, says: