A VETERAN member of the Toon Army cast aside the relegation blues to celebrate a landmark birthday.

Like fellow United supporters, lifelong Newcastle fan Fred Waiting has been suffering amid the gloom of the club’s recent demotion from the Premier League.

But his spirits were lifted as he reached the milestone of 100-years-old yesterday.

Celebrations were held 24-hours earlier at Melbury Court, in Durham, the care home where Mr Waiting has lived for the last 11 months.

Around 45 members of the wider family, from as far afield as London, joined friends and fellow residents for Sunday’s party at the premises, in Old Dryburn Way.

But Mr Waiting had to run the gauntlet of the gloating of middle son Barry, a Sunderland fan who travelled from the capital for the occasion.

Daughter Debbie Pascoe, who acted as ‘referee’ during the football-related verbal sparring, said: "Let’s just say there was quite a bit of ‘friendly banter’.

"Dad’s been a Newcastle fan since his younger days and he was a regular at the matches when he worked and lived in Newcastle while he was in the insurance industry, with the Royal London.

"But Barry and some other members of the family are Sunderland fans, so with the recent goings on, it made for some colourful banter."

Mr Waiting was born and brought up in Crook, County Durham, and in his younger days worked as a stone mason before moving into the insurance industry, reaching the role of North-East ‘superintendent’ with the Royal London.

Even on retirement he spent several years working at the Midland Bank in Durham.

He twice married, but even after the death of second wife Vera, in 1993, he remained independently living at the family home, in Bearpark, near Durham, until after his 99th birthday.

Also joining him for Sunday’s party were eldest son John, from Guisborough, North Yorkshire, plus grand-daughters Susan and Kayleigh Waiting, and Karen Davies.