TO some North-East fans, football is a religion. Now one football club is going all the way and transforming its stadium into a church.

Churchgoers from the Bethany City Church will gather on Sunday for a service at Sunderland's Stadium of Light.

Bethany City Church is the sister church of Houghton-le-Spring's Bethany Christian Centre.

Weekly services held at the Christian Centre regularly attract 400 people. They are so popular that the Hetton Road building can no longer cope.

In an attempt to ease the problem, about 100 members from Houghton-le-Spring will transfer to the Bethany City Church, which will meet in rooms within the Stadium of Light complex.

Minister David Burke said: "We are trying to bring the church up to date and make it a place for people who have given up on church or who do not go to church.

"A lot of people see church as rows of people singing ancient hymns and listening to boring sermons.

"The Stadium of Light is somewhere people enjoy going; it is pleasant and it has the wonderful advantage that most people know where it is.

"We are delighted and very privileged to be able to use the Stadium of Light, and we would like to express our appreciation to the football club for allowing us to use the premises."

The Stadium of Light opened in July 1997, replacing the ageing Roker Park venue. The first match was a goalless draw against Ajax.

The venue cost £16m to build, making it one of the most expensive "churches" built in the past decade.

With a seating capacity of more than 40,000, the stadium has plenty of room for expansion should the congregation continue to prosper.

However, there are plans to build a permanent home for the church in Sunderland.

The Bethany City Church will hold its first weekly service at the Stadium of Light on Sunday, from 11am to 12.15pm

To attend, call Mr Burke on 0796 898 5664.