A SUNNY August Saturday afternoon in Sunderland and the soccer-mad city is preparing to pay homage to "The Lads''.

The Tractor Boys from Ipswich are coming to town for the first match of the new Premiership season but the large police presence is not entirely there to keep order among football supporters.

The right-wing National Front - banned by Home Secretary David Blunkett from marching through the city to Seaburn - was due to travel from the Midlands to hold a rally protesting against asylum seekers being housed on Wearside.

Northumbria Police, worried about the risk of violence, allowed 100 party members to meet for a short time in a small park near the city's main police station.

But, against their advice, anti-racist organisations, including the Anti-Nazi League. held their own rally near the railway station, attracting more than 200 people of all ages and walks of life, some sporting Sunderland's famous red and white stripes.

The multi-racial make-up of modern football clubs was touched on by some of the speakers, including Sunderland North Labour MP Bill Etherington.

At times he was drowned out by the helicopter hovering above, but urged the crowd to protest peacefully and use their "powers of persuasion'' to tackle racial hatred.

Matt Perry, of the Anti-Nazi League, said the turn-out was "absolutely magnificent'' and after the allotted half-hour of speeches the crowd moved to the rally site, intending to occupy it to prevent the NF getting onto it.

But the railed grassland was filled with police, some with dogs, who kept the protestors at bay.

With a posse of TV camera crews and journalists watching them they stood waiting and waiting, but little happened.

The police strength grew to more than 60 officers, a spotter plane and the helicopter keeping watch from the skies while one officer photographed members of the crowd.

What looked to be local NF supporters or sympathisers appeared on the pavement outside the park - one sported a swastika badge, others had Union Jack shirts or jackets but there was no trouble.

Most gathered inside a pub across the road and the time allotted for the 15-minute rally came and went and still there was no sign of the visiting NF contingent.

By about 3.10pm, the crowd was warned to disperse or face arrest but people moved slowly and the order had to be repeated.

Officers went into the pub and the doors were shut. Inside, drinkers gave Nazi salutes to the cameramen gathered across the road.

The rally largely failed to take place because police arrested 30 NF members on the city outskirts for behaviour likely to cause a breach of the peace and the day ended without serious incident.

Chief Superintendent Bob Pattison, head of operational support, criticised the protestors and Mr Etherington for turning up against police advice.

But he praised the city's ethnic communities for "acting with dignity and refusing to be provoked.''