BBC Newcastle's Nick Barnes has become part of the fabric at Sunderland Football Club over the years, commentating home and away with the club's former captain Gary Bennett.

Barnes' preparations for every game start well in advance and he has published his notes in a Matchbook from last season's Great Escape under Sam Allardyce, who took over from Dick Advocaat, for supporters to take a look at.

And, below, Barnes has explained to The Northern Echo why he decided to showcase his own artwork and handwriting for the world to see.

"Since I first posted pictures of my ‘Matchbook’ on social media the interest in it has ballooned amongst football and non-football fans. People as far flung as Russia and China have taken an interest and articles have been published in New York, Moscow, Germany and Italy, to name but a handful. But what is it?

"The ‘Matchbook’, which has now been reproduced as a Match box by ‘Tales from the Red and Whites’, is my working notebook, my commentary notes from which I work on a match day.

"The Match box is a compendium made up of 40 cards; a title card, an introductory card outlining the history of the ‘Matchbook’ and 38 cards cataloguing last season’s Premier League campaign at Sunderland AFC.

"Each card is a facsimile of the double page spread of each match with the graphic notes I make of each team on the left hand page and on the right hand page the details of the match.

"My matchbook has grown from a mere scrapbook when I covered Carlisle United in the 90s, when I kept a record of every match I covered cut from the newspapers, to the notebook it is today in which I try to combine my love of art and design with my love of football.

"Last season I took the bold step of hand drawing all the club crests as I had previously cut and pasted them from the internet. While I was largely pleased with the results it was time consuming and perhaps over ambitious, but it did mean that last season’s matchbook was particularly special and all the more so with Sam Allardyce pulling off another ‘miracle’ at Sunderland. Sam has even signed the book on the page of Sunderland’s 3-0 win over Newcastle United.

"I have been told a number of times over the past few years that I should publish my matchbooks but I had struggled to find a way to do so cost effectively. The reproduction costs, even if I self-published, of an A4 colour notebook are prohibitive, so when ‘Tales from the Red and Whites’ offered to take on the challenge my affirmation was instant.

"They thought outside the box and came up with the idea of the Match box and I’m thrilled with the result. They have produced a classy keepsake and I hope it fascinates those that buy it as much as it did me producing it." - Nick Barnes, BBC Newcastle's Sunderland commentator.

The Matchbook is available from www.talesfrom.com/sunderland and from Waterstones, Sunderland, priced £18.99 (plus p&p if ordered through the website).