News
Family issued a heartfelt tribute to much loved son and dad who died on Christmas Day
The heartbroken family of a much-loved son and dad who died following a suspected assault on Christmas Day have issued a heartfelt tribute to him.
Shortly before 11.20pm on Saturday, Northumbria police were alerted by the ambulance service that a man had been injured at an address on Sunderland Road in Newbottle.
Emergency services attended and found 39-year-old Simon Birch, known to many as ‘Birchie’, with a serious injury consistent with having been caused by a bladed article. Sadly, he died at the scene.
A man has since been charged with Simon’s murder.
Today, Simon’s family have paid their own tributes to a man whose smile “would light up a room”. 💙
His parents, Ian and Jennifer Birch, said: “Simon was a much-loved son, father, brother and uncle. He had so many friends and was loved by so many who knew him.
“He lived life in the fast lane. He loved his cars and motorbikes, was full of energy and was the life and soul of any party. Whenever he was around, his smile would light up a room.
“He had a huge heart and was very generous. He’d give you his last penny if he could. He will be missed by everyone.”
Simon’s devastated daughters, 18-year-old Brogan and 13-year-old Georgie, added: “He was always there to support us and would give us the biggest hug, telling us how much he loved us.
“He had the biggest and kindest heart. He would always protect us, no matter what, and was always there if we ever needed anything.
“It’s hard to put into words how much he will be missed by all who knew him.”
This is an awful time for everyone who knew Simon and our thoughts remain with his family as they attempt to come to terms with what has happened.
We would continue to ask that their privacy is respected and would like to thank them for the way they have supported our investigation at every step of the process. Any death is a tragedy, but it is especially poignant at this time of year.
A 34-year-old man has been charged with murder and is due to appear at Newcastle Crown Court tomorrow.
Credit: Northumbria police
Sunderland late last night sacked Tony Mowbray as manager, they expressed gratitude to Tony and his assistant Mark Venus for their positive contributions over the past two seasons, stating that they will always be welcome back at the Stadium of Light and wishing them success in their future endeavors.
Sporting Director Kristjaan Speakman praised Tony’s impact, acknowledging his high regard among players, staff, and supporters. Speakman highlighted Mowbray’s role in guiding the team to the Sky Bet Championship Play-Offs and his significant contribution to team development. He emphasized that while a difficult decision, it aligns with the club’s ambition and strategy.
Sky bet have released the odds for who the next manager may be, let us know on our Facebook page who you think will be the next manager and join in the conversation…
The North East Youtube channel has launched a weekly Premier League Prediction show. Based at the Geordie Star in Newcastle we invite Adam Pearson in to both go through the talking points of the last weeks premier league fixtures and then give our predictions for the week ahead.
You can test your football knowledge against us, get your premier league predictions in before the first premier league game kicks off to be counted and anyone who beats r team we will credit on screen. Make this new feature a part of your weekends pre premier league tradition and get involved!
You can see our predictions for game week 15 below….
You can see our thoughts on the upcoming SAFC vs NUFC derby game below and Adam discussing winding up SAFC fans recently
Follow the channel to stay fully up to date, for some big local videos and to support us!
You can now download our FREE new app to stay fully up to date with all North East related news – https://linktr.ee/northeastupdates
The North East Youtube channel has launched a weekly Premier League Prediction show. Based at the Geordie Star in Newcastle we invite Adam Pearson in to both go through the talking points of the last weeks premier league fixtures and then give our predictions for the week ahead.
You can test your football knowledge against us, get your premier league predictions in before the first premier league game kicks off to be counted and anyone who beats r team we will credit on screen. Make this new feature a part of your weekends pre premier league tradition and get involved!
You can see our predictions for game week 14 below….
You can see our predictions for game week 15 below….
You can see our thoughts on the upcoming SAFC vs NUFC derby game below..
Follow the channel to stay fully up to date, for some big local videos and to support us!
You can now download our FREE new app to stay fully up to date with all North East related news – https://linktr.ee/northeastupdates
The Club expressed gratitude to Tony and his assistant Mark Venus for their positive contributions over the past two seasons, stating that they will always be welcome back at the Stadium of Light and wishing them success in their future endeavors.
Sporting Director Kristjaan Speakman praised Tony’s impact, acknowledging his high regard among players, staff, and supporters. Speakman highlighted Mowbray’s role in guiding the team to the Sky Bet Championship Play-Offs and his significant contribution to team development. He emphasized that while a difficult decision, it aligns with the club’s ambition and strategy.
Emphasizing the commitment to their long-term strategy for sustainability and success, Chairman Kyril Louis-Dreyfus thanked Tony for his hard work and affirmed the club’s focus on implementing a high-performance culture and a strong playing identity.
The club reiterated the importance of fan support in their progress and invited supporters to the Stadium of Light during the festive period and into 2024.
During the interim period, Mike Dodds, supported by the existing coaching team, will oversee the first-team’s training and match preparations until the appointment of a new Head Coach is finalized.
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See our Interview with Newcastle United Youtuber Adam Pearson after he wound the Sunderland fans up following the news of the derby…
Click the image below to watch the video…
See the full video below…
See our thoughts on the draw….
We are supporting the Warm Christmas meal appeal – you can donate a warm Christmas meal to someone in need in Newcastle and the North East below..
Warm Christmas Meal Appeal North East – Help a Local Person in Need – NEoffers.co.uk
Follow our YouTube for some big local videos and to support us!
You can now download our FREE new app to stay fully up to date with all North East related news – https://linktr.ee/northeastupdates
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