The dad of a schoolboy who was filmed tussling with adults at the end of Newcastle's win over Leicester City after he caught Dan Burn's shirt said he was thrown 10ft into the air during the fracas.
Newcastle fan Nathan Junior Surrey, known as NJ, was at his side's Boxing Day match at the King Power Stadium with his dad as a Christmas present. As the game ended Magpie stars including Joelinton, Bruno Guimarães and Dan Burn chucked their tops to the fans after a 3-0 win.
But chaos ensued after NJ, 11, managed to catch Burn's shirt only to be tackled by adult supporters desperate to get their hands on it themselves. In a video posted on Twitter a grown woman can be seen trying to pull the shirt from the schoolboy's hands.
A stocky middle aged man also appears to attempt to wrest the garment from the young fan's grip - though NJ's dad insists he was helping his son.
But the grown ups were ultimately unsuccessful after stewards broke the fans up and handed the shirt to NJ.
NJ's dad, Nathan, a 39-year-old landscape gardener, said: "NJ was standing on the rail shouting 'give us your shirt'. Then Dan Burn pointed at him and gave the top to the steward who threw it into the crowd.
"An older woman grabbed it and started tugging on it, then the man in the middle, who she was with, also snatched it but he said he was getting it for NJ.
"At one point my son went ten foot in the air while he was holding on. He's a huge Newcastle fan. We go to every game but this was his second away game. His uncle got him the tickets for Christmas."
The father-of-three claims he doesn't want the other fans involved in the tussle to receive any backlash.
He added: "I don't want anyone to be slated, everyone gets carried away and anyone would try to grab the shirt. The man in the middle actually helped us because he allowed NJ to go in front of him for the game.
"If the steward hadn't broken it up and got the shirt it may have ripped or he wouldn't have got it.
"The players don't know what it means to the kids to have their shirts. Everyone says he's lucky to have caught the shirt but it's persistence.
"He's always there early and stays late so the players recognise him."
The young fanatic says he is going to frame the shirt. He also has a pair of gloves worn by goalkeeper Martin Dúbravka.
NJ, who has owned a season ticket for two years, said: "It was the best
Christmas present I received. I was very happy.
"I go to every game and get there twenty minutes early to talk to the players.
"I stay after the games as well, I won't leave until I've seen them. I go to the training ground when the players are there. Dan Burn is one of my favourite players. I'm going to keep the shirt for a long time."
His mother, Stacey Surrey, a 33-year-old carer, said: "NJ is going to frame
it but he won't let me wash it first. It still has some mud on from the pitch.
"The footballers are heroes to kids, it's the biggest hero he will come
across. I can't believe the online response, it's on Twitter, TikTok and
Instagram. It's overwhelming."
