If Don Hutchison, Kevin Phillips, Lee Clark and Allan Johnston ever felt they could have done with a spot of advice on how to handle the odd jeer or two from Sunderland supporters, Joe Simpson would have been the man to turn to. He knows what it is like.

Joe has never played for Newcastle, still less supported them. To the best of his knowledge, he has committed no other crime against Sunderland.

And yet he didn’t mind a bit being singled out for attention during the opening match of the 2001-2002 season, against Ipswich, at the Stadium of Light.

Invited onto the pitch to make the halftime lottery draw. Joe was introduced as “evil Alex Swinton”. The 47,370 crowd – does my headline underestimate the Ipswich support by suggesting they brought 370? – rose to the bait with a chorus of what he calls “pantomime booing”.

But they would not have barracked him for real. Despite the strong echoes of Manchester in his accent – he was only six when his mainly moved here from Peterlee – Joe is a wholehearted Sunderland fan.

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