By Dan Sheridan - Newcastle United Club Reporter

Newcastle legend Bob Moncur joined forces with Transport Minister Theresa Villiers on Thursday to launch bus and Metro plans for the upcoming Olympic events in the city.

The former Magpies skipper and the MP joined council, travel and Olympic officials on Newcastle Quayside in the shadow of the Olympic rings on the Tyne Bridge, as details of a special park-and-ride system were released.

United's stadium will play host to six Olympic football days over the coming weeks, featuring the likes of Brazil, Mexico and reigning European and World champions Spain.

Local transport firm Nexus are hoping the scheme will benefit fans heading to the London 2012 matches, and keep traffic in the city to a minimum in the process.

Over 2,000 parking spaces at Metro stations such as Kingston Park, Four Lane Ends and Heworth have been earmarked for the Games, with each stop less than 20 minutes from the city centre.

Two special park-and-ride bus services will also run on each matchday from the Metrocentre in Gateshead and Great Park, north of Newcastle.

Moncur said: "People will be coming to our great city from all over the world in the next few weeks, and hopefully these schemes will make life a lot easier for them.

"Hosting Olympic football here is a real honour for the region, so it's also very useful for those that live close by who want to be part of the whole experience."

Theresa Villiers added: "We want to make London 2012 the first public transport Games, so it is great to see the North-East rising to the challenge by introducing these new park-and-ride schemes.

"They will provide high-quality connections between the region's road network and Newcastle city centre, making journeys much easier for spectators so they can enjoy the great atmosphere rather than trying to find a parking space."

Tickets for the London 2012 Olympic Football Tournament are on sale now at www.tickets.london2012.com, and full details of the park-and-ride schemes can be found at www.nexus.org.uk.