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Wonga Unveils Fans Mural At St. James' Park
Written by Newcastle Utd
Two thousand United fans - including members of the first team squad - feature on Gallowgate End artwork
A mural featuring the faces of more than 2,000 Newcastle United fans has been unveiled at St. James' Park by club sponsor Wonga.
The artwork, which measures six-metres by just over two-metres is fixed to the external walls of the stadium's Gallowgate End and was unveiled by Magpies star Ryan Taylor ahead of the team's Barclays Premier League fixture against QPR.
Wonga invited Newcastle supporters to submit photos of themselves cheering on the team for the chance to be included in the montage, which is captioned 'St. James' Park - home of the Toon Army'.
Fans from the North-East to the Far East - including 11 members of the first team squad - shared their portraits to secure a spot on the historic installation.
Ryan Taylor, who has just returned to first team action after 26 months sidelined by two cruciate ligament injuries, is one of the faces on the mural and said: "The fan mural is a great addition to St. James' Park as it makes our supporters a real part of the stadium.
"Playing for Newcastle United is special. The stadium is magnificent and the thought of playing there in front of the Club's amazing fans helped inspire me as I went through a tough period with injuries."
Since becoming Newcastle sponsor in August 2013, Wonga has focused on supporter initiatives, such as the purchase of stadium naming rights to return it to St. James' Park and a £1.5million investment in the Club's academy.
It recently announced that its branding would be removed from children's replica kit and training wear from the 2016/17 season.
Darryl Bowman, head of marketing at Wonga, said: "This mural is a tribute to the Newcastle fans who support the Club through thick and thin. As always, they've have been fantastic this season and influential in the recent upturn in form of the Club. "