Newcastle cancel end-of-season awards dinner because of Premier League relegation fear

Newcastle have cancelled their end-of-season awards dinner as head coach John Carver and his players battle to secure Barclays Premier League safety.

The event, which would have raised funds for the club's charity Foundation, was due to take place at St James' Park on Wednesday evening, four days before the final-day fixture against West Ham.

However, the parlous on-field situation has led officials to cancel it to ensure the focus remains solely on collecting the points required to avert disaster.

A club spokesman said: "Newcastle United Football Club has made the very difficult decision that in view of the current league position, it would not be appropriate for the team and coaching staff to be celebrating the season and collecting awards at a time when our only focus is on the next two games and securing Premier League status."

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It is not yet known if the dinner will be rescheduled, but the club has vowed to work with Foundation to find another way to provide support.

PA