Newcastle will unveil a groundbreaking shirt. This shirt isn't just any ordinary jersey: it's designed to let deaf fans experience the excitement of St James' Park in a whole new way.
How? Well, it's equipped with special sensors and motors called haptic technology. These turn the sound of the crowd into vibrations that fans can feel, making it a unique and inclusive experience for everyone.
This move has been driven by Sela, whose name will be replaced by hearing loss charity RNID.
The co-founder of Cute Circuit, the company behind the technology, said: "When you're wearing the shirt, it's a bit like you're wearing the stadium. We have microphones hidden all around St James' that are capturing different parts of the crowd noise."
"It's not just the people near you that you're feeling in the shirt. You're feeling people chanting and cheering all over the entire stadium. And you're feeling them in different parts of the shirt."
Season ticket holder Ryan Gregson said to the BBC: "I'm excited. It will link us to the stadium, to the crowd, the music and the singing."
Another fan, David Wilson said: "I could feel [the shirt] on my body and I thought: 'Wow, is this what sound feels like?' It was so different. I felt like it was alive."
You can watch a video about these two Newcastle lifelong supporters below.
What the fans say
ShallyBally8: "Absolutely class!"
srilankanguy8737: "Fans like these are the reason ive adored this club since i was a kid."
ustbeingme4244: "As someone with a big deaf family who loves Newcastle. This will be an amazing experience for them!"
geordietoonforlife: "Absolutely brilliant sky sports come on let’s see you say something positive about what our club is doing to try and bring enjoyment to everyone."
