MH17: How a tragedy brought rivals together

SAFC fans pay tribute to John Alder and Liam Sweeney. Credit: ITV News Tyne Tees

A year ago today, Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board, including two men from the North East.

Liam Sweeney, 28, from Newcastle, and John Alder, 63, from Gateshead, were travelling on the flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, as part of their journey to New Zealand to support Newcastle United in two pre-season matches. John Alder had reportedly missed only one Newcastle game since 1973.

Flight MH17 was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.
The Boeing 777 had been flying 1000ft above a no-fly zone when it was shot down over eastern Ukraine, about 50km from the Russian border.

The disaster sparked an outpouring of tributes from across the region, most notably, from Sunderland fans who put aside their famous rivalry with Newcastle United to pay their respects to the two fans.

Football fans from across the North East left tributes at St James' Park. Credit: ITV News Tyne Tees

Sunderland AFC fans have raised more than £33,000 since the crash. The founder of the page set it up in order to raise £200 for a floral tribute from Sunderland fans but the figure rose dramatically in the days after the crash.

A Sunderland fan set up the page to raise money for a floral tribute. Credit: GoFundMe

Speaking in September 2014, the relatives of MH17 victims Liam Sweeney and John Alder told Sunderland fans that their response has been 'incredible'.

Lifelong Newcastle fan Barry Sweeney, whose son Liam was killed when his plane was shot down over Ukraine, said that it was a moment in 'Geordie Mackem history'.

An SAFC tribute reads "we are all North Easterners". Credit: ITV News Tyne Tees
Liam Sweeney's father, Barry Sweeney, visits the tributes left to his son and John Alder at St James' Park. Credit: ITV News Tyne Tees

In December last year, Sunderland fans arrived at St James' Park for the Tyne-Wear derby without any trouble. Fans of both clubs had called for a peaceful, more 'mature' derby, out of respect for John Alder and Liam Sweeney.

Fans hope for a peaceful Tyne-Wear Derby in December 2014.

Investigations continue into who and what brought down flight MH17 but, a year on from the disaster, football fans continue to remember and pay tribute to two of their own.

Flowers laid at a memorial garden at St James' Park in memory of John Alder and Liam Sweeney.