THE Geordie faithful were out last night to welcome celebrities as they attended the North-East premiere of a football film about Newcastle United.

Stars walked up the red carpet to cinema complex The Gate, in Newcastle, for the first regional showing of Goal!

It follows the fortunes of a Latino footballer who comes to the Toon to make his mark on the beautiful game.

The atmosphere was electric as some of the region's favourite sons and daughters turned out in some of their finest following the team's 3-0 victory over Blackburn Rovers yesterday afternoon.

Well-known faces who attended included football stars Lee Sharpe and Kieron Dyer, star of the show Kuno Becker and his co-star, Alessandro Nivola.

The producer of Goal, Matt Barrelle, said: "It is a fish-out-of-water story and a feel good film about achieving your dreams. We are very pleased that Newcastle was the backdrop for the film.

"They chose Newcastle because of fans and the passion they display.

"The team have been extremely helpful and the fans have been fantastic. "Although it is cold up here, the people have been very warm."

Newcastle United manager Graeme Souness also attended the event. He said: "The way the picture will be received will be positive. It's the greatest thing to happen to any club in the world.

"The fact we were chosen is fantastic. People will recognise the strip around the world and it is a great day for the premier in the North-East."

Writers Dick Clements and Ian la Frenais, who penned the Auf Wiedersehen Pet series, were also there, along with the stars of the film.

Mr Clements: "They asked us if we wanted to get involved because they know our work.

"It is fabulous because it started in LA and it ends up in Newcastle.

Mr la Frenais, added: "It is great for the region and has put Newcastle on the map."

The film has cameos from David Beckham, Alan Shearer, Kieron Dyer, and Zinedine Zidane.

In it, Mexican Santiago Munez, played by Kuno Becker, comes to the North-East from Los Angeles to play first class football.

He said last night: "It's a great team to work with, they are all so talented.

"People are really responding amazingly to the film."

It is the first part in a trilogy that sees the footballer help Newcastle to success before playing in Europe and going on to the World Cup in Germany next year.

It is designed for a global audience and is expected to create more of a market for the sport with an American audience.

But home-grown stars such as Anna Friel and Sean Pertwee are the most recognisable English actors in the film.

It was launched in London on Thursday, but after the North-East premiere, people were invited to celebrate at Shearer's Bar, beneath the hallowed Gallowgate at St James Park, where the soccer action from the film took place.

Throughout the evening, celebrity spotters and football fans as well as film buffs were out in force.

Student Josh Jones, 20, of Morpeth, Northumberland, said: "We just turned up and saw the red carpet and asked what was happening.

"We have been here for two hours and were hoping to see Alan Shearer and Michael Owen.

"It will be good for tourism. I am a Newcastle fan. It is the best club in the country with the best fans. It deserves to be chosen and I am looking forward to seeing the film. I can't wait."

Victoria Marsden, 18, of Berwick, Northumberland, said: "It is great for Newcastle.

"It has been quite exciting because I have been expecting to see well-known people and I have got a lot of autographs."