http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30100-1258712,00.htmlQuinn Pays £8k For Taxis
Updated: 13:17, Monday April 02, 2007
Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn stumped up £8,000 for a fleet of taxis to ferry stranded fans hundreds of miles back home after they were thrown off a plane for singing his name.
He was incensed when easyJet threw off a number of fans, then cancelled the Bristol to Newcastle flight on Saturday night.
Quinn told crew members: "These are my people, you cannot treat them like that."
Jubilant fans sang 'Niall Quinn's Disco Pants' when he arrived at the airport departure gate following the team's 1-0 win at Cardiff which briefly put the Black Cats second in the Championship.
The singing appeared to worry easyJet staff at the gate, one supporter said, and the captain was radioed to say there was a problem.
The plane was delayed after the police were called and a number of fans were ordered off for allegedly being drunk, before the no-frills operator cancelled the flight, which was carrying 123 passengers.
An easyJet spokeswoman said: "Due to disruptive behaviour onboard flight EZY 576 from Bristol to Newcastle on Saturday 31 March, police were called to the aircraft and a group of passengers were removed from the flight.
"easyJet has a zero-tolerance policy towards any unacceptable behaviour onboard or towards its staff and the flight was consequently cancelled."
Quinn took charge when the flight was cancelled, ordered 18 cabs to take fans from Bristol up to the North East and paid for them on his credit card.
He stayed to the end to make sure everyone was safe before getting in the last taxi, arriving home on Sunday morning.
Quinn, a Republic of Ireland legend, said: "Saturday's journey home from Cardiff was certainly one of our more eventful ones."
Sandy
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