The Newcastle fan, his cup final video QR code tattoo and rival supporters’ bid to remove the clip

A Newcastle United supporter has had a QR code linking to a clip of Dan Burn’s Carabao Cup final goal tattooed onto his leg — and fans of rival clubs have been attempting to get the video removed from YouTube.

Graeme Davison, a 40-year-old season ticket holder from Blyth, Northumberland, where Burn was born and raised, was at Wembley last month to witness Newcastle’s 2-1 victory against Liverpool, in which the Geordie centre-back scored the opener.

To commemorate that moment, Davison (above, centre) created a four-second YouTube video, which shows Burn celebrating his goal with team-mates and features the commentary of Sky Sports’ Peter Drury saying, “It’s the boy from Blyth.”

That line is also inked onto his right leg, below the QR (quick response) code, which directs anyone who scans it with their smartphone camera to the YouTube video.

“As soon as we won, I thought, ‘I want to get a tattoo of something to commemorate this’,” Davison said. “I wasn’t sure I wanted a picture of Dan Burn because I rarely think tattoos of people look like who they’re supposed to be; usually, they end up looking like Chunk from The Goonies.

“On the coach back from the final, everybody was talking about the game and being there, and then they were playing highlights on their phone. When I heard the Sky Sports commentary — ‘it’s the boy from Blyth’ — I thought, ‘That’s great, I want something which incorporates that’.

“I thought the QR code was different, something unique.”

This is Davison’s 10th tattoo. Among his others are an ape, some Viking imagery and Alan Shearer’s actual signature. Newcastle’s record scorer signed Davison’s leg with a permanent marker after a live show in Hartlepool a decade ago, before the devoted supporter had it turned into a tattoo.

For the QR code, Davison had it inked onto his skin nine days after the March 16 cup triumph at Lev-ink in Blyth.

“Usually, we chat constantly through the tattoo drawing, but Lev (Brian Levitt, the tattoo artist) and I knew this had to be absolutely spot on,” Davison said. “We were silent for two hours, with me lying face down. It was pure concentration, thinking, ‘I hope this is going to work’. I was s****ing myself.

“Once he’d finished, Lev didn’t say a word, but took his phone out and all I heard was, ‘The boy from Blyth’. It was absolute relief.”

After being shared on social media sites, the video reached more than three million views. However, supporters of rival clubs, including Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool, have attempted to report Davison to YouTube, citing copyright infringement.

Davison insists the video has not been removed, just that he has set it to private, so the QR code does still link through, even if nobody else can currently watch the clip if they scan his leg.

Alan Shearer’s signature, tattooed on Graeme Davison’s leg

“Rival fans started to get hold of it and I had more than 2,000 updates on YouTube, with complaints about the copyright behind it, trying to get it taken down,” Davison said. “It hasn’t been removed, I’ve set it to private for now, and I’m hoping it’ll pass in time.

“I’m all for banter, but I thought this was a bit far. I thought, ‘The b******s, they’re trying to get it taken down’. The tattoo is busy healing anyway, so it’s not the end of the world, but it is frustrating.”

According to Davison, the bespoke tattoo has received positive feedback from his family, friends and the wider Newcastle fanbase.

He has no intention of having it removed, either, even if the QR code stops working.

“People had been getting their phone out, scanning it and, boop, up came the video,” he said. “I’ve shown my neighbour, who is an old fella who was at the 1969 (Inter-Cities) Fairs Cup final (the last trophy Newcastle won) as an 11-year-old. When he heard, ‘It’s the boy from Blyth’, he got a tear in his eye and said, ‘I can die happy’.

“It’s been well received. Friends and family, they’ve all been great, but then you’ve had these trolls coming in, trying to get it taken down.

“Even if they do, it doesn’t really matter. I’ve got thick skin. And it’ll always remind me of that very special moment.

“I’m Blyth born and bred. I’ve never moved away from the town and I absolutely love it. Blyth gets a bad rap, but I love being a Geordie and I want this region to get recognition. I was stood with my brother-in-law at Wembley, both of us crying.

“Dan Burn helped make that happen. He is such an ambassador for the town and he inspires so many kids. He’s one of us, one of our own, isn’t he? A boy from the same town scored our first goal at Wembley in 25 years and I thought, ‘I’m immortalising this, I want it put under my skin’. I have absolutely no regrets, quite the opposite.”

(Photos: Graeme Davison)