THE buzz of a Premier League matchday belongs in cities like Newcastle rather than New York, a north-east MP said today.

The Newcastle United Supporters’ Trust (NUST) called on local MPs to join it in opposing the idea of domestic league matches being played overseas, after the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan suggested that was “the way it is going.”

MP for Newcastle Central and West Chi Onwurah said she agreed with the trust.

“I would like to make clear that my personal view is that competitive Premier League matches should not be held overseas,” Onwurah wrote in a reply to the trust’s letter of July 29.

“Newcastle United is the beating heart of our city and the buzz of a Premier League matchday — something which we cannot take for granted — belongs in Newcastle, not New York.

“I know from first-hand experience that it can be hard enough to get a ticket to St James’ Park, to an away match in England, without asking fans to travel to the US to see their team!”

In May the Fifa Council approved the creation of a working group to consider a revised legal framework governing the authorisation of league matches being played overseas.

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said in April that his competition had no plans to move matches overseas, but accepted Fifa moves to review the rules meant the “door was ajar” for other leagues to do so.

Liverpool chairman Tom Werner said in June he was “determined” to see a Premier League match in New York, and Mayor Khan told the Sports Agents podcast last week: “I think that’s the way it is going.

“We’ve seen some other leagues across Europe have some of their competitive games held elsewhere. All 32 NFL teams have now played in London and all of them have had a great experience. We have some of the top baseball teams now playing in London.

“Liverpool, the team that I support, are currently on tour in America. I think the point that the Premier League would make and some of the owners would make is, why can’t their fans in those countries benefit from a competitive game?

“The key thing for me is to make sure our fans don’t lose out. The thing we’ve learned from American football is often when the players go back to America, the next game is an issue because of time zone, because of diet and so forth.”