A FOOTBALL fan has switched Blades for Owls in the name of charity.

Sheffield United fan Chris Sheldon, 24, of Ingsfield Lane, Bolton upon Dearne, wore Sheffield Wednesday's colours, a flag, had SWFC shaved into the back of his head and has even had a Wednesday tattoo.

Chris works as a team leader at Royal Mail's Dearne House in Cortonwood. He took on the rival team's colours as part of a branch-wide effort to raise money for the family of three-year-old Gracie-Rae Philbin, who has been diagnosed with terminal stage four neuroblastoma.

A fundraising campaign has now managed to raise the £5,000 needed to get Gracie and her family to Disneyland Paris, to create some memories. Gracie's grandparents John and Suanne Philbin work at Dearne House. Chris said: "Gracie is my colleague's granddaughter and the first time I heard about it was because as a company we were going to do something.

"I wanted to kick it off with something big. So I set a series of different challenges depending on how much sponsorship I could get.  I'm a Sheffield United fan and a season ticket holder, and to be honest I never thought it would take off this much.

Within days they reached the £1,000 goal, which was the tattoo. I had the SWFC kit on, a 'We're on our way back' flag tied to my back, SWFC shaved into my head. And then the tattoo.

"I'm absolutely over the moon with the money we've raised. The little girl's parents have been in touch to pass their thanks on too."

Chris got his Wednesday ink at Bijou in Mexborough. He has raised £1,100 towards Gracie's trip. "I'm booked in for a Sheffield United one in a couple of weeks at the same place, so who knows what they will think of me."

A bake sale, head shaves, a cycling challenge and more have all formed part of the company's efforts to raise the cash for Gracie-Rae.