Chief executive Rita Howson explains "Our dogs have worn blue jackets for well over 10 years. The colour was chosen to distinguish ourselves from other assistance dogs such as guide dogs with their yellow harnesses and hearing dogs who wear a red/burgundy jacket. But in tribute to the wonderful support Sheffield United are giving us this season, we are changing the colours on our website to red, to throw our support behind the Blades.

"We hope the fans give us their support too by texting BLADE 5 to 70085 to make a vital £5 donation to our work. Fundraising this year has of course been very difficult and we understand that it has been an extremely difficult year for people across the world, so every donation will mean so much to the families we work so hard to support."

Money raised from the collection will go towards helping local children like Thomas Fletcher.

Diagnosed at the age of three, Thomas could not engage with other people, had no sense of danger, and would run into the road. He would have regular meltdowns which could last all day when he would lie on the floor, screaming and throwing punches. He suffered from high levels of anxiety, and his behaviour made normal family life impossible.

However, since he has been partnered with autism assistance dog Marky, provided and trained by Support Dogs, life has been very different.

"Marky has changed Thomas's life," says mum Kim. "He is that friend he needed who is always there for him.

"Marky keeps Thomas safe, with Thomas attached to Marky's harness when they leave the house so that he can no longer run off. The dog has been trained to lie down with Thomas during a meltdown to calm him down, and within ten minutes Thomas is back to normal. With Marky by his side Thomas is now happy to go to school. The family can even visit Meadowhall and go on holiday, activities which, before Marky, were impossible."

Howson added: "Thomas and Marky are just one of our many successful autism partnerships that are possible because of the generosity of public donations."

Virtual collection for Support Dogs at West Ham clash