Newcastle United 1–9 Sunderland First Division 5 December 1908
The Tyne and Wear derby is a local derby between the association football clubs Newcastle United and Sunderland. The derby is an inter-city rivalry in North East England with the two cities of Newcastle and Sunderland just ten miles apart. Newcastle play their home matches at St. James' Park while Sunderland play their home matches at the Stadium of Light. The first meeting of the two sides took place in 1883, with the first competitive fixture being an 1888 FA Cup tie, which Sunderland won 2–1. To date, Newcastle have won the fixture 53 times, with Sunderland recording 45 victories and the sides drawing 45 times. The latest meeting of the two sides occurred on 14 April 2013, a Premier League match, which Sunderland won 3–0.[1]
History
Rivalry beyond football
The history of the Tyne and Wear derby is a modern day extension of a rivalry between Newcastle and Sunderland that dates back to the English Civil War when protestations over advantages that merchants in Royalist Newcastle had over their Wearside counterparts led to Sunderland becoming a Parliamentarian stronghold.[2]
Tyne and Wear again found themselves on opposite sides during the Jacobite Rebellions, with Newcastle in support of the Hanoverians with the German King George, and Sunderland siding with the Scottish Stuarts.[3]
Football rivalry
Prior to the beginning of the twentieth century, the main rivalries in Newcastle and Sunderland were cross-town affairs. In Newcastle, a rivalry existed during the 1880s between Newcastle East End (later to become Newcastle United) and Newcastle West End, which was ended with West End's bankruptcy in 1892. Meanwhile on Wearside, a group of players broke away from Sunderland, and formed the rival Sunderland Albion in 1888, though Albion was forced to fold four years later.
The first meeting between the two took place in 1883, with the first competitive fixture, an FA Cup tie in 1888. Sunderland won the game 2–0.
Around the turn of the 20th century, the rivalry began to emerge. The 1901 Good Friday encounter, late in the 1900–01 season at St James' Park had to be abandoned as up to 120,000 fans made their way into a ground which then had a capacity of 30,000. The news was met with anger, and rioting followed, with a number of fans injured. However, in general, although the derby attracted big crowds – with fans often climbing trees and buildings for views of the game – there is little evidence to suggest any animosity between the two sets of supporters in the pre-war and immediate post-war period.[citation needed] On 5 December 1908, Sunderland beat Newcastle 9–1 at St James' Park, depite this Newcastle still won the league title that season finishing 9 points ahead of their local rivals who finished 3rd.[4][5] The result remains the biggest ever win in a Tyne–Wear derby, as well as the Wearsiders' biggest ever win away from home[6] and Newcastle's biggest ever home league defeat. Newcastle's largest victory margin in a derby is 6–1, which they have achieved twice – at home in 1920 and away in 1955.[4]
In 1979, Sunderland won 4–1 at Newcastle, with Gary Rowell (who was born in Seaham, just outside of Sunderland) scoring a hat-trick.[7] On New Year's Day 1985, Newcastle-born Peter Beardsley scored a hat trick in Newcastle's 3–1 victory in the fixture.[8] Both players remain cult figures to their respective clubs' fans.
In 1990, the sides met in a Second Division play off semi final dubbed 'the biggest Tyne–Wear derby in history'.[5] The first leg, at Roker Park, ended goalless after Sunderland missed a penalty, who then won the second leg 2–0 at St James' Park. Towards the end of the second leg, some Newcastle fans invaded the pitch in the hope of forcing an abandonment.[9] However, the game was resumed and Sunderland completed the win.[10] Sunderland went on lose the final to Swindon Town, but were still promoted due to financial irregularities at Swindon.
In a memorable derby on 25 August 1999, Newcastle manager Ruud Gullit dropped leading scorers Alan Shearer and Duncan Ferguson to the bench. Sunderland went on to win the game 2–1 at St. James' Park thanks to goals from Kevin Phillips and Niall Quinn, and in the face of outrage from Newcastle fans, Gullit quit before their next match.[5][11] Sunderland repeated the feat a year later, in a match remembered for Sunderland goalkeeper Thomas Sørensen saving a Shearer penalty. Another eventful derby on 17 April 2006, Newcastle came from one nill down at half time to beat Sunderland 4–1 at the Stadium of Light.[12] One of Newcastle's scorers that day, Michael Chopra, later joined Sunderland and played in 3 derbies against Newcastle. On 28 October 2008, Sunderland beat Newcastle 2–1 at the Stadium of Light, their first home win in a derby for 28 years.[13]
On 31 October 2010, Newcastle beat Sunderland 5–1 at home,[14] with their captain Kevin Nolan scoring a hat-trick in the match, while Sunderland's former Newcastle defender Titus Bramble was sent off. Newcastle led the return fixture in January 2011 1–0 thanks to another Nolan goal, only for Sunderland's Asamoah Gyan to equalise in injury time.[15] The next derby took place in August 2011 at the Stadium of Light, where Newcastle won 1-0 thanks to a Ryan Taylor free kick. The return fixture at St. James Park ended 1-1. Both sides were charged by the FA for failing to keep their players under control, charges which they both accepted.[citation needed]
On 14 April 2013, Sunderland defeated Newcastle 3-0 at St James' Park in manager Paolo Di Canio's second game in charge, their first away win in the fixture in 13 years. The attendance for the game was 52,355 with 2,000 Sunderland fans, this included the suspended Black cats midfielder Craig Gardner. The Sunderland goalscorers were Stéphane Sessègnon in the 27th minute, Adam Johnson in the 74th minute and David Vaughan in the 82nd minute.[16]
Away fans ban
The 1996–97 season saw Sunderland join Newcastle in the Premier League. However proposals were put forward to ban Newcastle fans from the aging Roker Park on safety and security grounds. A last-minute agreement by Sunderland and Northumbria Police was to allow 1,000 Newcastle supporters to attend the game. However, Newcastle had already made arrangements for a live televised beamback, and so rejected the offer. Responding to criticism from fans, Newcastle's then Chief Executive Freddie Fletcher suggested that the state of Roker Park was to blame and told fans: "Don't blame Newcastle. Don't blame Northumbria Police. Blame Sunderland!"[17]
In response to the ban on Newcastle fans at Roker Park, Newcastle placed a similar ban on Sunderland fans for the return fixture at St James' Park.[citation needed]
Fearing that this would set a precedent for future derby matches, supporters groups and fanzines of both sides joined together to form the Wear United pressure group. Supporters of both sides were assured that away fans would be able to attend future derby games, though this was probably more to do with the fact that the 1996–1997 season was Sunderland's last at Roker Park before moving into the brand new Stadium of Light.[citation needed]
Hooliganism and violence
The Tyne–Wear derby has on occasion experienced incidents of football hooliganism. In 1990, as Sunderland led the playoff semi final 2–0, some Newcastle fans entered the pitch,in the hope of getting the match abandoned. There were 160 arrests in connection with a game in 2001.[18] In 2008, after Sunderland beat Newcastle at home for the first time in 28 years, there was a small pitch invasion by Sunderland fans, and missiles were thrown at Newcastle midfielder Joey Barton, although manager Roy Keane played down the seriousness of the incident.[19] On 16 January 2011 in the FA Premier League clash at the Stadium of Light, a 17 year old Sunderland fan ran onto the pitch and pushed over Newcastle goalkeeper Steve Harper, and was among 24 people who were arrested in connection with a string of hooligan incidents at the game.[20] However, incidents of violence are not as common as sometimes suggested – for example Sunderland were awarded the best behaved fans award for the 2010–11 season, despite the derby day arrests.[21]
On 14 April 2013, some Newcastle United fans rioted on the streets of Newcastle-upon-Tyne following the 3-0 defeat by Sunderland at St. James' Park,[22] with one fan's attack on a police horse gaining international media attention. Four police officers were injured and 29 arrests made.[23]
The next derby on 27 October 2013, originally scheduled to be played at Stadium of Light at 16:00 GMT, was rescheduled to be played at 13:30 GMT due to safety grounds.
Summary of Results
Newcastle wins
Sunderland wins
Draws
Newcastle goals
Sunderland goals
League
51
41
41
206
195
FA Cup
2
3
3
8
11
League Cup
0
0
2
4
4
Playoffs
0
1
1
0
2
Total
53
45
48
218
212
Derby double
For either team to beat the other in both league games in a season is seen as a great achievement and a sign of superiority.[citation needed] Newcastle have achieved the double in 11 seasons, while Sunderland have managed 6 doubles.
Newcastle doubles
Season
Home
Away
1909–1910
1–0
2–0
1911–1912
3–1
2–1
1913–1914
2–1
2–1
1920–1921
6–1
2–0
1955–1956
3–1
6–1
1956–1957
6–2
2–1
1992–1993
1–0
2–1
2002–2003
2–0
1–0
2005–2006
3–2
4–1
Biggest wins
Sunderland
9-1: (A) 5 December 1908
Newcastle
6–1 (H): 9 October 1920, (A) 26 December 1955
There are a number of players who have donned both the black and white stripes of Newcastle as well as Sunderland's red and white stripes. Here are the players who have appeared in the first teams of both sides.
In addition, the guest system operated in British football during World War II meant that most teams fielded guest players. Amongst these was the Newcastle forward Jackie Milburn who made two guest appearances for Sunderland against Gateshead twice during the 1944–45 season. Sunderland drew the first game 2-2 and lost the other 4-2. Another Newcastle striker, Albert Stubbins also guested for Sunderland several times during the 1941–42 season, including an appearance in the Wartime Cup Final, which Sunderland lost to Wolverhampton Wanderers despite a Stubbins goal.
Managers
Bob Stokoe, who won the FA Cup as a player with Newcastle in 1955, was manager of Sunderland between 1972 and 1977, guiding the Wearsiders to their famous FA Cup victory in 1973 and promotion to Division One in 1976. He returned to manage them briefly again in 1987.
On 15 May 2007 Newcastle appointed Sam Allardyce as their new manager, who played for Sunderland in the early 1980s.[27]
^Middlebrook, S. Newcastle Upon Tyne: Its Growth and Achievement, p. 87. Newcastle Chronicle and Journal, Newcastle Upon Tyne, 1950 and Corfe, Tom History of Sunderland, pp. 35-45. Frank Graham, Newcastle Upon Tyne, 1973
^Griffiths, Bill A Dictionary of North East Dialect, p. 86. Northumbria University Press, Newcastle Upon Tyne, 2004
^Candlish, Alan Ha'Way/Howay The Lads: The History of the Rivalry Between Newcastle United and Sunderland, p. 322. Sports Books Limited, Cheltenham, 2006
Tyne and Wear (England)
Prior to the beginning of the twentieth century, the main rivalries in Newcastle and Sunderland were cross-town affairs. In Newcastle, a rivalry existed during the 1880s between Newcastle East End (later to become Newcastle United) and Newcastle West End, which was ended with West End's bankruptcy in 1892. Meanwhile on Wearside, a group of players broke away from Sunderland, and formed the rival Sunderland Albion in 1888, though Albion was forced to fold four years later.
The first meeting between the two took place in 1883, with the first competitive fixture, an FA Cup tie in 1888. Sunderland won the game 2–0.
