The train heading to San Siro in Milan was extremely crowded and the few locals on board seemed uncomfortable as Newcastle fans loudly chanted three words.
“We hate Sunderland,” they chorused with some emphasising the point by thumping empty beer bottles against the train’s ceiling. “Why?” a thoroughly bemused Italian eventually inquired.
The solution will be revealed at the Stadium of Light this Saturday afternoon when the first Tyne-Wear derby since 2016 kicks off.
A lot has happened in the past eight years, particularly with Newcastle being taken over by Saudi Arabian owners in 2021 and Sunderland falling to the third tier in 2018. While Sunderland now plays in the Championship, their team was put together for around £20m, compared to the over £500m spent on Newcastle’s team.
According to this, a match that used to be evenly matched now seems like a lopsided FA Cup third-round game. However, due to Eddie Howe’s team’s recent struggles and their inability to defeat their local rivals since 2011, there is a noticeable feeling of anxiety in the air at Tyneside.
About four months after the Champions League match in Milan and just over three weeks since the Serie A team crushed Howe’s hopes of advancing in Europe, the increasing tension between the clubs can almost be felt. Due to the intense animosity between the two, police have decided it is too dangerous for the 6,000 Newcastle fans who are traveling to use the local metro.
They must avoid all conventional forms of public and private transport and traverse the 14 miles separating the cities on a convoy of free buses flanked by heavy-duty police escorts. No one will be handed a match ticket until they reach Wearside.
The goal is to prevent a recurrence of the aggression that occurred outside St James’ in 2013, when a Newcastle supporter punched a police horse in retaliation to Sunderland’s manager, Paolo Di Canio, performing a victorious knee slide on the sidelines as his team secured a 3-0 victory.
Sunderland’s manager, Michael Beale, who took over for Tony Mowbray, discusses the knee slide, which has been brought up several times. However, he cannot reveal what his reaction would be if the team were to win.
“The current locations of the clubs have drastically changed since 2016. Our team has experienced relegation to League One and we now have the youngest squad in the Championship, and possibly even in the entire country. Despite their lofty goals of playing in the Premier League and Champions League, my players have yet to prove themselves against formidable opponents.”
The fates of the teams have drastically changed since March 2016, when Rafael Benítez’s Newcastle, owned by Mike Ashley and heading for the Championship, tied 1-1 at home with Sunderland, led by future England manager Sam Allardyce.
However, while the black and white banner displayed on a bridge in northern Italy in September with the phrase “You’ll never see a Mackem in Milan” highlighted a widening divide on the field, there remains a lingering equality off the field.
Regardless of the Saudi millions invested in refurbishing Newcastle’s training ground, Sunderland’s Academy of Light remains the superior facility, and the 49,000-capacity Stadium of Light ranks among England’s finest grounds. Moreover, although Kyril Louis-Dreyfus cannot remotely rival the Saudis’ wealth, Sunderland’s Swiss-French majority owner is a billionaire.
Louis-Dreyfus has faced difficulties in winning over the support of the local community. The decision by Sunderland to terminate Mowbray’s contract was met with disappointment from fans, but their anger was amplified by the club’s initial plan to redecorate a hospitality suite in black and white, which was reserved for 700 Newcastle fans who paid £600 each for tickets to the derby. This decision has since been reversed.
One of Louis-Dreyfus’s predecessors, the businessman and philanthropist Sir Bob Murray, would not have made such a naive mistake. Rather more significantly, Murray is adamant that, as Sunderland’s owner, he would have declined any attempted Saudi buyout owing to the kingdom’s “human rights violations”.
Beale steers a more diplomatic course. “There’s a time and place to comment on the ownership of football clubs and what’s right and wrong,” says the former Rangers manager. “Let’s focus on a really intriguing game. Financially, we’re building something very different here with young players. One club’s about getting to the top quickly, the other’s trying to take a development route. It’s two different visions.”
Beale stated that, aside from finances, there were no significant distinctions in terms of “size, backing, or reputation,” but Howe disagrees. “I’m not going to engage in a verbal battle with any manager, but I don’t believe it’s wise to make such comparisons or remarks,” he asserts. “We are aware of our identity and our capabilities.”
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Gary Bennett, a former captain of Sunderland, now works as a co-commentator for BBC local radio. He is excited to see how Beale’s highly sought after players, such as winger Jack Clarke, midfielder Dan Neil, and forward Jobe Bellingham (who is the younger brother of Jude), will perform on Saturday and reach their full potential. Bennett says that the north-east derby is a fantastic opportunity for Sunderland’s players and the atmosphere will be electric.
Fortunately, the soundtrack has significantly improved since 1985, when Bennett was subjected to severe racist harassment in Newcastle. This was during a time when the National Front frequently recruited outside of St James’ Park. However, on a more positive note, this pivotal incident led to the creation of the impactful education organization, Show Racism the Red Card.
Bennett states that the north-east has become a more diverse, understanding, and educated place off the field. On the field, the participating clubs have a wide range of nationalities represented in this derby match.
The resemblance between Newcastle’s green alternate uniform and the national flag of Saudi Arabia has sparked allegations of political takeover. However, Bennett notes that Howe’s team has not achieved any victories. “They are now extremely wealthy,” he states. “But they must continue to recruit effectively. Money alone cannot guarantee success.”
According to Sunderland’s club historian, Rob Mason, the early 1950s were a successful period for Newcastle, winning three FA Cups in five years. However, despite being known as the “Bank of England club” and spending a significant amount of money, Sunderland failed to win any trophies during that time. This serves as a cautionary tale for those who believe that money guarantees success. While Newcastle is favored to win, the FA Cup is unpredictable and all of Wearside is hoping for a memorable derby victory.
Jim Montgomery is hopeful that Sunderland will emerge victorious. The ex-goalkeeper and star of the 1973 FA Cup final win against Leeds has extended an invitation to Bob Moncur, who led Newcastle to their most recent major title, the 1969 Fairs Cup, to join him. Montgomery acknowledges that the rivalry between the two clubs can be lighthearted at times, as demonstrated by the division it creates in many families throughout the Tyne-Wear area. He also points out that Sunderland, as underdogs in 1973, proved that anything is possible.
Recently, Montgomery received treatment for prostate cancer at the Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Research Centre located in the Freeman hospital in Newcastle. The funding for this treatment was provided by the charity foundation of the late England coach.
As a previous coach for Newcastle, Robson took pride in the fact that Sunderland and Middlesbrough set aside their football rivalries to fund a project that has since saved numerous lives.
Although many have concerns about the government in Saudi Arabia, there is a general agreement across the region that the owners of Newcastle should be motivated to help with the UK government’s economic “levelling up” program, which has not been successful thus far.
Tangible enhancements to infrastructure have not yet been seen, however the ambassador of Saudi Arabia to the United Kingdom has had a meal with entrepreneurs in Durham. Saudi companies SABIC and Alfanar are currently investing large sums of money into the development of eco-friendly fuels in Teesside, and the national airline Saudia intends to initiate non-stop flights to the Gulf from Newcastle airport.
Currently, however, football has taken on the primary role of bringing a previously neglected region back into the spotlight. Beale states, “This match is not only significant for the north-east, but it is also the highlight of the round. The entire nation is eager for it.”
Source: theguardian.com
