Wear-Tyne derby: Police praise fans for 'friendly good humour'
Northumbria Police say yesterday's crunch match went 'largely without incident'
Last updated 21st Jul 2024
Northumbria Police have praised fans for the Wear-Tyne derby - which they say passed ‘largely without incident’ yesterday.
They add both home and away supporters showed the ‘friendly good humour the North East is well known for’ - with the result yesterday coming as a relief for Magpies fans, having seen them defeat Sunderland for the first time in nearly eight years.
Clubs and partners across the region worked together to make sure it was as safe as possible.
In an update shared after the match, officers said: "The policing operation for today’s Wear/Tyne Derby passed largely without incident, with the overwhelming majority of both home and away fans enjoying the match and showing the friendly good humour that the North East is well known for.
"We would like to thank supporters from both clubs who adhered to the necessary measures in place to ensure the day was able to run smoothly.
"This fixture required a very different approach from previous matches due to the much larger number of away supporters attending, and we greatly appreciate the cooperation of fans.
"We would also like to thank both clubs and our partners from across the region, who worked together to help ensure those attending the game could safely and that disruption for other members of the public was kept to a minimum."
The FA Cup Third Round match ended up being dominated by Newcastle on the scoreline - however, it wasn't until a penalty in the second half with saw the Magpies actually score.
The Black Cats' Daniel Ballard scored an unfortunate own goal just 35 minutes into the match - turning the ball into his home net after Joelinton exchanged passed with Guimaraes to get in behind full-back Trai Hume and cross towards Isak at the far post.
Read more: Newcastle win first Wear Tyne derby with Sunderland since 2016