Derby delight!

Sunderland v Newcastle United and nothing gets the blood pumping like a derby match against our arch rivals!

Newcastle making the daunting journey behind enemy lines today.

So I decided to take a trip down memory lane.

To reminisce about my favourite derby encounters.

Hopefully today will bring more of the same, as the Toon look to again get one over their Mackem counterparts.

1996 Arise Sir Les

At the start of the 96/97 season, Newcastle United made their last ever trip to Roker Park.

No away ticket allocation made available to Newcastle fans for this one.

As well as the unofficial NUFC fans that still found a way into Roker Park, thousands of Toon supporters flocked to Newcastle arena where they could watch live on ‘big’ screens.

Things were looking good for the Mackems when Robbie Elliot conceded a nineteenth minute penalty, which was converted to give them a lead and that was almost doubled soon after. Newcastle just about kept things together in a raucous atmosphere and, crucially, got to half-time just the one goal down.

The second half was a very different story.

Seven minutes in, Peter Beardsley was able to equalise with a clever header to silence Roker Park, bar some undercover Mags who were unable to keep their allegiances quiet.

Ten minutes later, Sir Les Ferdinand powered home a trademark header from a corner to give United the lead and ultimately the win that broke Mackem hearts, as they were forced to lick their wounds on the way to a long, and ultimately fruitless, slog of attempting to avoid relegation.

2002 Nik the Greek

Both teams went into this one desperate for a win, for very different reasons. Sir Bobby’s United were enjoying a tilt at the title whereas Sunderland’s Peter Reid was desperately trying to stave off relegation fears.

The first half was a frenzied affair with Bellamy having an early effort ruled out for a marginal offside before Shay Given made two instinctive saves. The second half belonged to just one man. Nikos Dabizas thought he’d opened the scoring when steaming in at the back post with an effort that was just about saved by the ‘keeper’s leg. Soon after, he turned and cracked a shot off the crossbar and screamed in agony at how close he’d been to scoring. Just when it looked like it wasn’t going to be Nikos’ day, a free-kick was whipped into the box by Laurent Robert and our Greek God won the match by burying a header at the back post to spark wild celebrations amongst the travelling supporters behind the goal. The fans weren’t the only ones going wild, wor Nikos ripped his shirt off and swung it round his head before being mobbed by jubilant teammates. There was still time for Shay Given to pull off a fine save (later voted ‘save of the decade’) from Kevin Phillips as the Toon went second in the table and celebrated their first ever victory at the Stadium of Light.

2002 Brilliant Bellamy

Both sides had endured a difficult start to the 02/03 season and nerves were sky high going into this one. Those nerves lasted precisely eighty-two seconds. Bellamy was played through on goal after great work from Shearer and Dyer and slipped the ball under the Mackem ‘keeper at the Leazes End to spark ecstasy at St James’ Park. Shearer added another on the stroke of half-time when he battered a free-kick through the Mackem wall and United threatened to run riot on an afternoon when we could have scored ten. Bellamy had a blatant penalty not given and the Toon missed a number of other chances in a completely dominant display that resulted in our first home victory over our fiercest rivals in nearly a decade.

2005 The Mackem Slayer

Graeme Souness went head-to-head with Mick McCarthy as both managers felt the pressure after an underwhelming start to the campaign.

What followed was probably the greatest Tyne-Wear derby of the Premier League era. Ahead of the match, a piece of team news had the potential to derail any Geordie joy when Michael Owen was declared injured (suprise, suprise!). We needn’t have worried, Shola Ameobi was drafted in to replace him and proved to be the key player on an absolutely glorious afternoon that had a little bit of everything. When United were awarded a thirty-fourth minute corner, Ameobi’s bullet header lit the touchpaper for an incredible scoring spree of four goals in just seven minutes. Sunderland equalised immediately but back came the Toon and N’Zogbia hooked the ball across for the face of the box again for Shola to bury a diving header that took a touch off former Toon player Stephen Caldwell on its way into the Leazes End net. A second Sunderland equaliser was to follow, again almost immediately, and the teams went in level at the break. The second half was filled with tension, drama and ultimate glory for NUFC as Emre crashed home a superb free-kick to secure a 3-2 win but United had to then weather the storm. As Sunderland had a penalty appeal turned down, saw an effort cleared off the line and hit the crossbar with Shay Given completely beaten. Despite this late rally from our opponents, the match and the bragging rights belonged to the Toon.

2006 Shearer’s Revenge

Sunderland had been mathematically relegated at Old Trafford a few days previous to this derby, which helped lead to a shocking eight thousand empty seats as the Mackems voted with their feet. Funnily enough the stay-away Sunderland fans probably missed their best forty-five minutes of the season as the red and whites took the lead in front of row after row of empty seats, when Justin Hoyte sidefooted home a deserved opening goal.

The lead lasted until sixty minutes when Michael Chopra was subbed on for Lee Clark. The Geordie striker took less than fifteen seconds to tap home into an empty net and level the scores. Even better was to follow just a minute later when N’Zogbia was pulled back in the area and Alan Shearer smashed home the spot kick. Shearer had infamously missed a penalty in a defeat at home to the Mackems six years previously and this was sweet revenge for our number nine who celebrated his two hundred and sixth, and last, NUFC goal in front of the travelling fans. Just a few minutes later it was 3-1 when N’Zogbia danced through three defenders and slammed a shot into the bottom corner for our third goal in less than seven minutes. With the Sunderland fans sloping off, the Newcastle supporters were in a state of total hilarity. There was still time for Albert Luque to ‘wrap things up’ on a brilliant day that has since been immortalised in song.

2010 Demolition Derby

The perfect day! Believe it or not, Sunderland were actually slight favourites going into this one. The red and white fans who were giving it the big one pre-match were begging to be let out at halftime as Newcastle United ripped their team apart. Kevin Nolan opened the scoring with a clever overhead kick and doubled our advantage soon after. With Sunderland looking absolutely shell-shocked, Jonas Gutierrez was fouled in the box before halftime and Mackem Slayer Shola stepped up to smash home a penalty. With the score at 3-0, the red and white players (unlike many of their so-called supporters) had to endure forty-five more minutes of torture. Titus Bramble managed to avoid further punishment as he was sent off for hacking down Andy Carroll when he was through on goal. Bramble was waved down the tunnel by forty-nine thousand Toon fans before Geordie striker Carroll hit the bar with a diving header. Thankfully Shola Ameobi was on hand to stylishly crash home the rebound and make it 4-0 to the Toon with twenty minutes still remaining. Not to be outshone, Nolan made it five with a header from a corner to become the first Newcastle player to score a hattrick against Sunderland since Peter Beardsley twenty-five years earlier. Hilarious Mackem radio commentary is available on YouTube with the host begging Newcastle to declare at five! Sunderland got one back near the end but this was barely acknowledged by red and white players. The toon had ran them ragged in a demolition derby that was hastily made available on DVD. Marvellous!

2011 Over the wall

The start of the 11/12 season had seen Newcastle draw with Arsenal and Sunderland the same with Liverpool. The second game of the season was the Wear-Tyne derby and both teams were confident of securing three points. The main talking point of the first half revolved around Shola Ameobi winning a header that was flicked on by Joey Barton before being blatantly handballed off the line by a Mackem defender. This offence should have warranted a red card and a penalty but was unbelievably missed by both the referee and his assistant, meaning the Toon had to make do with a corner. Any notions of wallowing in self pity after such an injustice were dispelled by Ryan Taylor, who rifled home a simply superb second half free-kick to win the match.

IMAGO/Sportimage

He joined the ranks of Liam O’Brien, Scott Sellars, Alan Shearer and Emre by smashing home a free-kick in the derby. There was still time for a Mackem red card due to their usual derby day thuggery but this result was celebrated long and hard by the Toon Army, who’d go on to enjoy a fine season finishing in the top five.

2023 Sweet FA

The most recent meeting between the two sides was one of our most comfortable victories.

Newcastle swarmed all over their Championship opponents in this FA Cup tie and took the lead through an own goal before half-time.

This was extremely generous of our hosts who had also allowed their Black Cats bar to be decked out in black and white for the occasion. Two second half strikes from Alexander Isak settled things. What a shame he’s decided to completely ruin his legacy with his selfish and greedy behaviour over the summer. Nevertheless, this was our first derby victory for just over twelve years and was a fine occasion for those in black and white.

Geordies and mackems will always fight like (black) cats and dogs. Today will again see the two teams go toe-to-toe once again in search of not only three points but also those mythical bragging rights. The above matches have given me some of the best days of my life supporting NUFC. Let’s hope we add Sunday 14th December 2025 to that list. Howay the lads!