Is Jobe Bellingham coming back to Sunderland?
Sunderland have confirmed there are currently no plans for December’s Premier League Wear–Tyne derby to be a bubble match
Sunderland have confirmed there are currently no plans for December’s Wear–Tyne derby at the Stadium of Light to be classified as a ‘bubble match’.
The Premier League clash with Newcastle United on Sunday, December 14, will be the first league meeting between the rivals since 2015. Unlike last January’s FA Cup tie – when strict travel controls required Newcastle supporters to travel on official club transport under police escort – away fans will, for now, be free to make their own travel arrangements.
Minutes released from the latest Sunderland Supporter Collective meeting confirmed: “The upcoming fixture versus Newcastle United was discussed. AL confirmed there are no plans for the fixture to be a ‘bubble match’ at this stage, so away supporters will be free to choose how they travel to the Stadium of Light. There are challenges as the footprint of the Stadium of Light has changed in recent months, and the club is working closely with the police and fan representatives to make sure it’s a safe experience for all supporters.”
The update signals a more flexible approach to derby-day logistics, though discussions between the club, police and supporter groups will continue as planning progresses, and there is every chance that the situation could change before now and the game at the Stadium of Light.
The Wear–Tyne derby – also known as the Wear–Tyne or North East derby – is one of English football’s most historic and passionate rivalries. The two clubs, separated by just 12 miles, first met in 1883, with their first competitive fixture coming five years later in an FA Cup tie won 2–0 by Sunderland over Newcastle East End.
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Since then, the North East rivals have faced each other 157 times in competitive matches, with Newcastle United narrowly leading the all-time record by 54 wins to Sunderland’s 53, alongside 50 draws, a record that excludes friendlies. With both clubs now back in the Premier League, December’s fixture promises to reignite one of the game’s great traditional rivalries – a contest that has defined North East football for more than a century.
The roots of the rivalry, however, run far deeper than football. The historic tension between Sunderland and Newcastle dates back to the English Civil War, when Sunderland sided with Parliament after disputes over trading privileges enjoyed by Royalist Newcastle merchants. The divide resurfaced during the Jacobite risings of the 18th century, with Newcastle backing the Hanoverian King George while Sunderland supported the Scottish Stuarts.
That centuries-old civic divide has evolved into one of the country’s fiercest footballing rivalries — and with both clubs now back in the Premier League, December’s meeting promises to reignite the passion, noise and intensity that define the North East derby.
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