Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Visit Shots! now
Sunderland travel to to St. James’ Park to play Newcastle United on Sunday.
They say records are made to be broken, and it would appear that nowhere is the old adage more true than in the Women’s Championship.
A little over three years ago, Sheffield United set a new high watermark for a second tier gate when 4,100 fans watched them play Liverpool at Bramall Lane. Earlier this season, Sunderland snatched that record from the Blades when they welcomed 15,387 supporters to the Stadium of Light for the first Tyne-Wear Derby of the campaign against Newcastle United. On Sunday, the Black Cats will travel to St. James’ Park for the reverse fixture, and at the time of writing, more than 26,000 tickets have been sold already.
It is an indicator of both the ever-increasing popularity of the women’s game and the simmering local rivalry between two clubs who are still growing accustomed to being in the same division as each other following Newcastle’s promotion last season.
But while Sunderland are set to be pickpocketed of their attendance record less than five months after setting it, the mood on Wearside heading into Sunday’s fixture is one of notable excitement at the prospect of such a historic clash, rather than any kind of resentment.
Speaking in a press conference on Thursday afternoon, Black Cats midfielder Natasha Fenton said: “These are the moments, this is where we want women's football to go. We want to be playing in that kind of capacity of a stadium and with those crowds, so I think if you don't rise up to the occasion then you're in the wrong sport.
“If you told me when I was younger that that's the kind of crowd I was going to be playing in front of I would have snapped your hand off. You dream about big games, you dream about big moments and I think that’s what is most important.”
Fenton’s enthusiasm is reflected on the other side of the North East divide too. Lifelong Newcastle fan, and former Sunderland player, Rachel Furness started her senior career with Chester-Le-Street in 2002, and has enjoyed a nomadic journey through the women’s game over the course of the two decades since. By her own admission, however, the prospect of competing in a Tyne-Wear Derby on home soil has brought about a special kind of anticipation.
"This is the fixture I looked for at the start of the season when I joined Newcastle," Furness said. "It's a fixture everyone wants to be involved in and every kid's dream. For me personally, this is a full circle moment and something I dreamt of as a little girl, not thinking I'd ever get the opportunity to play at St. James' Park.
"When I step onto that pitch I'm going to be fighting for every little girl and boy on Sunday, and personally it's a massive moment in my career. It'll be like Christmas Day waking up on Sunday morning and getting ready for the game. However, and I can't stress this enough, all week in training it's been focused, and nobody's getting carried away with the occasion."
And make no mistake, while those of a Sunderland persuasion may be equally eager to compete on such a grand stage, they are also keen to avoid being swept up in the magnitude of Sunday’s match.
Fenton added: “I think most importantly the message will be to focus on the game and not the occasion. Since moving up to North East myself you can evidently see how big Sunderland and Newcastle are as clubs - I don't think you can walk down the street without seeing someone in a jersey or someone with a badge on an item of clothing.
“And the girls are very much aware of that. But I think it's just another game at the end of the day. Slightly different circumstances, but equally the ultimate aim is to get three points and I think if you want it more than the other team then you're well within your rights to go out and put in a good performance.”
The 26-year-old’s attitude is echoed by Sunderland head coach Mel Reay, who is intent on securing a positive result for the Black Cats after they suffered a 2-1 defeat against their rivals at the Stadium of Light back in October.
“We've been beat off them this season already,” she told a press conference. “We know how that felt, and it's about putting it right. It's about putting on a good performance for the fans, first and foremost, and making sure we turn up with the right attitude and application to get a result... We know what they're about and we're going to go there and try and get three points.”
The Echo has launched a new WhatsApp SAFC Channel to bring the latest news, analysis and team & injury updates direct to your phone. Simply click this link to join ourSAFC WhatsApp channel.
But despite her commitment avenging last year’s loss, Reay also concedes that Sunday’s meeting is one that will come with an added sting in the tail. She continued: “We've had three derbies this season. We did the double over Durham. I think every game's probably got a different type of feel.
“We're travelling to St James' for the first time in front of a league record crowd, with lots of things to be conscious of off the pitch as well. It's important that we have those discussions to make sure our players are at ease with what's going to be in front of them at the weekend.”
Ultimately, however, Reay - like her own players and those in the opposing dressing room - is pleased to see such ardent interest in the local women’s game. “I think it's good to have rivalry,” she said. “I think there's probably a lot more emotion in the games than there is when you're playing someone from outside your area. I think that's good.
“I think we've experienced it for a number of years against Durham, and I think the rivalry of Newcastle and Sunderland is very much the men's rivalry but now the women are in the league too and it'll start to grow and it'll start to get stronger. It's an exciting occasion. It's great for the area. It's great to see so many fans who want to come and watch a women's football game.
“That's what we want. We're growing the game and the audiences have got to grow with it. We want to be playing in the big stadiums in front of big crowds and we don't want this just to be a one-off. We want this to be a regular occurrence so it's not a novelty.”
Your next Sunderland read: 'This has been coming' - Sunderland writer James Copley on the need for Black Cats to bounce back vs Millwall