North East authorities have issued updates to football fans ahead of the Tyne Wear Derby this weekend.
Newcastle United will host Sunderland at St James Park for the first time since March 2016 and Tyneside is preparing for the return of the derby with a series of road closures and fan advice.
Newcastle City Council has issued a full list of the road closures in place to allow fans to safely reach the stadium.
Additional roads will be closd in Newcastle for the Tyne-Wear Derby this weekend.placeholder image
Additional roads will be closd in Newcastle for the Tyne-Wear Derby this weekend. | Stu Forster/Getty Images
These are as follows:
Leazes Terrace, Strawberry Lane and Terrace Place west of St James Street will be closed two hours before kick-off
Strawberry Place between Barrack Road and St James Street will be closed 90 minutes before kick-off
The whole of Strawberry Place, St James Street and Terrace Place west of the off street car parks will all be closed 1 hour after kick off
Barrack Road between Stanhope Street and St James Boulevard will be closed from 10 minutes before final whistle for up to 45 minutes until crowds have cleared the area
With kick-off taking place at 12 noon, away fans will be escorted from Wearside into Newcastle on a police supported train, with supporters expected to get into Newcastle at 10:15am.
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A full update from Northumbria Police reads: “Ahead of the much-anticipated Tyne-Wear Derby on Sunday, we are sharing the below on behalf of all partners.
“Travel to and from Newcastle city centre all day is expected to be extremely busy. Everyone is asked to plan ahead and allow extra time for their journeys.
“Supporters looking to travel by Metro or rail are advised that all providers are operating a Sunday service.
“We can confirm for the safety of all that a police-supported escort to St James’ Park for Sunderland supporters will depart Newcastle Central Station at 10.15am. We will have additional officers in both city centres in addition to the increased police presence at the ground.
“Ultimately, we want to ensure all supporters can have a safe and enjoyable time – and everyone can play their part in achieving that result.”
Supporters arriving later could face delays if additional escorts are required, with organisers warning that late arrivals may risk missing the start of the game.
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