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In practice, all it took was one accurate cross from Nordi Mukiele and for Newcastle United’s Nick Woltemade to temporarily forget how to execute a defensive header as he thundered the ball into the roof of his own net, but if the first staging of the 2025/2026 Wear-Tyne derby was defined by a single moment, its wider ramifications were far more reaching.
On the day Eddie Howe brought his team to Wearside and Newcastle and Sunderland reignited their inter-regional rivalry in front of the eyes of the footballing world, everyone in red and white rose to the occasion magnificently.
Although not the greatest game of football to watch, with both teams arguably relying on grit and tenacity to try and emerge victorious, it was a hugely symbolic occasion, the game being played twenty four hours after the passing of the legendary Gary Rowell and everyone tapping into the sheer emotional energy that crackled inside the stadium from the first whistle.
SUNDERLAND, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 14: Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris and fans celebrate at the final whistle during the Premier League match between Sunderland and Newcastle United at Stadium of Light on December 14, 2025 in Sunderland, England. (Photo by Lee Parker - CameraSport via Getty Images)
SUNDERLAND, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 14: Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris and fans celebrate at the final whistle during the Premier League match between Sunderland and Newcastle United at Stadium of Light on December 14, 2025 in Sunderland, England. (Photo by Lee Parker - CameraSport via Getty Images)
CameraSport via Getty Images
Months later, it was the turn of the Lads to storm St James’ Park.
A duff first twenty minutes was followed by a much improved subsequent seventy, and after Chemsdine Talbi hauled us level and Enzo Le Fée did what he does better than anyone in the build up, Brian Brobbey took centre stage for the final flourish (“All you Geordies…” as the song goes) stabbing the ball home in front of the Leazes End as we stunned the Mags once again.
Two games. Two wins. Six points. One memorable campaign and one thoroughly underwhelming one. One club and set of supporters with a European campaign to look forward to; the other wallowing in rancour, bitterness, and the fact that their one-time starboy winger is evidently far more proficient in Spanish than anyone knew about — “Mes Que Mid-Table Mediocrity”, indeed.
Suffice it to say, we’re all loving this. And rightly so. Because after the years of misery, mockery and seeming hopelessness, Sunderland fired an almighty shot across the bows of Newcastle United in 2025/2026, serving notice of our intentions and proving that Saudi petro-dollars and grandiose statements alone aren’t enough to secure local bragging rights.
Something to savour? You’re damn right.
Why shouldn’t we bask in the glory of finishing as the North East’s leading top flight side for the first time since 2016? Why should we slip humbly away for the summer and exude an air of false modesty when in reality, a seventh-place finish versus the Mags’ twelfth was fully merited over the course of thirty eight games?
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - MARCH 22: Sunderland head coach Regis Le Bris celebrates with his staff on the final whistle during the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Sunderland at St James’ Park on March 22, 2026 in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom. (Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images)
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - MARCH 22: Sunderland head coach Regis Le Bris celebrates with his staff on the final whistle during the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Sunderland at St James’ Park on March 22, 2026 in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom. (Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images)
Sunderland AFC via Getty Images
For years, they revelled in our misfortune, insulting, mocking, and belittling us, as well as claiming that they’d heard of none of our players and referencing that godawful FA Cup tie on a regular basis — and we had to attempt to grin and bear it.
Now, it’s different. For once, this was our time, and boy, should we take a tremendous amount of pride in what’s happened recently. Sunderland’s 2025/2026 season was memorable for any number of reasons, but this was right up there.
Perhaps the divergence between the two clubs really began last summer after we secured a berth in the Premier League in the most thrilling fashion possible.
At the time, various Newcastle-affiliated social media pages, perhaps giddy on the sugar rush of their League Cup triumph and Champions League qualification, gleefully joined the chorus, proclaiming that we were doomed to fail, that we wouldn’t have the pull to attract players of the requisite quality and that the race for North East supremacy was surely going to end with Howe’s side on top.
Thankfully, Florent Ghisolfi, Kristjaan Speakman, Régis Le Bris and the players didn’t read that memo. Lost in the post, it seemed. Or maybe they just didn’t give a stuff what others thought and got on with the job anyway, driven by the goal of making sure that the gloomy predictions weren’t going to come true.
As we searched the European markets for signings that could add leadership, the dynamism of youth, excitement, skill, experience and durability to the ranks without needing to pay way over the odds, our black and white neighbours were purchasing status symbols, shiny new toys without the batteries included and half of the pages of the instruction manual missing.
Our strike rate when it comes to recent transfer business has been hugely impressive. Theirs? Not so much, with mega-money additions not yielding the return they hoped and grumblings that often veered into outright abuse based on Howe’s supposed ceiling as a head coach — that’s gratitude for you, isn’t it?
Our new additions slotted in seamlessly, immediately getting on board with how we do things at Sunderland, buying into Le Bris’ vision and ingratiating themselves with the fans with wholehearted performances. Granit Xhaka led, and others followed, with a diverse squad quickly gelling and setting about the league in impressive style.
Granit Xhaka of Sunderland FC celebrates Trai Hume’s goal during the Premier League match between Sunderland and Chelsea at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland, United Kingdom, on May 24, 2026. (Photo by Scott Llewellyn/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Granit Xhaka of Sunderland FC celebrates Trai Hume’s goal during the Premier League match between Sunderland and Chelsea at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland, United Kingdom, on May 24, 2026. (Photo by Scott Llewellyn/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
NurPhoto via Getty Images
Throughout the campaign, we were hard to beat; resilient, ferociously committed and organised. Twenty two points gained from losing positions hinted at a cast-iron mentality, whereas Newcastle losing almost thirty from winning positions hinted at a major frailty — a frailty that came back to haunt them during the second half in their own backyard.
Twenty years ago, Sunderland went down with fifteen points, with a Stadium of Light derby thrashing inflicting one of the final blows as we sank into the Championship in ignominious fashion and Newcastle eventually snuck into Europe for 2006/2007.
However, there was a wonderful sense of reverse symmetry to how this season unfolded and how we went about our business when up against the supposed might of those from Tyneside. Back then, there was nothing but apathy; now there’s a real sense of purpose, belief and incredible pride. It wasn’t supposed to be this way, if you believed the black and white content creators and often-dismissive journalists, but it is.
As to the future, perhaps Newcastle will bounce back next season.
Maybe they’ll learn from the litany of screw-ups that torpedoed their chances during 2025/2026 and will be stronger for the experience, but you can bet your life that we’ll be just as fired up and just as prepared for the challenge ahead.
It’s obvious that Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, Ghisolfi, Le Bris and the players are determined to ensure that we’re here to stay, and after throwing a major scare into our nearest and not-so-dearest during an unforgettable campaign, the challenge will be to ensure that this isn’t just a flash in the pan but a period during which we can equal and surpass our state-funded neighbours during the league campaign, give them two damn good games a season, and emerge triumphant.
Robin Roefs, Xhaka, Mukiele, Omar Alderete, Chris Rigg, Talbi, Brian Brobbey…Newcastle fans will remember those names. Ignorance can no longer be used as a half-baked excuse, and they’ve certainly heard of them now.