NORTH-EASTERN RIVALRY

 The Football League was ten years old by the time the two biggest clubs in the North-East met and soon developed their regional rivalry. Sunderland won admission to the Football League in 1890, replacing founder members Stoke and by 1895 racked up three league titles. Newcastle joined in the Second Division in1893, winning promotion five seasons later. A crowd of around 30,000 met at Roker Park with twenty special trains ferrying Newcastle's supporters south. United was struggling in the relegation polaces but quickly established their lead over their "mid-table" rivals and defensive tactics in the latter stages of the match secured a win to kick-start their season, ending up five points clear of trouble. The following Christmas  Newcastle Eve threw away a 2-1 lead at half time at home to lose 2-4!

Below Newcastle 1901.

Rivalry tooks a more sinister turn on Good Friday 1901 when Sunderland were chasing the Championship, travelling to St James's Park. 35,000 supporters were jammed into the 25,000 capacity stadium and the Manchester Guardian described the "storming of the turnstiles", as "unprecedented" as the players got mixed up with the crowd of which the "rougher element commenced horseplay!" Flags and goals having been torn down, forced the police to make baton charges and the match was called off. Sunderland won the rearranged match three weeks later but lost the title to Liverpool by two points.

Sunderland 1908

In December 1908, Newcastle lost 1-9 at home to Sunderland who scored 8 in the second half and the result still stands as a record in this derby and a record home team defeat at this standard. There was consolidation however, as United wnet on to "romp" the League Title. Ten years on from their first game, the teams established a reputation for "improbable inconsistency" which was fascinate the country for therest of the century!!