Police: We won’t tolerate derby day thuggery
FANS TOLD TO STAY ON BEST BEHAVIOUR WHEN CATS HOST UNITED
IT IS almost certainly the closest thing we will get to a tense Wear-Tyne derby this season.
Police have issued a warning to football fans ahead of Newcastle United Under-21s and Sunderland AFC’s Checkatrade Trophy clash.
The fierce rivals will meet at the Stadium of Light in January after what some supporters will see as a dream draw which sees the clubs – two divisions apart – go head to head.
The tournament’s rules dictate the Newcastle United team can only include two senior players in its line-up while the Black Cats are able to – and are expected to – play a full-strength team.
Due to Sunderland’s relegation from the Premier League in 2017 and drop to League One last season, it is one of the closest ties to a derby we have seen on Tyneside in some time.
Northumbria Police has issued a warning to to fans not to use the game as an excuse to cause trouble.
Football policing inspector Gary Jones said: “The North East is incredibly passionate when it comes to sport and Northumbria Police works hard with partners and clubs to ensure fans and the public remain safe and enjoy all matches.
“We are proud of the fantastic reputation we have for policing football in this region.
“However, that being said, we will not tolerate disorder inside or outside the stadium on match days and a policing presence will be in place.”
Northumbria Police overhauled the way it handles football policing after the shameful clashes followed the end of the the Tyne-Wear derby in April 2013, which saw scores of supposed Newcastle United fans go on the rampage in Newcastle city centre.
The force set up the country’s first ‘football neighbourhood policing team’ and officers have since worked hard to break down the ‘us-and-them’ mentality of policing football matches.
These days police meet regularly with fans’ groups from both Tyneside and Wearside, allowing supporters to get to know officers and give their views on how they would like to see matches policed.
The change of approach seems to have paid off with subsequent TyneWear and Wear-Tyne derbies passing relatively peacefully without the need to frog-march away fans into the stadium.
The Checkatrade Trophy clash between Sunderland and Newcastle United Under-21s will take place in the week commencing January 7.