Two Rivers, One Obsession: A deep dive into the Tyne & Wear derby.
Written by Luke Maddison on 24th March 2026
With a history of hatred, hope and heartbreak, Luke Maddison takes a look into one of football’s most fierce and intense derbies of all time.
Going back to the 17th century is where the rivalry first started, during the English civil war. This was due to growing frustration that merchants in Royalist Newcastle had advantages over the people of Sunderland, which led Wearside into becoming a Parliamentarian stronghold.
14 Miles, 23 minutes or one change and ten stops on the metro, geography is the only subject on which Newcastle and Sunderland are close.
Even after so long, there is still a pure hatred between the two cities and this is all down to football. This makes the Tyne & Wear derby one of the most intense derbies in the history of the game, dating back to the first ever meeting between the two sides back in 1883.
Fanbases of both clubs are some of the most passionate supporters in England and this is why it’s so special. Thousands of Geordies and Mackems flood St James’ Park & the Stadium of Light, week in, week out, to show their support.
Unfortunately, some people outside of the North East fail to understand just how big a game between these two are. Outsiders see this as any other game, but to the people of Tyneside & Wearside, this is everything.
(Credit – Luke Maddison)
With the most recent derby game being on Sunday 22nd March. Spark Sunderland sat down with Charlie Bennett, Newcastle United writer for the Shields Gazette and a lifelong supporter of the football club.
Speaking prior to the big clash and asked how big he thinks the derby really is, he said: “I think it’s massive, especially for people in the local area. Now when you’ve got a lot of fans on social media, a lot of fans who maybe don’t get it as much as the local fan.
“I’ve seen this debate in the past couple of days; I’ve seen people from America saying that it’s an absolute no brainer and Sunderland are just a mid-table Premier League club and it’s not.”
(Credit – Luke Maddison)
Charlie added: “I remember when I was growing up in high school, especially because it was the Mike Ashley era, the derby was all Newcastle really had. It was them two games a season, it was ******* everything.
“Even if you want to look at the trouble aspect, the fans were banned from each other’s stadiums in the 90’s. You had the kick-offs in 2013 and there’s always been that element of hooliganism there. It’s one of, in my own well, obviously biased opinion, I believe it’s the best derby in England.”
The game at St James Park’ last Sunday ended with Sunderland winning 2-1, with Sunderland striker Brian Brobbey scoring the latest ever winning goal scored in Tyne & Wear derby history.
This defeat has sparked outrage from Newcastle United supporters all over social media, due to the embarrassment of losing to their local rivals twice in the same season. Manager Eddie Howe and his players have received a lot of criticism and many think it’s deservedly so.
Spark Sunderland spoke to Luke Edwards, Northern Football Writer for the Daily Telegraph.
We asked Luke if he thought the Newcastle players bottled the big occasion, he said: “I don’t think bottled is the right word. I think they looked tired and nervous in the second half. The fact Sunderland had six players booked and Newcastle had none, suggests the Black Cats were more physically combative in the game.”
With the game being absolutely massive for both sets of the clubs, Luke answered on if he thinks Howe is under pressure and also gave his thoughts on the derby as a whole.
He added: “That is the power of the derby. Managers who lose are heavily criticised. Of all of the disappointing defeats this season, losing to Sunderland twice is the most damaging for him as it’s the one that matters so much to the supporters. He has a long a road ahead of him to win back the love and affections of the fans now.
“It is definitely one of the most passionate and febrile (Derbies). I think it is the most intense derby in English football and has been for a number of years.”
(Credit – Luke Maddison)
This sums up just how much this clash means to the people of the North East, both sides could potentially lose all their games during the season and the derby will always be the most important one out of them all.
As time goes on, the passion for this game will never die, when next years’ fixtures are released, this will be the first game everyone looks for.
Generations of fans have grown up defining themselves by their colours, their side of the river and their stories that will be passed down for years to come.
It’s much more than three points, it’s singing every chant, cheering every tackle and being able to secure bragging rights that could separate families, workplaces and schools.
In the North East of England, this game isn’t just football. It’s showing who you are and being able to express what these football clubs truly mean to you.
