🔗 Share this article

The Newcastle manager was technically on safe ground as he rang the bell.

The Newcastle United head coach had just set the 2023 Great North Run started to rapturous applause in the heart of the city.

But he had not accounted for those Black Cats runners who were less than pleased to see him as they whizzed past.

"The biggest stick I've ever had," he remarked this week. "I got verbally attacked by 50% of the people there."

This is not an inter-city rivalry. These North East neighbours have won only one significant title between them in the past 50 years, and Sunday's game signals the first time they will meet in the top division for nearly a decade.

But hardly any fixtures bring a region to a standstill quite like the North East derby as former Sunderland manager Peter Reid understands better than most.

"These are football crackers," he said. "Put it this way, there is a touch of extra needle up there."

A fixture like no other

A former Newcastle defender also knows what can happen when these forces collide.

A huge picture in the ex- Newcastle centre-back's home serves as a daily reminder.

It captures the Greek wild-eyed, bare chested and surrounded by his jubilant team-mates, after netting the winner in front of the away fans at the Stadium of Light in 2002.

This was a fixture that definitely left its mark on him.

"The key is the intensity of the fans," he said. "It's something that goes from father to son. This heritage makes this game so special."

So what is at the root of the fierce rivalry between two one-club cities less than 15 miles apart?

Well, as far as a Sunderland loyal fan is concerned, it goes beyond football itself.

"You can go back to the English Civil War with Newcastle siding with the monarchy and Sunderland backing the parliament," he said. "It's all historical and economical tensions.

"Newcastle get the funding, Newcastle have the metropolitan status, Newcastle are the ones people always talk about when it comes to the North East. Sunderland are always shadowed."

But it is not at all one-sided.

A former player's father was even "swarmed" by joyous Newcastle supporters after his son scored a decisive free-kick in a 1-0 victory at the Stadium of Light in 2011.

That is how much it meant to the Geordies.

"It took a while afterwards to realise the significance of it," the player said.

"It eased my life a lot easier. I was forgiven to make the occasional mistake when playing, purely because of that goal.

"I still go up to St James' Park and you've got dads telling their kids, 'See this lad? He scored the winner against the Mackems'."

A derby win can even boost the standing of an already beloved figure.

A former Newcastle manager had not long delivered promotion back to the Premier League when he took charge of his first derby in 2010.

There may have only officially been three points at stake, but he quickly understood the "extra weight" of this game because people in the North East "breathe their football".

He said: "There are some derbies where you are not quite sure why they are derbies. This one, you are.

"These are two huge clubs - not far away from each other - with their own character.

"Realistically, they are the two most important games of the season so you are conscious that the last thing you want to do is to lose, especially in your own stadium."

A region reignited

That manager had nothing to fear.

His side ended up hammering Sunderland 5-1 at St James' Park in 2010, but Newcastle have only won a single derby in the Premier League since then.

In fact, Sunderland have been victorious in six of the last seven contests in the top flight.

A former Sunderland manager oversaw half of those victories, having swiftly realised that the fixture was "more significant" than many outsiders thought.

"Beyond family, the club is the most vital thing to the people of this city," he said.

"The passion is such that the result of the club can change the mood of the city so imagine the result of the derby? You can sense it.

"I was informed on the first day. 'Please stay up, but you must beat Newcastle'. I remain unsure if it was more important to stay up or to beat Newcastle."

Sunderland, like Newcastle before them, eventually slipped through the drop in 2017, and spent eight years away from the top flight.

So a division divided these rivals when they last met in the FA Cup nearly two years ago.

And the contrast was pronounced.

The combined cost of Sunderland's starting line-up that day was a mere fraction of the £40m Newcastle had invested in a single player.

The most experienced individual in the hosts' starting line-up was a clear margin ahead of others, at just 30 years of age.

"I don't think the fans really believed, deep down, that we were going to win that game," a former midfielder said. "But now it's different."

In so many ways.

Only two players are likely to be the only holdovers from that 3-0 defeat in Sunday's lineup following the inspired arrivals of several new signings.

Sunderland also have a different manager, of course.

Not only has he led Sunderland to promotion - his bold side have competed evenly against some the best teams in the top flight.

In fact, the reigning champions are the only team in the current top six to have defeated Sunderland this season, while his side are also undefeated on their own ground.

Such an strong start to the campaign means Sunderland go into Sunday's game a point ahead of Newcastle in the table.

So it is all set up to be a captivating afternoon when these rivals face off again at the Stadium of Light.

"On Sunday, the world will know the North East is back on the map with top games again," a former player added.