Police thank Sunderland and Newcastle fans after FA Cup derby clash passes 'largely without incident'

Police have thanked Sunderland and Newcastle fans after the FA Cup derby clash at the Stadium of Light passed 'largely without incident'.

Some 6,000 Newcastle fans were conveyed to the stadium by a special bus fleet from St James' Park, with NUFC supporters barred from making their own way to the game.

The transport bubble was arranged after FA Cup rules meant NUFC was given a larger allocation of away tickets than would be the case in other games.

North of Tyne mayor Jamie Driscoll bemoaned the restrictions, accusing the authorities of treating law-abiding supporters as 'hooligans' - words which were condemned by Kim McGuinness, Labour’s Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner and a rival of Mr Driscoll’s in the upcoming North East mayoral election.

Derby clashes in the past have been marred by violent scenes, but Chief Superintendent Neil Hutchison, of Northumbria Police, said he was pleased with the outcome today.

Officers were seen in action dealing with small-scale incidents outside the stadium, but Chief Supt Hutchinson said problems had been 'kept to a minimum'.

“The policing operation for today’s Wear/Tyne Derby passed largely without incident, with the overwhelming majority of both home and away fans enjoying the match and showing the friendly good humour that the North East is well known for," he said. 

“We would like to thank supporters from both clubs who adhered to the necessary measures in place to ensure the day was able to run smoothly.

“This fixture required a very different approach from previous matches due to the much larger number of away supporters attending, and we greatly appreciate the cooperation of fans. 

“We would also like to thank both clubs and our partners from across the region, who worked together to help ensure those attending the game could safely and that disruption for other members of the public was kept to a minimum.”

Newcastle defeated Sunderland 0-3 after coming into the game without a victory in nine attempts – a run which included six successive wins for the Black Cats – in a fixture which had not been played since March 2016.

NUFC boss Eddie Howe was also under a measure of pressure after a sequence of seven defeats in eight outings in all competitions.

The visitors had gone out of the cup at the same stage to League One sides Cambridge and Sheffield Wednesday in the last two seasons.

However, victory was theirs today.