A crowd of 43,515 attended the game between Sunderland and Middlesbrough at the Stadium of Light, where a heavy police presence was noticeable and Northumbria Police’s helicopter flying overhead.
Superintendent Sarah Pitt, silver commander for the operation, said: “This was the first match of the season and there was a lot of excitement surrounding this fixture.
“We enjoyed being part of that and there was a positive atmosphere among both sets of supporters, both before and after the game.
“There were a handful of arrests, but that is not unusual with football matches, and the vast majority of supporters behaved impeccably.
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“We want to praise both sets of fans for celebrating the passion of North East football and setting the mark for the season ahead.”