Watch Sunderland fans give derby predictions with some saying they would rather beat Newcastle than finish in play-offs

Excitement is building ahead of the first Wear Tyne derby in nearly eight years and Black Cats fans shopping in The Bridges have been giving their thoughts and predictions as one of the country's most fiercely contested rivalries is set to resume on Saturday.

With Sunderland now in the Championship and the Magpies in the Premier League, the only way the two North East giants could currently meet was via a cup tie.

On Sunday December 10, this unlikely scenario became reality as the two clubs were drawn against each other in the FA Cup and there has been eager anticipation around the game ever since.

The last time this happened was in the quarter finals of the competition at St James' Park in 1956.

There to witness the game was a then 18-year-old Leopole Johnson.

Now 86, Leopole said: "I was at the last FA Cup game and we won 2-0. They had beaten us in the league earlier that season and so it was great to get the win.

"Trevor Ford was my favourite player at the time."

When asked about the prospect of a similar result, Leopole added: "They have got the better players but they are currently in a poor run of form and anything can happen in the FA Cup.

“I’m going for Sunderland to win 2-1 with Jack Clarke to score.”

Newcastle have been taken over by the Saudi Public Investment Fund who have invested around £400m in a team which was this season playing Champions League football.

However the Magpies have lost seven out of their last eight games and while the gap between the two clubs has in many ways never been greater, Black Cats fans shopping in The Bridges believe their team can pull off a shock result - although some admitted they were perhaps thinking with their hearts rather than their heads.

With the last derby being a 1-1 draw at St James’ Park in March 2016, Leon Thompson was only nine-years-old at the time.

Season ticket holder Leon, 17, said: “I can’t really remember the derbies in too much detail, although I do remember the volley scored by Jermain Defoe when we beat them at the Stadium of Light and the game where Paolo Di Canio went sliding on his knees on the touchline.

“I’m going for a 2-0 win with goals from Pritchard and Clarke. I was listening to a podcast about how our team cost around £7.5m while Joelinton was £40m on his own.

“They should be winning, but it’s the FA Cup which is so unpredictable. Anything can happen. I’m going to be there and I just think we will get the win."    

Mum Paula Butler, 41, is also season ticket holder who will be at the match on Saturday.

She said: “You have to be confident. The pressure is all on them and I think we will win 2-0 with Jack Clarke scoring both goals.”

When given the choice of beating Newcastle on Saturday or being guaranteed a play-off spot, Leon said: “We have to win on Saturday as it means so much to the fans. Any Sunderland fan would say we need to beat them.”

Paula added: “It has been so long since the last derby that I think winning on Saturday is more important as it would mean so much to the fans.”

However, not all supporters agreed, with a number who spoke to the Echo feeling finishing in the play-offs was more important.

Stuart Todner, 64, used to be a season ticket holder and will be watching the game on television.

He said: “Some people are obsessed with beating Newcastle but I would take getting in the play-offs over beating them on Saturday.

“We need to get back in the Premier League and get the derbies back for good. The clubs are no longer in the same league money-wise but they're on a bad run and we’ve just taken seven out of the last nine points.

“I’m going to go for us to scrape a 1-0 win, although I’m probably thinking more with my heart than my head.”

It was a sentiment shared by former season ticket holder Phil Raine, 54, who lives in Durham.

He said: “My heart says we will win but my head is saying a 1-1 draw with a goal from Dan Neil. If we could win, it would be even sweeter with the gap between the clubs at the moment.

“I would like both, but if I had to choose, it would be getting into the play-offs and back into the Premier League so we can have these derbies all the time.”

Raymond Edkins, 75, from Park Lane, also thinks the fixture could end in a draw.

He said: “I will be watching the game on the television. It’s going to be a hard game as they have Premier League players, but I think it will finish 1-1.

“Hopefully we can get promoted as it would be good to see the derbies back all the time.”

However fellow fan Bill Wall, 75, is not so confident of avoiding defeat.

He said: “Newcastle are a good team and it’s going to be a hard game. If we can hold them to no more than a 2-0 defeat then I think we will have done okay.

“If I was given a choice of play-offs or winning on Saturday then I’d go with beating Newcastle as if we got promoted, I don’t think we would survive in the Premier League.”

Sunderland are undefeated in their last seven derby matches with six victories in a row followed by a draw. However there has been contrasting fortunes at both clubs since the last fixture with the Black Cats marooned in League 1 for four seasons while Newcastle got promoted back to the Premier League where last season they finished fourth.

Across the history of the fixture, both teams are level after winning 53 games each.