'Fair enough' – Jack Colback recalls Lee Cattermole derby tackle and brutal Sunderland fan response

Former Sunderland and Newcastle United midfielder Jack Colback has recalled the infamous challenge involving Lee Cattermole during one of the most heated Tyne-Wear derby clashes of the modern era.

The incident occurred early in the second half of Sunderland’s 3-0 Premier League defeat to Newcastle United at the Stadium of Light in April 2015. The game carried extra tension given Colback’s controversial move across the divide the previous summer, when he left Sunderland to join his boyhood club.

The midfielder had progressed through Sunderland’s academy and made more than 130 appearances for the Black Cats before his switch to St James’ Park, a move that drew significant backlash from Wearside supporters. During the derby encounter, Colback was forced off after a challenge with Cattermole, Sunderland’s combative captain at the time. The moment quickly became a talking point among supporters, with images circulating that appeared to show Cattermole standing over his former teammate after the tackle.

Reflecting on the incident years later, Colback insisted the reality of the challenge was far less dramatic than the photographs suggested "There's a picture where he's stood over me, almost like he's gone through me," Colback told the Under The Cosh Podcast recently. I'm there stricken on the ground, like wounded, concealed on the ground. But he didn't even catch me in the tackle. I just twisted my knee. It was just a coming together. It was a fine tackle."

While the snapshot from the match made it seem like a heavy challenge, Colback explained that the Sunderland captain immediately checked on him after the collision. "And he came after that and was like, 'Are you ok? But you stop the picture, and it looks like he's done me, you know what I mean? Hero Catts – 'Done you, little Geordie!’”

The derby atmosphere that afternoon was particularly intense given Colback’s return to Wearside in Newcastle colours, and the midfielder admitted he also experienced a memorable reception from the home crowd while leaving the pitch and when departing the stadium later that afternoon. "The worst one I walked out, I was on crutches, and the fans are there. They're all cheering and clapping and that – 'Can't play now.' I thought, okay, fair enough."

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Cattermole was well known for his aggressive and uncompromising style during his Sunderland career, earning a reputation as one of the Premier League’s most combative midfielders. The challenge itself, however, has often been remembered for the imagery with the still photograph of Cattermole towering over Colback, becoming widely shared among fans.

For Colback, the moment has become part of the wider folklore surrounding the fierce Tyne-Wear rivalry – a fixture that rarely lacks drama or edge. After the controversy surrounding his move between the clubs, the former midfielder’s career would continue with Newcastle United before later spells at Nottingham Forest, Queens Park Rangers and Ipswich Town.

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