There may not be Premier League soccer this weekend but that doesn’t mean that English teams will get a rest as the FA Cup takes center stage. The tournament has been running since 1871, and as the oldest running cup competition in the world, it can be a chance for historic rivalries to take place even if teams are no longer in the same division. One such rivalry is the Tyne-Wear derby between Newcastle United and Sunderland.
Named for the rivers separating the two clubs, it first took place in 1888 and for decades was a match played at least a couple of times a season but hasn’t taken place since 2016 following Newcastle United’s relegation from the Premier League. While Newcastle immediately came back up, the next year Sunderland were relegated at the same time and the clubs haven’t been in the same division since. Given that cup matches require luck of the draw for a clash like this to happen, once Sunderland’s slide down the divisions continued it was going to take some fortune for these long-term rivals to meet.
By pressing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge Paramount’s Privacy Policy.
Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe.
Thanks for signing up!
Keep an eye on your inbox.
Sorry!
There was an error processing your subscription.
History
The Tyne-Wear Derby goes much deeper than the soccer on the pitch, but it really took hold at the turn of the century. Famously, a match at St. James’ Park needed to be abandoned because more than 120,000 fans showed up to a ground that at the time, in 1900, only seated 30,000. The intensity of the clashes between the duo have only grown since then. Over the years the two teams have matched up 156 times with Newcastle winning and has fate has had it, their relegations have left the teams tied with a record of 53-53-50, so Saturday’s match has the possibility of giving one side an edge in this historic rivvalry
After Sunderland’s relegation from the Premier League in the 2016-17 season, the Black Cats only continued to tumble down the tiers of English soccer, eventually bottoming out in League One. Now, under new ownership, both teams are on the upswing, but in very different ways. Sunderland is in the Championship fighting for a playoff spot under the youngest owner in all of soccer, 26-year-old Kyril Louis-Dreyfus.
Newcastle United are now owned by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund and, buoyed by investment, were able to qualify for Champions League soccer, although they were knocked out in the group stage. Over recent years, the clubs have diverged in big ways, but it only makes the rivalry that much more special. The latest chapter will be written as they meet on Saturday for the first time in eight years, but if Sunderland can keep up their good form in the Championship, this may be back to becoming a more regular meeting in the future.
An American connection
There aren’t many players who have suited up for both clubs, but for the American audience, one who has is right back DeAndre Yedin. The defender played a season for Sunderland on loan from Tottenham after his move to the Premier League from Major League Soccer, and when he returned to Spurs was later sold to Newcastle United. For the Magpies, Yedlin ended up logging 112 appearances between the Premier League and Championship while also scoring three goals.
How to watch and odds
- Date: Saturday, Jan. 6 | Time: 7:45 a.m. ET
- Location: Stadium of Light — Sunderland, England
- TV: None | Live stream: ESPN+
- Odds: Sunderland +340; Draw +250; Newcastle United -140
