But he says the Tyne-Wear derby is always about the next one rather than the last one and he is excited as any other Sunderland fan in the run-up Sunday's derby game at St James's Park.

He said: "As soon as the fixture list came out, I was like any other fan, looking to see when the derbies are - that's just me.

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"But I know that the vast majority of Sunderland fans are the same.

"And I think it's one of the things that make our club special.

"Fans at a lot of clubs at the start of the season would be looking at when the visits of the Liverpools, Arsenals and Manchester Uniteds were first.

"Obviously those games are massive for our fans too but Sunderland supporters look straight away for the home game to Newcastle and then the away game to Newcastle and I'm sure it's not too far different for Newcastle fans either."

Quinn obviously knows how important these victories can be: "They made up songs about our wins at St James's Park," he smiled.

And he says he treasures his own memories of two special wins on Newcastle United turf when, for two seasons in a row, Peter Reid led the side to stirring wins.

Quinn told the Gazette: "We had two great wins at St James's Park in two years and I think many Sunderland fans would say they were the absolute highlight of a particular era in the club's history.

"The first of those defeats saw Ruud Gullit sacked as Newcastle United manager in its aftermath and that created a legend in itself.

"The bit I remember most of that first night was of course the rain.

"It was really warm rain, tropical rain.

"It came down in monsoon fashion but it was roasting and the steam was coming off you. It was a really great footballing night and for us it turned out to be a magic night.

"Then we went back a year later and Mickey Gray crossed for me and I managed to get the winner.

"It was one of the highlights of my career - against Bobby Robson, the United manager at that time.

"They were both special wins for completely different reasons - I mean apart from my memory of scoring that goal in the second game, there was also the amazing sight of Thomas Sorensen saving an Alan Shearer penalty at the death.

"But if I had to choose betweeen the two derbies in terms of which gave me most satisfaction, I would have to say it was the first because of the Ruud Gullit dismissal and the fact that they had this whole, top-team glamour thing about them and suddenly the little lads from down the road came and knocked them off their perch.

"I think that was probably a wonderful thing for us all at the time.

"A year later, Don Hutchison came and scored the first goal- a local lad of sorts - and he had brought something to the team too.

" I think that was just the start of that particular team getting a bit old and the two wins over Newcastle United were the high-water mark of that team's efforts.

"I look back on them both fondly and I have to admit it's hard to separate them.

"I just think it's a shame that there weren't a few more in the calendar!

"Fans look forward to them more than anything and I share their excitement and pride over the fact that we have Tyne-Wear derbies again this season.

"Hopefully we'll have them regularly from now on and have them in the top flight because we want these particular fixtures to get bigger and bigger each year and for them to really start making an impact nationally as well as locally."

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