Police thank fans following derby day at the Stadium of Light
Police officers have thanked Sunderland AFC and Newcastle United fans after confirming the first league derby in nearly a decade “passed largely without incident”.
There was an enhanced police presence yesterday (December 14) as the Black Cats beat their arch rivals 1-0 at the Stadium of Light.
Following the game, Assistant Chief Constable Helena Barron, of Northumbria Police, said: “Ensuring the safety of the public is our utmost priority, therefore we had an increased presence in Sunderland and Newcastle today to deliver a proportionate policing response to the Wear-Tyne Derby.
“The policing operation for the match between Sunderland AFC and Newcastle United FC passed largely without incident, with the overwhelming majority of both home and away fans behaving respectfully and appropriately.
“We would like to thank fans from both sides who adhered to the provisions in place to ensure the day was able to run smoothly.
“We’d also like to thank our partners from across the region, as well as both clubs, who worked together through extensive planning with the aim to keep all those attending safe.”
Anyone who did witness or experience an incident they would like to report are urged to contact Northumbria Police via social media or the ‘report it’ page on their website, quoting log NP-20251214-0257.