Newcastle United issue official statement set to impact Sunderland & supporters after police recommendation
Newcastle United’s Tyne-Wear derby clash against Sunderland has been moved for live television broadcast.
Sunderland supporters attending the Tyne-Wear derby against Newcastle United at St James’ Park will be required to travel to and from Wearside on official club coaches.
This comes after a recommendation by the stadium’s independent Safety Advisory Group (SAG). The announcement comes after it was confirmed that the derby match between Newcastle and Sunderland had been rescheduled to take place on Sunday, December 6 (2pm kick-off) after being selected for live broadcast on Sky Sports.
After supporters clashed outside of St James’ Park ahead of the Premier League fixture between the sides back in March, a decision has been made for strict travel arrangements to be imposed.
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Ticket details will be announced in due course and Newcastle said the decision had no direct impact on the return fixture at the Stadium of Light in May next year.
A statement released by Newcastle United read: “The recommendation follows advice from Northumbria Police to the SAG, which is chaired by Newcastle City Council as the Certifying Authority for St. James’ Park.
“Both clubs were invited to attend a recent SAG meeting to hear submissions made by Northumbria Police, and senior Newcastle United staff have since met with senior officers from the force to better understand the reasons behind the recommendation.
“We know that the vast majority of fans from both clubs are impeccably behaved and add a great deal to the occasion, and we also acknowledge that this step has been taken as an additional measure to ensure the safety of all supporters, staff, the authorities and the wider public.
“We will now work closely with Sunderland AFC, Northumbria Police, Newcastle City Council and partner agencies to accommodate this recommendation and to ensure the match is a safe experience for everyone who attends.”
December television picks confirmed
In addition to the Tyne-Wear derby, Newcastle’s match at home to Manchester United will also be broadcast on Sky Sports. As a result, its kick-off time has been pushed back from 8pm to 8:15pm (GMT) on Wednesday, December 2.
Newcastle’s final away match of 2026 will take place on December 19 as originally planned but its kick-off time has been moved forward to 12:30pm (GMT) to be broadcast live on TNT Sports.