Newcastle United issue statement moments after Sunderland defeat - derby delayed due to alleged racism
Newcastle United 1-2 Sunderland: The Tyne-Wear derby was delayed at St James’ Park following after a Sunderland player reported racism in the crowd.
Newcastle United have issued a statement following their 2-1 Tyne-Wear derby defeat to Sunderland following a report of racism from Lutsharel Geertruida.
The match was paused early in the second half as Sven Botman went down injured while Sunderland made a complaint to the match officials, alleging that a racist remark had been made by someone in the home crowd.
Newcastle were leading 1-0 at the time through Anthony Gordon but ended up losing the match 2-1 following second-half strikes from Chemsdine Talbi and Brian Brobbey.
It sees the Magpies drop below Sunderland to 12th in the Premier League table with seven games remaining.
NUFC spokesperson issues statement after alleged racism
Following the match, Newcastle released a statement from a club spokesperson, which read: “We are aware of a report of racism made by a visiting player against someone in the crowd during our Premier League match against Sunderland.
“Our stance is clear - we do not tolerate discrimination of any form. “We will work with the authorities to fully investigate and will ensure any individuals are identified and held accountable.”
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Premier League issue statement
The Premier League also confirmed the incident would be investigated as a statement was released.
“Today’s match between Newcastle United and Sunderland was temporarily paused during the second half after a report of discriminatory abuse from the crowd, directed at Sunderland’s Lutsharel Geertruida,” the Premier League Match Centre statement read.
“This is in line with the Premier League's on-field anti-discrimination protocol. The incident at St James’ Park will now be fully investigated. We offer our full support to the player and both clubs.
“Racism has no place in our game, or anywhere in society. We will continue to work with stakeholders and authorities to ensure our stadiums are an inclusive and welcoming environment for all.”
Newcastle were booed off the pitch by supporters at St James’ Park as Sunderland completed a derby double over them. The defeat saw them miss the opportunity to edge closer to the European places heading into the final run of matches.