Northumbria Police break silence after Sunderland & Newcastle United supporter protests
Newcastle United v Sunderland: Northumbria Police have responded to supporter protests regarding the Tyne-Wear derby travel arrangements.
Northumbria Police are standing firm on the decision to impose ‘bubble’ travel arrangements for Sunderland supporters in the upcoming Tyne-Wear derby against Newcastle United at St James’ Park on December 6.
Both Sunderland and Newcastle supporters slammed the initial announcement as an ‘absolute disgrace’ with visiting supporters forced to travel to St James’ Park via club coach from the Stadium of Light. It will be the only Premier League fixture subject to enforced travel arrangements this season.
Along with opposing the decision, both sets of supporters called for greater transparency and communication as to how the decision was made.
Now, Northumbria Police have responded in correspondence published by the Red and White Army Supporters’ Trust (RAWA), which also included the Newcastle United Supporters Trust and Football Supporters Association.
Northumbria Police explain derby travel decision
Northumbria Police Chief Inspector Dean Hood has ruled out the decision being overturned, but has explained the reasoning behind strict travel measures being put in place after supporters clashed outside St James’ Park last season.
“I understand the strength of feeling around the arrangements and the desire for supporters to have meaningful engagement in the process,” Chief Inspector Hood wrote.
“It is important, however, to recognise that supporter engagement did take place in advance of last season’s derby and included discussion around supporter travel. The police advice to supporter groups at that time was that the safest means of travelling to the fixture was by official coach, and SAFC committed to providing as many coach seats as supporters required. Despite that, this had limited impact on the numbers choosing to travel via the public transport network.
“The resulting supporter walk‑up presented significant public safety issues which, in our assessment, cannot reasonably be mitigated through the same arrangements. These included missiles being thrown, including glass bottles and full drinks containers, as well as fireworks being discharged in close proximity to police horses operating within dense crowds.
“Our concerns are therefore well founded and are based not simply on the most recent derby at St James’ Park, but on the wider historical context and risks associated with policing this high‑risk fixture. We completely accept that the overwhelming majority of supporters are well behaved and simply want to attend and enjoy the game. The difficulty is that the identified risks also expose those well‑behaved supporters, particularly away supporters in this instance, to potential significant harm.”
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Alternative arrangements explored
The police were unable to identify any suitable alternative arrangements prior to making their representation to the Safety Advisory Group (SAG), who ultimately provided the recommendation of a bubble travel arrangement.
Hood confirmed: “Having considered the risks and potential mitigations, we were unable to identify an alternative arrangement that would sufficiently address the safety concerns identified. For the same reasons, I do not consider there to be a basis for the police to ask the Safety Advisory Group to revisit the decision.”
Still hope for Sunderland fans?
As per our sister title, the Sunderland Echo, Sunderland AFC are pushing to explore further alternatives that are ‘more attractive to supporters’ and ensure their views are heard.
A club spokesperson said: “Our focus remains on finding a safe, proportionate and workable approach that protects the interests of supporters and meets the expectations of the relevant authorities.”