HAWAY THE PODCAST!
Have you ever heard about Haway The Podcast, the official Roker Report Podcast? We’d love you to test it out and provides it a pay attention!
CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE!
By way of derby victories, I’ve been somewhat spoilt; actually, I used to be solely three years of age the final time we tasted defeat in a conflict in opposition to them.
Regardless of that, the vast majority of our wins between 2011 and 2015 aren’t actually caught in my thoughts. Although I’m positive I’d’ve been clad in purple and white and watching the video games, the one one I’ve a transparent reminiscence of is the 1-0 victory that got here on account of Jermain Defoe’s pleasant volley — as I used to be there dwell.
For unknown causes, I solely purchased into the membership once we had been within the dumps of League One. I believe this can be the rationale why the 2 victories this season are a lot nearer to my coronary heart and are undoubtedly the highest two on my checklist.
I believe I could possibly be persuaded both means for a favorite.
On one hand, the win in December was higher. The stadium was rocking; our Lads had been good, they didn’t lay a finger on us after which their £70 million striker nutted the ball into his personal web. It was the cherry on prime of our return to the league and put the ultimate nail within the coffin of any doubters. Add the photograph to that and it turns into a tough one to beat.
Then again, final weekend’s victory is healthier.
Coming from behind in their very own yard is one factor however doing it after they had been so satisfied they’d win was particular. It compelled that entitled and pig-headed bunch to understand that they aren’t what they assume they’re and established the purple and white wizards because the Kings of the North.
Mix the whole self-hating implosion that adopted and the requires ‘Beheaddie Eddie’ to make a journey to the chopping block and you’ve got the right recipe for a chart-topping derby day.
General, I believe it needs to be the newest one. The 2 targets and the excellent second half efficiency simply push it past, however isn’t it nice that now we have a troublesome choice to make!
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND – MARCH 22: Chemsdine Talbi of Sunderland celebrates the equalizing purpose in the course of the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Sunderland at St James’ Park on March 22, 2026 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Picture by Ed Sykes/Sportsphoto/Allstar through Getty Photos) Getty Photos
Each derby sport (particularly a win) is memorable and for a short while at the least, it turns into the perfect derby sport ever! They’re all particular and in my very own judgement, I additionally bear in mind occasions higher if I used to be really there.
My go-to reply needs to be the 1-4 away victory in 1979, when Gary Rowell scored a hat trick. Wonderful! An precise “I used to be there second” that was barely tainted by the truth that I used to be among the many Magazine followers and needed to sit on my palms for your entire sport, however nonetheless…pure magic.
My second and third picks contain the playoff semi-finals in 1990.
I’ll always remember the sheer rigidity and hostility hung within the air that afternoon at Roker Park. Think about the stress of a derby sport, then add into the combination that it was a playoff semi-final! Indescribable.
There have been no targets within the first leg — together with Paul Hardyman attempting to place their goalkeeper’s head into the web after a late penalty miss — however the 0-2 away win within the second leg within the rain was one thing else. Their cynical pitch invasion as they tried to attempt to cease the sport was futile, and a Wembley closing prize was ours.
I have to say that the 2 video games from this season are proper up there within the prime 5.
For the size of time we’ve waited for these duels to renew — the longest hole within the historical past of the golf equipment — and we’ve needed to endure a whole lot of stick and garbage thrown at us, particularly throughout our League One interval. I received’t say I by no means thought nowadays would come round once more, as a result of I all the time knew they’d, however the satisfaction and the enjoyment that beating them twice this season has introduced has been unforgettable.
We’re again, we’re right here to remain, and it must be some sport to match the apprehension, expectancy and pleasure of this season’s video games.
I believe when you’re a younger or comparatively young-ish fan, it’s a simple query to reply.
In case you’re older and have been round lengthy sufficient to see some victories which had been large by way of significance, it turns into rather more troublesome to rank them. I used to be round when Gary Rowell scored his hat trick— which was an unimaginable day. A yr later, Stan Cummins received an important winner which was a part of a run which took us to promotion.
The 0-2 playoff win at St James’ Park was vastly vital as we ended up gaining promotion once more, and you’ll’t underestimate the significance of the 2-1 win throughout Gus Poyet’s first residence sport, the 3-0 throughout Sam Allardyce’s first residence sport and even Paolo Di Canio’s 0-3 win at St James’, as a result of in every scenario we had been deep in relegation hassle and had been vital — definitely with Poyet and Allardyce — in beginning a run that took us away from hassle.
The 1-2 win at St James’ Park in 1999 was vital as a result of following promotion, we received off to an iffy begin however that sport began a run that introduced Peter Reid’s Sunderland to the Premier League and it was the consequence the place the subsequent two years began.
By way of significance and with my considering head on, the consequence on the weekend is not going to turn into as essential because the above except we do one thing outstanding like make a run into the European spots by the top of the season.
In my coronary heart, although, it feels wonderful.
After the years throughout which we had been ridiculed and advised by Newcastle followers by way of the workforce, the membership, town, and its folks that we’re inferior to them, to show the sport round the best way we did after trailing at half time…Sunderland had been knocking on the door the entire second half and had been deserved winners.
It phrases of efficiency, it was nearly as good as any of the above.
Newcastle 1-2 Sunderland, Premier league match at St James Park, Wednesday twenty fifth August 1999. (Picture by NCJ Archive/Mirrorpix/Getty Photos) Getty Photos
When the workforce sheet was revealed on Sunday, I tweeted that successful could be an achievement to match our rain-lashed success in 1999, when the pitch resembled Lake Huron, Kevin Phillips chipped a stranded Tommy Wright and Ruud Gullit’s gradual march in the direction of the St James’ Park exit become a gallop, and now that the mud has settled, I’d prefer to revisit — if not revise — my authentic opinion.
By way of sheer satisfaction, of defying the percentages and inflicting a morale-sapping defeat on our Geordie brethren, this was certainly up there with any regional success you could possibly recall from down the years.
Any away win over Newcastle is particular, however a victory over this Saudi-underwritten, soulless, hollowed-out husk of a soccer membership? Completely iconic — as was the post-match meltdown from legions of Mags’ supporters.
We went there with a prolonged harm checklist having misplaced to Brighton and had been discovering open-play targets desperately arduous to come back by, but by way of sheer power of will, togetherness and a refusal to be crushed, we overcame the concession of the opening purpose and a few shaky moments within the first half to rally, seal the victory and full a surprising double over Eddie Howe’s shellshocked aspect.
Regardless of struggling a riotous midweek arse-whipping by the hands of Barcelona, it was abundantly clear that Newcastle’s followers genuinely thought they’d beat us and beat us handsomely.
All of the social media chatter gave the impression to be primarily based on their perception that we’d be little greater than cannon fodder and that they’d be sending us homeward to assume once more, however simply as we did in the course of the authentic ‘six in a row’ and on that superb evening in 1999, we proved that these natural qualities you could’t gauge with a pc can triumph, irrespective of how insurmountable the duty might seem like.
Derbies want defining moments. In flip, defining moments want heroes — and we had loads of these on Sunday. I had my doubts about our possibilities of victory however they did us proud. Take a bow, lads.
For me, topping the house victory in opposition to the Guests after a ten-year hiatus from the Premier League calendar will probably be arduous to prime — however Sunday’s win got here dangerously shut.
What was so good about it?
Was it the second half resurgence and the very fact we did it to them in their very own yard? Was it as a result of a black participant scored the successful purpose after a black teammate was racially abused — or as a result of they positioned a banner particularly underneath the Sunderland followers in anticipation of a win?
To a level, sure it was however for me, it’s elevated for the sheer hilarity of it.
Right here stood a Newcastle workforce with a ten-year, £1 billion and one-goal head begin in opposition to a workforce they hadn’t welcomed to St James’ Park for a decade, determined to say the victory so extensively anticipated of them to save lots of their season after a chastening defeat away to Barcelona left them struggling to come back to phrases with the fact of how distant they’re from the European elite…and so they bottled it.
The drama of all of it was pure theatre and the response of the nice unwashed since has been pure comedy gold. The very fact they need to ruminate on this now for quite a few weeks solely provides to the sheer hilarity of it.
Was it our biggest derby win? No. Was it our biggest derby efficiency? Additionally no. However was the sport received within the funniest means attainable within the dying minutes to cap off an all-timer of a nasty week for Newcastle?
Save from it entering into off Luke O’Nien’s bottom, I don’t assume it might have.
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND – MARCH 22: Luke O’Nien of Sunderland data on his telephone previous to the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Sunderland at St James’ Park on March 22, 2026 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Picture by Stu Forster/Getty Photos) Getty Photos
For me, Sunday’s derby win ranks above any derby win in my lifetime — and I’ve supported the Lads for over thirty years.
Our document in opposition to Newcastle in league soccer has been outstanding, and to have the ability to persistently beat that lot in video games is outstanding.
After they received taken over, all we heard was “They’re the richest membership on the earth”, “Mbappé is signing” and “Sunderland won’t ever beat us once more”, however Sunday was particular and for a number of causes — firstly, the conceitedness of that lot earlier than a ball was kicked at the beginning of the season.
All of us heard “assured six factors” and “Sunderland will probably be down with document factors by Christmas”. We heard all of it from them and after the sport in December, the justifications poured out. They simply couldn’t settle for that we beat them, after which we received the same old Geordie delusion and conceitedness — “Simply wait ‘til we play at St James’ Park, we’ll hammer you”.
We began poorly on Sunday and gifted them a purpose, however after that we managed the entire sport, shutting up the “well-known environment” in a short time and when Chemsdine Talbi scored, I knew we might go on and win it. Brian Brobbey was excellent, and when he scored to see the response of our followers and St James’ emptying was a good looking sight.
The very fact is that they offered their soul — however now we have ours, and now we have character. Regardless of many gamers being out injured, to beat them in their very own yard after being a purpose down tops it for me.
An excellent second for the gamers, workers and the supporters. It proved that Sunderland are again and we’re right here to remain.