A Northumbria Police Federation member has spoken of the planning and preparation that has gone into this Sunday’s (14 December) Premier League clash between Sunderland and Newcastle.
A capacity crowd of around 48,000 is expected at the Stadium of Light for the first league derby between the two rivals in almost ten years.
PC Danny Burridge, one of the Force’s dedicated football officers, said: “It’s absolutely massive for the region.
“Everybody’s talking about it. People are talking about it in their workplaces, you see it on social media.
Rivalry
“That rivalry is back, and it feels bigger than it ever has done, likely due to the length of time since the two clubs have met in the league.”
It’s a rivalry that stretches back 156 games to 1898.
The most recent fixture was at the Stadium of Light in the FA Cup in January 2024. But you have to go back to 2016 for the last league game between the sides at St James’s Park.
Preparation for the game began when the fixture list was announced and ramped up once the date was confirmed for television broadcast.
Danny said the planning has involved a multi-agency approach.
“It affects an awful lot of people over a big footprint,” he said.
“The planning involves a lot of partners – both of the football clubs, supporter groups, local authorities, transport providers, the list goes on.”
Danny is keen to stress that the vast majority of supporters of both clubs are there to enjoy the football and the atmosphere.
Hype
He said: “With a game like this, there’s often a lot of hype, but people need to remember that vast majority of people who come to football matches are there for a good time.
“They’re football fans who come with their family and friends. They cause no issues whatsoever.
“It’s a very small minority who have the potential to cause problems.
“We’ll be stressing that to our officers, to get that neighbourhood policing feel, to talk to people, engage with them, and enjoy the occasion.”
PC James Woodcock is the dedicated football officer for Sunderland, and has led on much of the planning.
Football
He has been supported by PC Jim Mennie, the dedicated football officer for Newcastle United, and by Danny, who covers Gateshead and the region’s non-league teams.
Danny is also an operational football officer for Sunderland fixtures, at both home and away fixtures.
“As dedicated football officers, we’re like a neighbourhood policing officer for the football club,” he said. “We ensure fans’ safety at games, but we are also aware who our potential risk supporters are.
“We can provide up-to-date intelligence on the ground that there might be risk fans in a pub, and this is what they are likely to do.
Bragging rights
“We’ll speak to them, engage with them, and try to ensure the operation understands what they’re doing and what they might do next.”
Danny said the outcome of the game was difficult to predict.
“I think Newcastle fans thought it might be six easy points this year, but I don’t think that’s the case at all,” he said. “Sunderland have made an excellent start, and their fans are really excited for the game given how they’ve been playing.
“When we go into the office on Monday morning and the chat will start flying around.
“Even in our offices we’ve got a mix of Sunderland and Newcastle supporters, so for bragging rights it means everything.”
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