http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/tyne-wear-derby-police-reveal-sunderland-8263651 Tyne-Wear derby: Police reveal Sunderland fans will not be marched from Central Station to St James' Park A new era in the policing of one of the UKâs tensest football fixture will dawn in Newcastle next Sunday. When Newcastle United play Sunderland at St Jamesâ Park on December 21 it will be the tenth derby match Chief Supt Steve Neill has been in charge of policing. But the top cop is planning a different approach to keeping the city safe and moving for football fans, shoppers and visitors, as the rival clubs meet for the first time this season. Gone are the ârings of steelâ, road closures and marching of fans to the stadium. Instead Chief Supt Neill is hoping the disorder that was previously associated with the derby is now a thing of the past, and December 21 will be a fresh start for Newcastle and Sunderland fans and the beginning of a new era of positivity. The Northumbria Police officer believes festive cheer, coupled with the generosity Black Cats fans displayed following the plane crash deaths of NUFC followers John Alder and Liam Sweeney, will create a new atmosphere of mutual respect between supporters. And he now wants to give the derby back to the fans. Chief Supt Neill said: âMy message to fans is this; Itâs your derby. These are always fantastic occasions and itâs going to be even more so this year. âIt is December 21, people are going to be excited about Christmas, and people will be excited for the football match and I want that excitement to really come through on the day and for it to be a really positive experience for everyone, thatâs the ethos of the whole police operation. The fans want the passion of the derby but some of the things that have happened in previous years now need to be consigned to history. The disorder of 2013 reflected badly on everybody concerned.â âWe need to use Christmas and the very sad deaths of Liam Sweeney and John Alder and make sure December 21 is a positive legacy for the future. This is about two groups of passionate supporters coming together. And having the sheer number of such passionate football fans in such close proximity is a great thing to celebrate. This is the tenth derby I have had the privilege to command and it does feel different. Iâm absolutely confident this will be a fantastic showcase for the passion of North East football fans.â The tense rivalry between the Toon Army and their rivals on Wearside has meant there has always been a huge meticulously planned policing operation whenever the two teams meet. For previous fixtures SAFC fans choosing to travel to Newcastle by rail have been told to use specially assigned trains. And the army of away supporters are then escorted to St Jamesâ Park surrounded by a wall of police officers on horses and on foot. But the approach, ahead of the 1.30pm kick-off, will be different this year. Police are still encouraging Black Cats fans to use the free coaches provided by the club, which leave from the Stadium of Light at 11.15am, saying this will be the quickest and cheapest way to travel from Sunderland to Newcastle and back, on derby day. However, those choosing to plan their own journey to the city will now be able to make their own way to St Jamesâ Park and use the same Metros, buses and trains as other passengers. And Chief Supt Neill will brief all officers working in Sunderland and Newcastle next Sunday to chat with fans and share their excitement. âThe police engagement strategy will be very friendly and very festive,â he continued. âWe have always tried to do the operation âwithâ the fans not âtoâ the fans. And the officers working in Sunderland before the game will set the tone for the whole day. We are not going out on some sort of battle footing.â In the run-up to the derby police have held a number of meetings with both black and white and red and white fansâ groups. And Chief Supt Neill says he has asked the supporters to tell him how they would like to see the match policed. But the real turning-point in the relationship between the once bitter rivals came this summer, when devoted Newcastle fans John and Liam lost their lives travelling to watch their team play in New Zealand. The MH17 plane tragedy prompted Sunderland supporter Gary Ferguson to begin a fund-raising drive in memory of the victims. And football fans on Wearside put their rivalries aside to donate tens of thousands of pounds. The Football Supporters Federation (FSF) have already coined the phrase âA Derby To Be Proud Ofâ as they host meetings between the two sets of supporters. And Chief Supt Neill is confident the message will be heeded. âThere has definitely been a shift this time,â he said. âBoth myself and the officers that speak to fans on a daily basis can feel that. The money raised by Sunderland fans after the Malaysian Airlines tragedy sent out a really strong message to Newcastle fans that they felt their pain. âThe work we have done over the last few months with the fans has been very positively received. They have come up with ideas and as a result of that we feel itâs going to be a really positive derby.â Busiest shopping day While the derby may be the only thing on many minds on December 21, it is only one part of the policing operation being planned for Newcastle that day. With thousands of people expected to visit the city on what is usually the second busiest shopping day of the year, Chief Supt Steve Neillâs main priority will be to keep people moving. He said the policing operation is one of the scale put in place for 2012âs Olympic Torch Relay, and extends far beyond the boundaries of Newcastle and Sunderland city centres. âItâs just going to be very busy,â he said. âThe derby is just one part of what will be a very big operation. The priority for me is making sure that people can get to where they are going as quickly as possible. Our role is to ensure everybody can come into the city, go shopping, have a meal or enjoy a few drinks without the fear or becoming involved in violence or disorder. And Iâm confident that will happen.â âWe do advise that, although it will be business as usual, the cities may be busier than normal. Our advice is to make plans in advance on how to travel into the city centres and allow a little extra time to get around.â Newcastle City Council will be providing additional car-parking spaces. And as part of Tyne and Wear Metroâs Christmas timetable there will be extra scheduled trains across the system. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ So he is trusting the fans to be behaved and that everyone will just want to go enjoy the match... [video=youtube;6TsOlHZ4NKY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TsOlHZ4NKY[/video] [video=youtube;y52KRJkpel0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y52KRJkpel0[/video] Basically trying to do the bubble trip again but knows nobody is going to do it... I foresee somebody losing their job...
Something will be put in place shortly before the game, no doubt. They won't allow thousands of SUnderland fans to run around Newcastle on derby day on the busiest weekend of the year.
People will be excited about Christmas. That translates to, people will be even more pissed than usual. Naive if they think it's gonna be a love in just because its close to Christmas.
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/tyne-wear-derby-police-reveal-sunderland-8263651 oh dear please log in to view this image please log in to view this image this wont end well please log in to view this image
But don't both sets of fans love and respect each other after the MH17 tragedy? I propose they all link arms and walk to the ground in harmony.
I'm confused. People have cried on for ages about the police marching them to and from derby games like caged animals and then as soon as the coppers release the shackles, people complain that the police aren't doing enough. Strange bunch.
Best place for them, the only way the trouble can be stopped on a large scale is by the hooligans themselves. They aren't football fans so should do the decent thing and arrange to meet up for their bit beef at least 20 miles from the ground and leave the football supporters to enjoy the football. Won't happen though cos they love the bravado of acting the big man.
agreed, seems a few are hell bent on havin it like, its them stupid under 5's or ultras or summat whatever they are called
This copper is going end up an absolute hero or huge egg on his face. It is all laid out for the supporters going to the match that their behaviour is in the spotlight. CCTV will doubtless working overtime, but he has shown his trust in them in the name of the lads lost on MH17 so whoever causes any bother will be doing it in the defilement of their memory giving a huge slice of moral high ground to the police and those supporters who behave.
Thing is if you get say 2000 Sunderland fans coming through central station with no form of escort Obviously your going to have drunk mag fans waiting for them trying to cause bother... Then the police/press will go with something like majorly Sunderland fans causing bother on the day when let's be honest if you've got loads of nufc fans coming towards you your gonna defend yourself if needs be Daft really
Realise our fans will be travelling locally from everywhere but there are buses laid on from the SoL so the 2000 arriving together hardly applies. Maybe the police are not being given enough credit for the possible intel they have. Known offenders could also be visited on the day of the game etc.
Well indeed but 25 years ago when I was a young man the football 'firms' only wanted to battle with each other. Quite often meet ups were arranged on waste ground or on industrial estates out of the way of the average fans. I'm not sure how strong the firm culture is these days but if they want to kick the **** out of each other I'd rather it take place somewhere where the innocent wont get hurt. I can see some pissed up arseholes throwing stuff &, god forbid, a bairn getting hurt. This will go one of two ways. A success or an unmitigated disaster.
It's an horrendous idea. Wannabe "hard cases" from both sides will want blood shed, and won't care if it's innocent people who get hurt. The idea stinks. Let the ****ers from both sides kick the **** out of eachother far away from the ground and leave everyone else alone. ****ing arseholes.
Yep. There will, amonsgt the masses, be a bit of mutual appreciation of the gesture for the lads, but the ****ers have always been a minority, and their tiny ****ing minds won't even think about it. Could be absolte hell on, in a city centre full of Christmas shoppers.
