Newcastle United’s staff arrived early at the Stadium of Light ahead of the Tyne-Wear derby and wasted no time in stamping their identity on Wearside.
As supporters filtered into the ground, members of the backroom team set about making the visitors’ area feel firmly like home. The dressing room was given a clear Newcastle touch, with two large club crests placed prominently on the wall. Above the exit door, a sign was also put up carrying the message “Get into them”, ensuring it will be the final thing the players see before stepping out for the derby.
It was a sharp contrast to the last meeting between the sides in the FA Cup, when Sunderland’s corporate staff inadvertently sparked anger among home fans by displaying “Howay the Lads” banners in areas allocated to Newcastle.
Eddie Howe acknowledged that the build-up, including the journey to the ground, is all part of the occasion.
“The bus ride and everything around it is part of the game,” Howe said. “It’s something we have to deal with, but we’ve experienced it many times before. It all adds to the excitement.”
From the moment Newcastle’s squad arrive, they can expect a hostile reception, with boos greeting them as they step off the coach and even during their pitch inspection.
Howe believes his players must embrace that atmosphere rather than be overwhelmed by it.
“You want to go there, take control and quieten the crowd, even use the atmosphere in our favour,” he said. “That’s what we’ll try to do.
“But if you get the emotional levels wrong and overhype the players, it can have the opposite effect. You stop playing your game and start playing the occasion.”
Newcastle were the winners when the rivals last met in January 2024 in the FA Cup, but league success at the Stadium of Light has been elusive. Their last Premier League victory there came back in 2011, when Ryan Taylor’s free kick sealed a 1-0 win.