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'Tackles, chants and no VAR – Sunderland vs Newcastle was what football should be all about'
JEREMY CROSS: Newcastle's 3-0 victory over Sunderland in the third round of the FA Cup was English football as it should be - with no VAR and a vibrant atmosphere
The last time these feuding neighbours met, Leicester City had not even won that remarkable Premier League title.
Roy Hodgson was still making a complete hash of managing the England football team - and David Cameron was doing much the same when it came to running England in general. Much has changed since March 2016.
But when it comes to the genuine hatred between Sunderland and Newcastle, some things will never change. People tend to believe absence makes the heart grow fonder.
But in the case of these two clubs, their time apart has only fuelled the vitriol that had been almost eight years in the making. No love is ever lost, because it never existed in the first place.
Which explains the reason local police started shipping travelling Newcastle fans to the Stadium of Light on a fleet of coaches more than four hours before kick off. The 6,000 in black and white had been banned from travelling on public transport.
More police lined all the streets surrounding the ground. The security was so tight, it felt like the Pope was coming to town. But even the Roman pontiff himself would have struggle to forge peace between this lot.
There was a touching gesture in the entrance to the media suite before kick off, where Newcastle staff had left a bunch of flowers in tribute to former Sunderland press officer Louise Wanless, who died in 2021 following a long illness.
It showed some modicum of respect still existed in certain quarters. But in the stands there was no such thing. Home fans abused their Newcastle rivals with expletive chants about the Saudi Arabian ownership on Tyneside and terrorism.
Hardly surprising, given how angered they'd become in the build-up after discovering their own club had decided to decorate parts of the stadium in black and white for a section of corporate Newcastle supporters.
And the fact Newcastle were allowed to wear their home strip in enemy territory did nothing to lighten the mood. The guests responded with derogatory songs belittling Sunderland's current status in English football.
The atmosphere might have been laced with poison - but it was incredible. A genuine cauldron of marvellous madness and mayhem.
And even the stadium DJ got into the spirit of the occasion by belting out Frankie Goes To Hollywood's "Two Tribes" over the tannoy system.
Sunderland fan Jordan Pickford turned up - and probably wished he was out there helping the red and white cause, just like old times.
But there was no proof he joined in with chants claiming his England team-mate Kieran Trippier "cheats on his wife".
Hostilities extended onto the pitch, where tackles flew in and tempers simmered. Jobe Bellingham was fortunate to escape a card of some colour for a crude lunge into Joelinton.
Then Jack Clarke flattened Sven Botman with another agricultural tackle. Welcome to Sunderland, fellas.
This is what the FA Cup third round is all about. This is what football should be all about - passion and pace without VAR here to slow things down.
But with no-one wanting to give an inch, it inevitably led to a contest lacking genuine quality and class. Never mind all the stripes, where were the stars?
It took a mistake, in the shape of an own goal from Dan Ballard, to end the stalemate before half-time. Newcastle were in complete control, while Sunderland were completely out of their depth.
When Alexander Isak made it 2-0 to Newcastle, the entire place resembled a pricked balloon long before the striker added a third in the final minute. That was that.
Despite all the bluster and bravado from both camps, and no matter how big this game had felt, it will be quickly forgotten about next week.
Because football moves on - and no-one more than the police will be more delighted at the prospect of this happening without a midweek replay one night in Newcastle to contend with.
Daily Star Sunday
JEREMY CROSS: Newcastle's 3-0 victory over Sunderland in the third round of the FA Cup was English football as it should be - with no VAR and a vibrant atmosphere
The last time these feuding neighbours met, Leicester City had not even won that remarkable Premier League title.
Roy Hodgson was still making a complete hash of managing the England football team - and David Cameron was doing much the same when it came to running England in general. Much has changed since March 2016.
But when it comes to the genuine hatred between Sunderland and Newcastle, some things will never change. People tend to believe absence makes the heart grow fonder.
But in the case of these two clubs, their time apart has only fuelled the vitriol that had been almost eight years in the making. No love is ever lost, because it never existed in the first place.
Which explains the reason local police started shipping travelling Newcastle fans to the Stadium of Light on a fleet of coaches more than four hours before kick off. The 6,000 in black and white had been banned from travelling on public transport.
More police lined all the streets surrounding the ground. The security was so tight, it felt like the Pope was coming to town. But even the Roman pontiff himself would have struggle to forge peace between this lot.
There was a touching gesture in the entrance to the media suite before kick off, where Newcastle staff had left a bunch of flowers in tribute to former Sunderland press officer Louise Wanless, who died in 2021 following a long illness.
It showed some modicum of respect still existed in certain quarters. But in the stands there was no such thing. Home fans abused their Newcastle rivals with expletive chants about the Saudi Arabian ownership on Tyneside and terrorism.
Hardly surprising, given how angered they'd become in the build-up after discovering their own club had decided to decorate parts of the stadium in black and white for a section of corporate Newcastle supporters.
And the fact Newcastle were allowed to wear their home strip in enemy territory did nothing to lighten the mood. The guests responded with derogatory songs belittling Sunderland's current status in English football.
The atmosphere might have been laced with poison - but it was incredible. A genuine cauldron of marvellous madness and mayhem.
And even the stadium DJ got into the spirit of the occasion by belting out Frankie Goes To Hollywood's "Two Tribes" over the tannoy system.
Sunderland fan Jordan Pickford turned up - and probably wished he was out there helping the red and white cause, just like old times.
But there was no proof he joined in with chants claiming his England team-mate Kieran Trippier "cheats on his wife".
Hostilities extended onto the pitch, where tackles flew in and tempers simmered. Jobe Bellingham was fortunate to escape a card of some colour for a crude lunge into Joelinton.
Then Jack Clarke flattened Sven Botman with another agricultural tackle. Welcome to Sunderland, fellas.
This is what the FA Cup third round is all about. This is what football should be all about - passion and pace without VAR here to slow things down.
But with no-one wanting to give an inch, it inevitably led to a contest lacking genuine quality and class. Never mind all the stripes, where were the stars?
It took a mistake, in the shape of an own goal from Dan Ballard, to end the stalemate before half-time. Newcastle were in complete control, while Sunderland were completely out of their depth.
When Alexander Isak made it 2-0 to Newcastle, the entire place resembled a pricked balloon long before the striker added a third in the final minute. That was that.
Despite all the bluster and bravado from both camps, and no matter how big this game had felt, it will be quickly forgotten about next week.
Because football moves on - and no-one more than the police will be more delighted at the prospect of this happening without a midweek replay one night in Newcastle to contend with.
Daily Star Sunday