Newcastle United have broken with the past by dispensing with the security arrangements that characterised previous derbies at home to Sunderland. It had become usual for the squad to meet extra early at the training ground before travelling to St James’ Park in their team bus, accompanied by a police escort.
On Sunday it will be different with Alan Pardew’s players driving themselves to the stadium as normal for Premier League home fixtures. The change was decided after Newcastle’s manager became convinced by the new spirit of rapprochement between the two sets of fans in the wake of the deaths of Newcastle supporters John Alder and Liam Sweeney on flight MH17 in July.
Suddenly the fear of off-field violence again scarring what Pardew terms “a unique game” has diminished. “We won’t take a bus,” said Newcastle’s manager. “Everything will be normal. We are trying to get away from all that unsavoury stuff in the past. I would like to think everyone can treat this as exactly what it is – a football match.”
In the 17th minute of every home game there is a spontaneous 60 seconds of applause at St James’ and Pardew hopes Sunderland’s followers will join in this tribute to Alder and Sweeney on Sunday. “It would be nice if everyone applauded in the 17th minute,” he said. “If Sunderland fans join in, our fans will appreciate it more than anything else in the derby. You have to give Sunderland fans credit for what happened over John and Liam.”
While Sunderland officials are supportive of the new “softly, softly” approach to crowd control Gus Poyet’s team will still be protected by an escort from Northumbria police which will flank them from the moment their coach leaves the club’s Academy of Light training base on Sunday.
