Newcastle and Sunderland supporters in heated exchange

Newcastle United supporters were caught up in a funny exchange with their Sunderland counterparts on Saturday as both teams travelled south for their respective matches. The Magpies are preparing to face Manchester United at Wembley on Sunday while their fierce local rivals had a Championship date with Coventry City. 

The nerves are likely to be jangling for Newcastle fans as they gear up for what will be the side’s first competitive match at the new Wembley. Manager Eddie Howe’s brief is a simple one: to win the club’s first major silverware since 1969. 

Supporters have already started descending upon London, with footage going viral on social media of one group encountering a coach of rival Sunderland fans during the 280-mile journey to the capital. The Black Cats faced a comparatively shorter journey to face Coventry in their bid to gain promotion from the Championship. 

The two groups were brought face-to-face when the coach carrying Newcastle fans slowly overtook another, which was packed to the brim with Sunderland supporters. 

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Footage then showed the rival fanbases shouting, taunting and performing hand gestures to one another before the Magpies’ coach pulled out of sight. The video quickly circulated among fans, with @onlycost40m writing on Twitter: “Probs get hate, but bring on the derbies. Love the rivalry.”

Meanwhile, @cushy84 added: “On our way to Wembley and they’re going to Coventry [three laughing emojis].” The Tyne-Wear derby is one of the most fiercely-contested matches in English football, although the Black Cats’ plight means that the two sides have not faced off since 2015/16. 

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“Yeah, we’re playing a team very much in form,” explained Howe. “They’ve got some very good players and their manager has done a brilliant job building momentum and turning the team around from a difficult place.

“We know that we’re going to have to be at our very best and we’ll have to embrace the occasion and hit our top levels to win. I always believe in being positive and optimistic, as much as I’m very driven every day, I always have to see warning signs.”