Sunderland have apologised to their supporters after a bar at the Stadium of Light was decked in Newcastle colours ahead of a fixture against their rivals.
Newcastle travel to Sunderland on Saturday in the FA Cup, and ahead of the match, images emerged of a bar in the away end converted to welcome the visiting fans.
Images showed the slogan ‘keep the black and white flying high’ over the bar and ‘Ha’ way the lads’ crossed out and replaced by ‘howay’ for the Magpies’ dialect.
Supporters of the Black Cats vented their fury online over the images, and now the club have had to clarify the mistake.
“Sunderland AFC acknowledges that a serious error in judgement was made in relation to Black Cats Bar earlier this afternoon,” they wrote in a statement.
“We apologise to our fans for the understandable concern they have fairly voiced in response and this sentiment is shared by the Club’s Ownership Group and Board of Directors, who have requested an immediate review is undertaken to determine how this process unfolded.
“A direct decision has also been taken by the Ownership Group and Board of Directors to return the space to its original state and we once again apologise to our supporters that this was not addressed sooner.”
The various images of the bar, including one that showed the phrase ‘Cheer Up Peter Reid’ in reference to the Sunderland legend, quickly went viral.
Fans vented their fury online, and supporters club Red & White Army issued a statement.
“Whoever it is at SAFC that thinks rebranding the BCB for NUFC fans should hang their heads in shame,” they wrote.
“How can they be so out of touch with their own supporters? Take them down now!
“We won’t give up trying to engage with SAFC but it’s proving harder to stomach with moves like this.”
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
