- 700 of Newcastle’s 6,000 travelling fans are paying for £600 hospitality seat
- ‘We are United’ and ‘Cheer up Peter Reid’ slogans appear to have been installed
- Eddie Howe is desperate for a win. It’s almost hit the point of asking… is he underachieving? It’s All Kicking Off
Furious Sunderland supporters have turned on the club’s hierarchy and questioned whether they understand the enormity of Saturday’s Wear-Tyne derby after black and white signage was unveiled at the Stadium of Light.
More than 700 of Newcastle’s 6,000 travelling fans are paying £600 a ticket for a hospitality seat in the Black Cats Bar.
However, images have emerged of the suite being decorated with black and white banners, including ‘We are United’ and ‘Keep the black and white flying high’.
There is another image which suggests a ‘Cheer up Peter Reid’ slogan on a screen behind the bar.
It has caused a backlash against French-Swiss owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus on the eve of the FA Cup third round tie.
Season-ticket holder Joanne Youngson, a committee member of the supporters branch liaison council, had previously question if Louis-Dreyfus understood the importance of the game, and she is outraged at the latest development.
‘Crazy, fair enough, take anything red and white down to minimise any damage. But you don’t have to decorate the place for them,’ she wrote on X.
‘It’s just a real shame, their fans are going to be loving it – we would!
‘This is why I questioned whether Kyril knows what it means to us. He doesn’t get us, or the region at all, in fact.’
Chris Weatherspoon, of the Wise Men Say podcast, wrote: ‘In 2007, Mike Ashley tried to wear black and white stripes in the Stadium of Light boardroom and was told where to go.
‘The current hierarchy have handed over an entire end of the Stadium of Light and allowed the visitors to redecorate. They know the price of everything and the value of nothing.’
Michael Graham said: ‘Sunderland have had a total ‘mare over the handling of the derby and it’s important they realise it.
‘Just about every decision they’ve taken has been a slap in the face of their own fans. Not the intent, I’m sure, but inescapable proof they need to reassess their processes.’
Meanwhile, Simon Monk wrote: ‘Absolute disgrace. I am in shock. The club has lost its soul.’
Sunderland have been approached for comment.
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.
