Sunderland Apologizes for Decorating Bar in Rival’s Colors Ahead of Derby
Sunderland Football Club has issued an apology to its fans for a “serious error in judgement” after decorating a hospitality bar at the Stadium of Light in the colors of their rivals, Newcastle United, ahead of the Wear-Tyne derby on Saturday. The club came under fire when photos emerged on social media showing the Black Cats Bar adorned in black and white, with slogans supporting Newcastle United.
The club has since removed the decorations and returned the bar to its original state. In addition, Sunderland has promised to conduct a review to determine how this mistake occurred. The Black Cats Bar was originally intended to host Newcastle’s corporate guests for the upcoming FA Cup third-round tie between the two teams.
In a statement, Sunderland AFC expressed their regret for the incident and acknowledged the concerns raised by their fans. The ownership group and board of directors have requested an immediate review to understand the process that led to this error. They have also made the decision to restore the bar to its original state.
It has been revealed that hospitality seats in the Black Cat Bar for Newcastle supporters were priced at £600 ($761) per ticket. Around 6,000 Newcastle fans are expected to attend the FA Cup fixture, marking their first away game at Sunderland since 2015. The allocation of tickets was agreed upon after discussions with Northumbria Police, with visiting fans required to travel on official coaches and receive their tickets upon arrival at the Stadium of Light.
The last meeting between Sunderland and Newcastle took place in March 2016, resulting in a 1-1 draw at St James’ Park. Since then, Newcastle was relegated to the Championship but quickly returned to the Premier League. On the other hand, Sunderland dropped into the second tier in 2017-18 and has remained absent from the top flight ever since. This FA Cup fixture also marks their first meeting in the competition since 1956.
In conclusion, Sunderland Football Club deeply regrets the incident and has taken immediate action to rectify the situation. The club is committed to ensuring that such errors do not occur in the future and apologizes once again to its supporters for any inconvenience caused.