The football took a back seat on March 22 during the derby between Newcastle and Sunderland on the occasion of the 31st matchday of the Premier League. Violent clashes between supporters broke out outside the stadium before the match.
When football goes too far. Violent clashes erupted between Sunderland and Newcastle supporters on March 22. The Magpies hosted the Black Cats in the 31st matchday of the Premier League (1-2). Before the match, many supporters came to blows outside St James’ Park. The supporter groups had not been separated by law enforcement beforehand.
Initial scenes of tension had already erupted earlier in the afternoon when the Sunderland bus arrived. The vehicle was targeted by Newcastle supporters, who threw many water bottles at it. One of the windows was reportedly cracked by these bottle throws.
According to the Daily Mail, a man was taken to the hospital after receiving CPR from the on-site medical services. Currently, no link between this incident and the supporters’ tensions has been established.
The tensions did not stop there, as the match was also interrupted for discriminatory insults against Sunderland player Lutsharel Geertruida by some Newcastle supporters. The match eventually resumed a few moments later, and the Premier League has launched an investigation.
