The wait is almost over, Geordies! As the Premier League fixture list drops at 9am tomorrow, there’s only one set of games that truly matters: the derby.
Yes, you heard it right – the Tyne-Wear derby is back on the menu for next season, and the excitement on Tyneside is absolutely palpable for it!
For too long, these fixtures have been missing from our calendar, a void felt deeply by every Mags fan. While previous derbies, especially in the latter years of the Mike cA$hley era, were often cagey, fiercely contested affairs where the playing field felt deceptively level due to our own frustrating underinvestment, things are very different now.
Under the transformative ownership of the Public Investment Fund (PIF), our beloved Newcastle United is a completely different animal. We’re a club with elite aspirations, a clear vision, and the financial backing to match. We’ve seen the fruits of this ambition already, not just in our qualification for the Champions League last season (something Sunderland can only dream of!), but in the tangible triumph of lifting the EFL Cup earlier this year – our first major trophy in nearly 70 years and our first domestic trophy since 1955!
Contrast that with our neighbours down the road. While we ‘congratulate’ them on their promotion back to the top flight, their return feels more like a desperate scramble for survival than a step towards greatness. They’re focused on simply staying afloat, while we’re aiming for the stars.
This isn’t just about a gulf in points on the league table; it’s a chasm in ambition, a canyon in class, and an undeniable difference in the quality of players each club can now attract. We’re a Champions League-level club, bringing in top talent, competing with the best of Europe, and already tasting silverware. Sunderland, on the other hand, is battling to avoid being a yo-yo club, clinging to the hope of retaining their Premier League status.
So, when those fixtures land tomorrow, forget the usual big-six clashes for a moment. The real dates to circle, the ones that will truly ignite the passion of the Toon Army, are those two derby days.
We’re ready. We’re stronger. And we can’t wait to remind them, on the pitch, just how far apart our two clubs truly are. Howay the Lads! Bring on the derbies!
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