The first Premier League Tyne-Wear derby in nearly a decade took place on Sunday afternoon, and it was a day of high emotions as expected.
The Stadium of Light was packed to the rafters well before kick-off, and the noise inside the stadium throughout the 90 minutes was deafening.
The deep-rooted hatred between Newcastle and Sunderland is well documented, and one minor change at the Stadium of Light for the match not only summed up that hatred but also got football fans from across the country talking on social media.
Sunderland scoreboard alters display for Newcastle visit
Throughout the 90 minutes on Sunday, the Sunderland scoreboard had a slightly different look than normal.
On any normal matchday at the Stadium of Light, the name and crest of the away team are shown on the scoreboard next to the number of goals they have scored. However, on Sunday, Newcastle were represented by nothing more than just the word ‘visitors'.
While such a move is unlikely to have made any difference to the outcome of the game, it summarised how hostile and unwelcoming Sunderland wanted the stadium to be on Sunday.
It was a far cry from the last time Newcastle visited the stadium in January 2024 for a cup clash. On that occasion, Sunderland redecorated parts of the away end black and white to make the Newcastle away fans feel as welcome and comfortable as possible.
Sunderlands new big screen displaying the score at the Stadium of Light…
— Football Away Days (@footyawayday) December 14, 2025
Notice how they have labelled Newcastle as 'Visitors' refusing to put their name or crest on it 😂 #safc #nufc pic.twitter.com/1MHtV7djIK
Football fans respond to the Sunderland scoreboard
The decision not to use Newcastle's name or badge on the scoreboard during the match was met with a mixed reaction online. Several fans labelled it ‘tin pot'; however, there were also plenty who enjoyed the pettiness of it all.
One supporter posted on X: “Just what the beautiful game needs. Need to see more of this in future matches.” Another fan posted: “It’s the little things that matter! The attention to detail by the Sunderland front office is amazing.”
On Sky, Gary Neville weighed in. The former Man Utd and England full-back said: “They’re not going to put the name of Newcastle up on the actual digital scoreboard. I love stuff like that.”
FGG says: Something we should all get behind
The fact that the vast majority of people slating the display are Newcastle fans is proof that the move went perfectly to plan. The Sunderland hierarchy know that they got it wrong for the FA Cup clash nearly two years ago, but they played a blinder here.