(Reuters) – Sunderland found themselves in hot water with their own supporters after their attempts to welcome Newcastle United fans for Saturday’s FA Cup match backfired. The club came under fire from home fans after they plastered Newcastle’s slogans all over a bar at the Stadium of Light.
Images posted on social media showed signage at the Black Cats Bar, which is used by away fans, proclaiming “WE ARE UNITED” and “KEEP THE BLACK AND WHITE FLYING HIGH”. This move did not sit well with Sunderland supporters, as it was seen as giving too much hospitality to their fierce rivals.
Owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus took to Instagram to issue an apology, expressing his disgust and hurt over the inappropriate signs and stating that they have been taken down. Louis-Dreyfus also apologized to everyone associated with Sunderland AFC for the events that unfolded.
Newcastle and Sunderland have a long-standing rivalry, with the cities being just 12 miles apart in northeastern England. This rivalry has been marred by violence and crowd trouble in the past, adding more tension to the situation. The last time the two teams met was in March 2016. Sunderland is now in the second-tier Championship after being relegated in 2017, while Saturday’s match has added significance with the two sides currently matched on 53 wins apiece.
Following the backlash, Sunderland acknowledged their “serious error in judgement” and stated that the club’s ownership group and board of directors had requested an immediate review to determine how this process unfolded.
While home fans were upset, Newcastle supporters welcomed the decor changes, with a supporters group posting on social media that they could not “fault the hospitality” of their hosts.
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Nashik, India; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
