Ahead of the Sunderland vs Newcastle FA Cup tie this weekend, Black Cats chairman, Kyril Louis-Dreyfuss and ex-playing ace, Marco Gabbiadini, have gone to town on club staff that decorated the stadium’s away fans bar with Newcastle slogans.
One of the most fiercely contested derbies in the country, it’s been eight years since the North East giants went into battle against each other.
No quarter is sure to be asked or given, and the Stadium of Light is sure to enjoy its biggest crowd in years as their local rivals come to town.
Louis-Dreyfuss at 27 years of age is the youngest chairman in the country, but he certainly didn’t hold back after the error had been brought to his attention.
“I regret to have let you down,” he was quoted as saying by BBC Sport.
“I would like to apologise to everyone associated with Sunderland AFC for the events that have unfolded today.
“Like our supporters I was disgusted and hurt by the pictures circulating online of the inappropriate signs that have now been ripped down.
“I take full responsibility for every decision that is taken by the employees of our club and you have my word that I will personally make sure that we make the necessary changes required to improve because it is clear there are many areas where we need to be better.”
Can’t fault the hospitality of our hosts this weekend #NUFC pic.twitter.com/06BWmkIx2h
— Newcastle United Supporters’ Club (@Nusc2023) January 4, 2024
One ex-player who knows all about the rivalry is Gabbiadini, and he went on BBC Radio Newcastle to vent.
“We’ve got a group who’ve taken over the club who you would think, after the last lot we’ve had, would have a bit more knowledge of how football works,” he said.
“There are people from the region on the board. The owner, his club was involved in one of the biggest rivalries in French football with his family’s club, and we’ve opened ourselves up to this. I don’t believe it if I’m honest.
“It’s embarrassing. This will be mentioned by Newcastle fans in 50 years’ time.”
The club themselves were forced into a quick climb down, issuing the following statement on their official club website:
Sunderland AFC acknowledges that a serious error in judgement was made in relation to Black Cats Bar earlier this afternoon.
We apologise to our fans for the understandable concern they have fairly voiced in response and this sentiment is shared by the Club’s Ownership Group and Board of Directors, who have requested an immediate review is undertaken to determine how this process unfolded.
A direct decision has also been taken by the Ownership Group and Board of Directors to return the space to its original state and we once again apologise to our supporters that this was not addressed sooner.
If nothing else, it’ll ramp up the atmosphere inside the ground as Magpies supporters attempt to goad their counterparts.
THE WHOLE PLACE IS A SHAMBLES, ANOTHER STUPID ACT BY PEOPLE WHO CAN’T THINK ON THE SPOT…..THE SACKING OF TONY MOWBRAY WAS UNJUST. Chairman says he wants to move the club forward….a phrase often associated when a change takes their fancy…..if he wanted the club to move forward he would have signed a decent centre forward by now. There is no attacking policy on the field…too defensive…. seems the coaching manuals have been shelved away somewhere