Chief Supt Steve Neill is planning a different approach to keeping the city safe and moving for football fans, shoppers and visitors, as the rival clubs meet for the first time this season.
Chief Supt Neill is hoping the disorder that was previously associated with the derby is now a thing of the past.
Police are still encouraging Black Cats fans to use the free coaches provided by the club, which leave from the Stadium of Light at 11.15am, saying this will be the quickest and cheapest way to travel from Sunderland to Newcastle and back, on derby day.
Personally I don't think there has been that much of a shift. Yes the Mackems were brilliant in showing their respect to John and Liam, and I'm sure Newcastle would have done the same thing.
But this is a derby with a notorious past.
It MUST be policed!
The Northumbria Police officer: “My message to fans is this; It’s your derby. These are always fantastic occasions and it’s going to be even more so this year.
“It is December 21, people are going to be excited about Christmas, and people will be excited for the football match and I want that excitement to really come through on the day and for it to be a really positive experience for everyone, that’s the ethos of the whole police operation.
"The fans want the passion of the derby but some of the things that have happened in previous years now need to be consigned to history.
"The disorder of 2013 reflected badly on everybody concerned.
“We need to use Christmas and the very sad deaths of Liam Sweeney and John Alder and make sure December 21 is a positive legacy for the future.
"This is about two groups of passionate supporters coming together. And having the sheer number of such passionate football fans in such close proximity is a great thing to celebrate.
"This is the tenth derby I have had the privilege to command and it does feel different. I’m absolutely confident this will be a fantastic showcase for the passion of North East football fans.”
Saturday December 13
15:00 Burnley v Southampton
15:00 Chelsea v Hull City
15:00 Crystal Palace v Stoke City
15:00 Leicester City v Manchester City
15:00 Sunderland v West Ham United
15:00 W Brom v Aston Villa
17:30 Arsenal v Newcastle United
Sunday December 14
13:30 Man Utd v Liverpool
16:00 Swansea City v Tottenham
Monday December 15
20:00 Everton v QPR
Emirates Stadium - ARSENAL
How To Get There By Car & Where To Park
Leave the M1 at Junction 2 and onto the A1, following the signs for City (Central London). Keep going on the A1 for around six miles, until you see Holloway Road Tube Station on your right. Take the next left at the traffic lights into Hornsey Road and the stadium is about a 1/4 of a mile further down this road.
There is little parking at the stadium itself or in nearby streets. An extensive residents only parking scheme operates around the stadium on matchdays. It's probably better to park further out of London around a tube station such as Cockfosters and get the tube to the ground.
Tony Attwood adds; 'Cockfosters underground station is the obvious station for fans travelling from the north - it is only about 4 miles south of the M25. It has its own car park but this can be full by as early as 12.30pm. What's more it can be difficult to exit after the game, with most drivers seeking to come out and cross the main road to head north. Unless you have an encyclopaedic knowledge of the streets around the general area of the Emirates, it really isn't worth trying to find some street parking. Football fans on matchdays are easy pickings for the traffic wardens, who contrary to popular belief, do work on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.'
Post Code for SAT NAV: N5 1BU
By Train or London Underground
The nearest London Underground tube station to the Emirates Stadium is Holloway Road on the Piccadilly line. However, this is closed on matchdays as it relies mostly on lifts to transport passengers to and from street level and this could cause problems when large crowds are in attendance. Fans should therefore alight at the next stop on the Piccadilly line which is Arsenal tube station. It is only a few minutes walk from here to the stadium. On exiting the station turn right and follow Drayton Park Road around to the left. Then take one of the large bridges over the railway line to the stadium. Other tube stations in walking distance of the stadium are Finsbury Park on the Piccadilly Line and Highbury & Islington on the Victoria Line.
Otherwise you can take an overland train to Finsbury Park Railway Station from London Kings Cross. It is then about a 10 to 15 minute walk from Finsbury Park to the stadium. Drayton Park Station which is situated right by the stadium is closed at weekends.
Tim Sansom adds; 'After the game we had to walk a fair distance to find an underground station that had not been shut due to overcrowding. We found that the Arsenal underground had been shut by the police and so had to undertake a fairly long walk to Finsbury Park which was also shut by station staff. We were recommended by the police to take the mainline train into Kings Cross, which we did with no problems and were back in central London within 10 minutes'.
Unless you are team are being stuffed and you are leaving the game a little early, then Arsenal tube station should be fine. If though you are staying to the final whistle, then you are better off walking to Finsbury Park, rather than wait in the long queues at Arsenal tube. To get to Finsbury Park, simple walk past Arsenal tube station on your left and then take a left into St Thomas's Road. The station is at the end of the road. The Police also do a good job of controlling the flow of the numbers of fans onto the station.
Where To Drink?
The traditional pub for away supporters is the Drayton Arms, which is located near to Arsenal tube station and Drayton Park railway station. This Courage pub overlooks the new stadium and is only a few minutes walk away. However as you would expect it can get extremely busy on matchdays, with drinkers spilling outside onto the pavements.
Mark Long recommends the Twelve Pins (formerly the Finsbury Park Tavern) near Finsbury Park Tube Station. ‘Normally a good mix of home and away fans and about a ten minute walk from the ground’. Whilst Guy McIntyre adds; ‘The Blackstock opposite The Twelve Pins, also welcomes away fans, plus it has a big screen showing Sky Sports’. There is also a Wetherspoons pub called the White Lion Of Mortimer, which is a five minute walk away from Finsbury Park Tube Station along Stroud Green Road. Otherwise alcohol is available inside the stadium (Fosters, John Smith’s & Strongbow), costing around £4.30 a pint.
Shillibeers BarShillibeers Bar & Grill is situated only a few minutes walk from Caledonian Road Tube Station (Turn left out of the station, cross over the bridge, take the first left up North Road and you’ll find Shillibeers down on the left) and only a 15-20 minute walk from the Emirates Stadium. Away fan friendly with Sky Sports TV, this modern good sized bar specialises in real ale and craft beers, as well as having a great variety of other drinks too. The bar also offers food including most pub favourites, but being freshly prepared and using locally sourced produce, wherever possible. Take a look at the Shillibeers Bar & Grill website for further information or call us on (020) 32180083. Bar location map.
What Is It Like For Away Supporters?
Away fans at the Emirates Stadium are housed in the lower tier of the South East corner. The normal allocation for away fans will be 3,000 tickets, but this can be increased for cup games. Although fans have big padded seats and plenty of leg room, the lower tier of the stadium is quite shallow (unlike the upper tiers which have plenty of height between rows), meaning that the view might not be as good as you would expect from a new stadium.
Entrance to the stadium is by a 'smart ticket', whereby rather than giving your ticket to a turnstile operator, you enter it into a ticket reader to gain entry. This always confuses the away fans, as although more clubs are installing this type of apparatus, it is still in the minority. On my last visit, after being searched on entry, the steward took my ticket and inserted it into the ticket reader for me, which speeded up the process (which made sense as it is not clear on the ticket as to which way it should be inserted).
The concourse inside is not that spacious, but just about adequate. There is quite a choice of food on offer, although some of it is rather pricey. However the crowd of fans that had formed into a scrum around the kiosk put me off even trying to buy anything. It would have been nice if a proper queuing system had been put in place. There are plenty of flat screen televisions on the concourse to keep you entertained, plus there is a Ladbroke betting facility.
On my last visit I was less impressed with the Emirates. The whole occasion just seemed as it was one big corporate event rather than a football match. Plus the view was that not that great and afterwards you almost questioned if the stadium did indeed hold 60,000, as the large gaps in the corners below the stadium roof, gave the illusion that it is smaller than what it is. The away fans are also located very close to the home fans, which led to a fair amount of rather unsavoury banter.
On the positive side the stadium is indeed one of quality. It looks and feels that it has not been 'built on the cheap' and is a 'cut above' most other new stadiums built in this country. The atmosphere is okay and the pitch even in January looked immaculate. On a lighter note look out for the rather odd looking mascot called 'Gunnersaurus, which is not as you would expect coloured red and white, but instead a bright green, fluffy looking dinosaur.
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MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL NEWCASTLE UNITED SUPPORTERS
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Newcastle Utd Fixtures ...
2014/15 SEASON
Sunday August 17
NEWCASTLE 0 MAN CITY 2
Krul, Janmaat, Williamson, Coloccini, Dummett, Colback, Anita (63' Obertan), Cabella, Sissoko, Gouffran (74' Aarons), Riviere (83' Perez).
Subs: Haidara, Elliot, S Taylor, Abeid
Saturday August 23
ASTON VILLA 0 NEWCASTLE 0
Krul, Janmaat, Williamson, Coloccini, Dummett, Anita (70' de Jong), Colback, Cabella, Sissoko, Gouffran, Riviere (77' Perez - 90+2' S Taylor).
Subs: Haidara, Elliot, Obertan, Abeid
Tuesday August 26
LC GILLINGHAM 0 NEWCASTLE 1 (Egan OG)
Krul, Janmaat, Coloccini, S Taylor, Haidara, Sissoko, Abeid, Obertan, de Jong (68' Perez), Aarons (60' Cabella), Riviere (86' Gouffran)
Subs: Anita, Ferreyra, Elliot, Dummett
Saturday August 30
NEWCASTLE 3 CRYSTAL PALACE 3 (Janmaat, Aarons, Williamson)
Krul, Janmaat (79' Perez), Williamson, Coloccini, Haidara, Sissoko, Colback, Cabella, de Jong (79' Anita), Gouffran (67' Aarons), Riviere
Subs: Elliot, Obertan, S Taylor, Dummett
Saturday September 13
SOUTHAMPTON 4 NEWCASTLE 0
Krul, Janmaat, Williamson, Coloccini, Haidara, Anita (45' Tiote), Colback, Cabella (69' Perez), Sissoko (90'Ameobi), Gouffran, Riviere
Subs: Elliot, Obertan, S Taylor, Armstrong
Saturday September 20
NEWCASTLE 2 HULL CITY (Cisse 2)
Krul, Janmaat, Williamson, Coloccini, Dummett, Tiote (85' Ameobi), Colback, Sissoko, Cabella, Gouffran (90+4' Perez), Riviere (69' Cisse)
Subs: Anita, Haidara, Elliot, S Taylor
Wednesday September 24
LC CRYSTAL PALACE 2 NEWCASTLE 3 AET (Riviere 2, Dummett)
Elliot, Janmaat (46 Haidara), Coloccini, S Taylor, Dummett, Colback, Abeid, Obertan, Armstrong, Ameobi (66 Sissoko), Riviere (80 Perez)
Subs: Anita, Ferreyra, Cabella, Alnwick
Monday September 29
STOKE CITY 1 NEWCASTLE 0
Krul, Janmaat, Williamson, Coloccini, Dummett, Tiote, Colback, Sissoko, Cabella (74' Ameobi), Gouffran (68' Obertan), Riviere (45' Cisse)
Subs: Anita, Elliot, S Taylor, Armstrong
Saturday October 4
SWANSEA CITY 2 NEWCASTLE 2 (Cisse 2)
Krul, Janmaat, Williamson, Coloccini, Dummett, Obertan, Tiote, Sissoko, Colback (69' Riviere), Gouffran (58' Ameobi), Cisse (85' Perez).
Subs: Anita, Haidara, Cabella, Elliot
Saturday October 18
NEWCASTLE 1 LEICESTER CITY (Obertan)
Krul, Janmaat, S Taylor, Coloccini, Dummett (72' Haidara), Tiote, Anita (59' Perez), Colback, Obertan, Sissoko, Gouffran (90+2' Cabella), Cisse
Subs: Elliot, Abeid, Armstrong
Saturday October 26
TOTTENHAM 1 NEWCASTLE 2 (Ameobi, Perez)
Krul, Janmaat, S Taylor, Coloccini, Dummett, Anita (45' Cabella), Colback, Obertan (45' Ameobi), Sissoko, Gouffran, Perez (79' Haidara)
Subs: R Taylor, Ferreyra, Elliot, Armstrong
Wednesday October 29
LC MAN CITY 0 NEWCASTLE 2 (Aarons, Sissoko)
Elliot, Janmaat (64' Sissoko), Coloccini, Dummett, Haidara, Colback, R Taylor, Abeid, Obertan, Armstrong (65' Riviere), Aarons (46' Ameobi)
Subs: Krul, Gouffran, Perez, Cabella
Saturday November 1
NEWCASTLE 1 LIVERPOOL 0 (Perez)
Elliot, Krul, Janmaat, S Taylor, Coloccini, Dummett, Abeid, Colback, Obertan (27' Aarons), Sissoko), Ameobi (66' Cabella), Cisse (45' Perez)
Subs: R Taylor, Gouffran, Haidara, Elliot
Sunday November 9
WEST BROM 0 NEWCASTLE 2 (Perez, Coloccini)
Krul, Janmaat, Coloccini (78' Williamson), Dummett, Haidara, Abeid, Colback, Cabella (82' R Taylor), Sissoko, Ameobi (78' Gouffran), Perez
Subs: Anita, Cisse, Elliot, Armstrong
Saturday November 22
NEWCASTLE 1 QPR 0 (sissoko)
Krul, Janmaat, Williamson, Dummett, Haidara, R Taylor (34' Gouffran), Colback, Cabella (68' Cisse), Sissoko, Ameobi, Perez (89' Armstrong)
Subs: Anita, Ferreyra, Elliot, Streete
Saturday November 29
WEST HAM 1 NEWCASTLE 0
Elliot, Janmaat (74' S Taylor), Williamson, Dummett, Haidara, Tiote (63' Cabella), Colback, Gouffran (63' Cisse), Sissoko, Ameobi, Perez
Subs: Anita, Riviere, Alnwick, Armstrong
Tuesday December 2
BURNLEY 1 NEWCASTLE 1 (Cisse)
Elliot, Janmaat, Williamson (45' S Taylor), Dummett, Haidara, Abeid, Tiote, Gouffran, Perez (45' Cabella), Ameobi (75' Riviere), Cisse
Subs: Anita, Alnwick, Armstrong, Streete
Saturday December 6
NEWCASTLE 2 CHELSEA 1 (Cisse 2)
Elliot (45' Alnwick), Janmaat, S Taylor, Coloccini, Dummett, Tiote, Colback, Cabella (53' Cisse), Sissoko, Ameobi (83' Williamson), Perez
Subs: Anita, Gouffran, Haidara, Riviere
Saturday December 13
Arsenal v Newcastle United
Sunday December 21
Newcastle United v Sunderland
Friday December 26
Man Utd v Newcastle United
Sunday December 28
Newcastle United v Everton
Thursday January 1 2015
Newcastle United v Burnley
Saturday January 10 2015
Chelsea v Newcastle United
Saturday January 17 2015
Newcastle United v Southampton
Saturday January 31 2015
Hull City v Newcastle United
Saturday February 7 2015
Newcastle United v Stoke City
Tuesday February 10 2015
Crystal Palace v Newcastle United
Saturday February 21 2015
Manchester City v Newcastle United
Saturday February 28 2015
Newcastle United v Aston Villa
Wednesday March 4 2015
Newcastle United v Man Utd
Saturday March 14 2015
Everton v Newcastle United
Saturday March 21 2015
Newcastle United v Arsenal
Saturday April 4 2015
Sunderland v Newcastle United
Saturday April 11 2015
Liverpool v Newcastle United
Saturday April 18 2015
Newcastle United v Tottenham
Saturday April 25 2015
Newcastle United v Swansea City
Saturday May 2 2015
Leicester City v Newcastle United
Saturday May 9 2015
Newcastle United v West Brom
Saturday May 16 2015
QPR v Newcastle United
Sunday May 24 2015
Newcastle United v West Ham United