25Jan

Wear-Tees derby adds something extra to cup draw

by Will Ellison

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Sitting in a pub in Peterborough having just watched Sunderland comfortably move into the FA Cup 4th Round at the expense of the Championship side, the news filtered through that the Black Cats had been drawn against local rivals Middlesbrough. Now, I’m not about to say that you wake up with butterflies in your stomach like you do on Tyne-Wear derby day but the Wear-Tees derby isn’t just your average, run-of-the-mill game.

Two sides,  geographically around 40 miles apart, in footballing terms a league apart, who’ve had to put up with their fair share of abject displays and continual disappointment over the years. Unlike Newcastle United who, it can be assumed, had a decent level of success in the 90s and were offered far better performances on the pitch, Sunderland and ‘Boro battled in the Championship (or what was known then as Division One, and in the decades preceding Division Two). Both Sunderland and Middlesbrough even suffered a spell in the third tier of English football, something the Magpies have never done.

After beating Bolton in the 2004 League Cup final and finishing runners-up to Sevilla in the 2005-06 UEFA Cup, ‘Boro were enjoying their most successful period under Steve McCLaren, while Sunderland were the proverbial yo-yo club between the Championship and Premier League. Nowadays, Sunderland are fighting for a place in the top half of the Premier League while Middlesbrough are battling for promotion out of the Championship, a massive turn of fortunes for both clubs in the last eight years or so.

Games against Middlesbrough for Sunderland always prove to be entertaining encounters. The last two games between the two clubs at the Stadium of Light ended in victories for the Black Cats, with the former being a five-goal thriller that Sunderland won 3-2 with a last-minute goal. Even when Sunderland were at their worst, gaining just 15 points in the 2005-06 Premier League season, there was still a 2-0 victory to be enjoyed by the Wearsiders at the Riverside Stadium. Of course there is a certain amount of bias to this jaunt down memory lane. I’ve neglected, largely on purpose, to mention the reverse fixture of that season, a dire 0-3 defeat that compounded just how bad Sunderland were at the time.

When Sunday comes, there’ll be a buzz of excitement around Sunderland and the ground. Although it’s no Newcastle game, it’s more important than your average game against Blackburn or Wigan. The magic of the cup has yet again peaked the interests of football supporters everywhere, there were even the customary chants of “Que Sera, Sera, whatever will be, will be, we’re going to Wembley” when Sunderland were 2-0 up at Peterborough. That is obviously very premature but another small step will be taken towards getting there should Sunderland win on Sunday.

In no way will it be a straightforward tie against the team from the league below. With Martin O’Neill’s rejuvenation of Sunderland taking shape, however, and Middlesbrough suffering a blip in form that has seen them lose ground in the promotion race, you’d struggle to look past a Sunderland victory. You don’t need me to tell you what the FA Cup’s like for shocks, though.

Posted by Sunderland fan Will Ellison

Follow Will on Twitter @WillTE1973