Bubble arrangements have been made for Sunderland fans traveling to St James’ Park for their derby match with Newcastle United.
The Premier League announces live TV fixtures for the first four rounds of the league in December on Monday.
The Mackem match is one of three of four games to be televised and transferred in the first three weeks of December 2026.
“Newcastle United” – “Sunderland” match will start on Sunday, December 6, at 14:00.
Following the announcement, NUFC quickly announced restrictions on Sunderland fans.
Newcastle United announces Bubble deal with Sunderland fans forced to travel with official club coaches: Sunderland supporters attending the Tyne-Wear derby at St James’ Park on Sunday 6 December 2026 will be required to travel to and from Wearside in official club coaches following the advice of the stadium’s independent Safety Advisory Group (SAG). The recommendation is in line with recommendations made by Northumbria Police to the SAG, which is chaired by Newcastle City Council as the Certification Body for St James’s Park. Both clubs were invited to attend a recent SAG meeting to hear presentations made by Northumbria Police, and senior Newcastle United staff have since met with senior officers from the force to better understand the reasons behind the recommendation.
The club informs about it:We know that the vast majority of fans from both clubs have behaved impeccably and add greatly to this event, and we also recognize that this step is taken as an extra measure to ensure the safety of all supporters, staff, authorities and the wider public. We will now work closely with Sunderland AFC, Northumbria Police, Newcastle City Council and partner agencies to implement this advice and ensure a safe experience for everyone attending the match. Detailed ticketing details will be shared by both clubs shortly. This recommendation does not affect fan travel for the return fixture at the Stadium of Light in May 2027 and any relevant recommendations will be made by the local Safety Advisory Group around that time.’
According to the Chronicle, Sunderland fans will only be allocated 2,200 tickets for this derby match, rather than the usual 3,200+ that Premier League clubs usually receive.