Sunderland-Newcastle FA Cup derby warning from police

More than 48,000 fans will fill Sunderland's Stadium of Light on Saturday

Police have warned trouble at this weekend's FA Cup clash between North East rivals Sunderland and Newcastle United "will be clamped down upon".

The teams meet for the first time since 2016 in Saturday's third-round tie at the Stadium of Light.

Six-thousand Newcastle fans will travel to the game with Northumbria Police saying cordons would be in place to separate rival groups.

Officers will also be present in the two city centres.

Magpies supporters will have to travel on designated return bus services from St James' Park and will only be given their match ticket as they exit the bus outside the Stadium of Light.

They will then be held back inside the ground at full-time until home supporters have cleared the area.

'Tough action'

Ch Supt Neil Hutchison said there had been "extensive discussions" around safety measures since the tie was drawn, with the clubs, transport operators and local councils agreeing to a number of steps.

He added he wanted fans to "work with" officers to make sure the ITV-televised fixture went ahead without incident and warned "tough action" would be taken against troublemakers.

"We know the overwhelming majority of supporters will follow the advice being shared by ourselves and their respective clubs and will be going to the match to enjoy the occasion," he said.

"However, we want to make it clear to anyone who is intent on using the game as an excuse to cause trouble that this will not be tolerated.

"Any disorder will be clamped down upon and those involved can expect to be arrested.

"Ultimately, we want to ensure all supporters can have a safe and enjoyable time - and everyone can play their part in achieving that result."

Councillor Dominic McDonough has said he feared "increased tension between fans"

Transport body Nexus said Sunderland fans should allow themselves extra time to get to the sell-out match, which kicks off at 12.45 GMT.

It warned the Metro system would be busy before and after the game with crowd management in place at Stadium of Light and St Peter's stations.

Sunderland city councillor Dominic McDonough last month called for the ticket allocation for Newcastle fans to be lowered.

However, the home side said 6,000 was fewer than the 7,306 Newcastle could have claimed under FA Cup rules, which say up to 15% of a stadium's capacity can be made available.