By Dave Eadevic
November 8 2011
Right let’s get this out the way straight away. There is only one derby in the Newcastle calendar and that is with Sunderland. Middlesboro is not a derby, merely a small town Yorkshire. I mean I want to win Boro whenever we play them, but then again I want to win everyone. They are no more important to me than say Fulham to take a name at random. In fact as far as I can tell the only people who class it as a derby are the media.
Sunderland however is different. It’s not so much that I want to win Sunderland. I NEED to win Sunderland. Defeat is so bad it’s an almost physical pain.
It was bad enough when I was at school and did not actually know any Sunderland fans, now I know several, even to the extent where I would class several as friends (albeit misguided ones).
But it has not stopped my loathing for all things red and white. Which I must admit spreads way beyond the boundaries of football. I would never where anything that was red and white, I will not use certain makes of toothpaste, hell even streaky bacon is a no go area.
Years ago when I was on an away trip to Bilbao and I swapped tops with a Spanish girl, (drunk obviously) I woke up the next morning clad in a Bilbao top, no amount of washing has ever made me feel fully clean since.
So what is it that makes them for want of a better word the ‘enemy’?
To a certain extent it’s easier to think of them as something entirely alien, but hell they only live 13 miles or so down the road.
They do still wear red and white despite the colours being banned by the Geneva Convention on fashion, but surely that’s not reason enough.
Why is it that it’s not enough for my side to do well, but Sunderland has to suffer to make my weekend complete.
These are questions I have asked myself numerous times over the years and to be honest have yet to come up with an answer.
As you can imagine most of these thoughts were going through my mind on Saturday, when for us to remain second, I had to wish the Mackems to do well.
I agonised for ooh seconds, and then got back to hoping they got stuffed.
Second was for a few hours, Mackem baiting is forever

Quote:tunyc
Then my wife gave me a red & white tie last Christmas...which I have to admit, I like and wear. Oh well.
) on xmas.
