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Sunderland ended their season with a predictable defeat at home to FA Cup finalists Chelsea, but it was events in Birmingham that made the roof come off at the Stadium of Light.
With the final whistle blown, Sunderland fans waited anxiously for confirmation that Aston Villa had beaten Newcastle United to send them down to the Championship. As news filtered through that Newcastle had been relegated, the stadium erupted and Wearside has been celebrating the demise of their neighbours since.
The way Newcastle has been run, it's no surprise that they find themselves in such a mess and the fact that Alan Shearer took them down makes it even more special to Sunderland fans. A banner at Villa Park aimed at the Geordies travelling fans summed it up perfectly: 'Who's your next Messiah - Ant or Dec?'.
Events at St James' Park this season have been chaotic and embarrassing with Sunderland fans revelling in the regular acts of boardroom mismanagement from the 'Cockney Mafia', extortionate transfer fees on foreign mercenaries, managerial merry-go-rounds and fan 'boycotts' with one shoe in the air.
As a Sunderland fan, it couldn't have been more apt that Alan Shearer presided over Newcastle's relegation. With one Messiah, Kevin Keegan, already sick of the circus in Newcastle (he returned to his own circus in Glasgow - no, seriously, he did), their chairman, Mike Ashley, tried winning back the Geordie Nation by giving them their next Messiah in Shearer. It's no surprise that Monty Python's Life of Brian is considered a religious documentary in Tyneside.
I've been asked if I'll miss the derbies next season but I can't say I enjoy them. It was great to beat Newcastle 2-1 at home last year but the sense of dread if we're beaten is too much to take and something I'll happily live without for a season, hopefully longer.
With a wage bill that eats up all of their income, there's the possibility of Newcastle 'doing a Leeds'. They'll need a fire-sale of players in the summer to reduce their wages and a new squad will need to be assembled. I can't see that happening but the Championship is a difficult league to get out of, Norwich, Charlton and Southampton are testament to that.
After the Magpies revelry in our relegations of 2003 and 2006 when they arrived at the Stadium of Light with 'Let's all laugh at Sunderland' banners, their relegation should teach their supporters some humility. However, I suspect a lot of their fans will still say that next season's target is Champions League.
Bye bye Newcastle United. Enjoy your trips to Peterborough, Scunthorpe United and Doncaster Rovers next season.
We'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when, but I'll know we'll meet again some sunny day...
Comments
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Posted by graham on 05/25/2009
sorry to see the toon go down
will miss the derbies next season
but what comes goes around
now u know what it feels like getting relegated
lets see how long it takes u to return to the top flight
also lets see if u can get ur 52,000 fans in staduim of shite next season playing bristol city and blackpool
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Posted by graham on 05/25/2009
sorry to see the toon go down
will miss the derbies next season
but what comes goes around
now u know what it feels like getting relegated
lets see how long it takes u to return to the top flight
also lets see if u can get ur 52,000 fans in staduim of shite next season playing bristol city and blackpool
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Posted by graham on 05/25/2009
sorry to see the toon go down
will miss the derbies next season
but what comes goes around
now u know what it feels like getting relegated
lets see how long it takes u to return to the top flight
also lets see if u can get ur 52,000 fans in staduim of shite next season playing bristol city and blackpool
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Posted by james murphy on 05/26/2009
While on a whole, this has been a frustrating and disappointing season for sunderland, the relegation of the great unwashed has provided an excuse for a good deal of smugness! The 06 deafeat was a bitter pilll at the time, sitting in disbelief while your biggest rivals score 4 2nd half goals and their fans remind you that that was the worse team in history. After that game we seemed to be on a downward spiral while they looked secure... What a differnce 3 years make! Although we can revel in their demise now, Next season must be a massive improvement or we may be joining them
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Posted by Anthony G. Myers on 05/27/2009
Wondderful taunt from a local rival. I wonder if I could some day write something like this for Spurs fans. In December it seemed like a possibility but Liverpool of all teams gave them a lifeline
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Posted by kl on 05/28/2009
Well since this is about Sunderland I'd thought you'd post more on Sunderland than on Newcastle...
Still, you're spot on regarding Newcastle deserving to go down, and LOL at the comment about how some fans still think next season's target is Champs' League.
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Posted by K Dog on 05/28/2009
Hi Paul,
I am a hardcore Toon and I absolutely hated what you wrote. Talk all the crap that you want here for the Geordies have enjoyed seeing u Mackems get relegated more often than not. We will come back stronger, tougher than ever to take your mackem asses down. Beware!
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Posted by trevor gordon on 05/28/2009
to be honest,i think it's great for the north-east that both newcastle and boro went down.both teams were poorly managed and coached.sometimes u need something like relagation for you 2 look outside the box to see yourself.newcastle fan's are probably the most unsophisticated fan's in the country.to believe an inexperienced manager like shearer could save them is unbelievable.and if you look at their history of managers and overated players like alan smith,mark viduka,duff,joey barton,says it all.will they ever learn?i doubt it.they have not won anything since 1968.that's 41 years ago.i predict that they'll spend at least 4 years in the championship.trevor,new york city.
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Posted by sean on 05/28/2009
Spot on about how the Mags fans will probably be targeting the Champions league next season...K Dog has already proved your point and confirmed my suspicions that all Geordies are fickle, delusional idiots who seriously believe their own hype about what a fantastic club NUFC are!
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Posted by Jeff Chan on 05/28/2009
The relegation of Newcastle is justice. It is a good lesson to the other football clubs.
Newcastle are so naiive to believe that a good footballer is equivalent to a good manager. Shearer got 5 points out of 24 in 8 matches. With this ratio, he could have got 23.75 points for the whole season of 38 matches. Even a 3-year old kid knows that this kind of result is not going to survive.
But the Newcastle management deeply believed that Shearer would save them. They deserve the relegation.
Shearer will bring them further down to League One or may be League Two.
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Posted by tony maxwell on 05/28/2009
As a Mackem, it's laughable when you hear Geordies bleating on about how unbelievable it is that they've been relegated because Newcastle is one of the biggest teams in the country. Possibly so in terms of home attendances (crowds of eternal optimists) but certainly not in terms of honours, since they won the Texaco Cup in 1975 and the Anglo-Italian Cup two years earlier (huh, do these count?) The last "real" trophy that Toon won was the Inter City Fairs Cup in 1969. Do they not realise how long ago that was? Nobody in the UK had a colour tv then let alone a computer! We were still using pounds, shillings and pennies!!
Come on fellas, wake up like!! You're doon
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Posted by toon on 05/29/2009
You made it sound like Sunderland is doing fantastic. I feel sorry for you, instead of focusing on your club's 'success' or survival, you have chosen to laugh at your rival club. Aren't you sad and insecure?
As for Graham, stadium of shite rhymes better with stadium of plight. It is St.James Park if you have not got a clue.
For Sean, the aim for NUFC this season has always top 10, not Champions league. Yes, we got relegated, now we know how the Mackems feel every once in awhile. NUFC has been played in the Champions League for quite a few times, have your team done the same? By the way, the actual team dreaming/aiming/drooling of Champions League and falling way short is a team in North London.
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Posted by Arminius on 05/29/2009
Oh, I dunno, Norwich have managed to get out of the Championship...
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Posted by dreir on 05/29/2009
To toon,
Paul never said anything about us doing fantastic, so I don't know where that was coming from. In any case, are we to believe that should it have gone the other way around you would have celebrated your survival more than laughing at our relegated asses? Did all the geordies really sympathetically pretend not to see us going down in 03 and 06? I think not.
Sorry, but it's our turn to enjoy it, and enjoy it we will. For one whole year, at least.
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Posted by kurtkeoki on 05/29/2009
Newcastle had 34 points. Sunderland had 36. It would be one things for ManU or Chelsea supporters to smack-talk, but when you so narrowly avoided relegation yourself, perhaps a little humility is in order?
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Posted by Juan-John on 05/29/2009
OK, so NUFC's targets for next year should be promotion and the FA Cup.
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Posted by Scott on 05/30/2009
Perfectly normal for fans to gloat when their rival club goes down, but let's not forget something. Sunderland weren't exactly safe until the final whistle. To rely on another team's defeat for survival is quite pathetic. I am quite disgusted at how all 4 strugglers failed to exhibit that sort of fighting spirit that even WBA exhibited a few games (not just one, mind you) before their relegation was all but confirmed; yet celebrated as though they'd won the league.
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Posted by Tom W on 05/31/2009
I think that the derbies will return next year, with both teams stuck in the Championship. Enjoy your relegation walk next year, Sunderland, you will certainly be playing in Blackpool the next!!
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Posted by Sunderland Lover on 05/31/2009
Newcastle is shit and everyone knows it. Deserved 100% to go down. The team has no spirit and sticks with losers like Barton. Too many fat asses past their sell-by date. It will be a long hard few seasons in the Championshop. Back in the premiership next season, forget it!
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Posted by Nigel on 06/01/2009
No insecure for SAFC (we stayed up) and we have heard the laughter from NUFC too many times so we will enjoy a bit of "back at you." Suck it up NUFC. today is what counts not ten years gone! Better luck next season GO SAFC
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Posted by Neil Graham on 06/01/2009
Newcastle went down...only one thing to say...can you hear me laughing all the way from California.....hahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahhahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahhahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahhahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahhahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahhahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahhahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahhahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahhahahahah
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Posted by Brett on 06/02/2009
Might be time to look at your own problems. You guys started the season full of hope and with a pretty decent squad, and ended up in a relegation scrap at the end of it. At least Newcastle 'dare to dream' instead of being stuck on a relegation/promotion tight-rope. So have fun coming in the bottom-half of the table again next year, and the year after that, if you're not already in the championship. Even if Newcastle don't come straight back up, they'll always be a more successful, and most importantly, more ambitious club than Sunderland. He who laughs last shall laugh longest!
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Posted by Eddie SAFC on 06/02/2009
Who cares by what margine we stayed up, the fact is we did and you didnt so Unlucky. Lets all laugh at Newcastle. lol jokes.
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Posted by Eddie SAFC on 06/02/2009
Who cares by what margine we stayed up, the fact is we did and you didnt so Unlucky. Lets all laugh at Newcastle. lol jokes.
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Posted by tom on 06/15/2009
alan shearer has just been voted the worst care taker/manager since ian huntly.
this season ronaldo is going for 80 million and caca is going for the same price what a rip off when you can buy newcastle fc and get a hole load of caca!
its great seeing newcastle go down but they still think there better than us they think there so good but there not its been a great season watching nufc go down hill shearer should have stayed on the tv hahahahaha bye bye
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Posted by David Stewart on 07/09/2009
I love it, just love it(KK) LOL.
I used to love the derbies but its nice to see them go down they are the laughing stock of England.I dont know who they think they are.Every year you here them talking about a top 4 place.I hope to see another Leeds in the scum.
FTM FTM FTM FTM FTM
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Posted by Ken Basington on 07/17/2009
Its one thing for a smallish club like Sunderland to go down.... and quite another for a club like Newcastle to be relegated. With Newcastle's resources, its a crying shame, and testimony to the shambolic way the club is run.
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Posted by Don on 07/27/2009
Whats one thing in common with Sunderland and Manchester City??
Never bothered about themselves but always jealous of their counterparts. Sometimes i feel that both set of supporters wished they were fans of their counterparts instead on their teams. Maybe that explains all these sour grape stories and comments.
GROW UP PEOPLE!!!!!!!
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Posted by chris wilson on 08/06/2009
I have to say that Newcastle fans are a lot like women. When they have the upper hand they really want to let you know about it but when the tables are turned it suddenly becomes childish to want to do the same thing. I remember the mags singing "have you ever seen a mackem in milan" whilst waving there passports around and laughing at our relagation. Well you wont be seeing a mag in manchester this season nevermind milan. So suck it up you mag fans and I hope you do a Leeds AND GO FURTHER DOWN. Your club is spinning in an ever worsening spiral whilst Saint Naill and Ellis are building ours from top to bottom. No fur coat and no knickers situation for us. So just a word to Brett, we are laughing last and we a re going to laugh longest. Just a final note, I loved it I just loved it when you went down.
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Posted by anon on 11/01/2010
Just to quote K dog above:
==================================
Hi Paul,
I am a hardcore Toon and I absolutely hated what you wrote. Talk all the crap that you want here for the Geordies have enjoyed seeing u Mackems get relegated more often than not. We will come back stronger, tougher than ever to take your mackem asses down. Beware!
===================================
And boy was he right - 6-0 and 5-1 anyone?
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Posted by Tmarshy on 01/11/2011
Just a quick recap here
Any mackems wanna come back on here and repeat their earlier comments from the 2009 season? Nice to see you boys have been busy achieving... not all that much in the past couple of years?
Not that that's anything new for you SMB
Just thought i'd nip in as i remembered this delightful piece of Internet Journalism and all you sad guys who's highlight of the season was someone else's events!
Was utterly overjoyed at the derby - you boys should have seen it! the roar of st.james as the tiny deluded newcastle club tore your team to shreds - Not that you did see it from the stands - in fact, even the few of you that turned up left a half time!
At least this time it's a shorter walk home from the stadium of shite when we demolish you again this weekend! a short walk to your cardboard boxes!
All the best for the rest of the season - be a shame for the highlight of ours to be you SMB going down!
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Posted by mark scott on 02/21/2012
and beat u we did! 1-0, ryan taylor its over the wall!!!!!!!
5-1 - 1-0, another 5-1 on 4th march?
forever in our shadows!!!!
smb
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About
Lars Knutsen was born in Sunderland of Norwegian parents across the Wear from the SSOL back when shipbuilding not car manufacture was the city’s main industry. His first game was in 1968 and he has followed the Black Cats since then, with great memories of the 1973 FA Cup. He hopes the “yo-yo” days are over and defines supporting a team by whether the result affects your mood (but maybe not in the way portrayed in the book “Fever Pitch”!) so has been cheerful recently. He endured school in Newc**tle, has a Ph.D. in Chemistry, a Professorship at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, and works in the Pharma industry as a consultant Medicinal Chemist.
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