“Shocking Truth Revealed: why Fans don’t See Sunderland vs Middlesbrough as a Derby! you won’t believe their Reasons
Sunderland will face Middlesbrough at the Stadium of Light in the Championship this Saturday afternoon.
This matchup carries a bit more intensity than typical league games due to the teams’ geographical closeness. However, many fans argue that the Wear-Tees clash doesn’t hold the same passion as the Sunderland vs. Newcastle United rivalry, which is regarded as one of the fiercest derbies in England.
In light of this, The Echo reached out on social media to gauge fans’ opinions on whether the Wear-Tees fixture should be considered a local derby, asking: “Is Sunderland vs. Middlesbrough a local derby? Agree or disagree?”
Andy commented, “The real derby is against the Mags. Still, I really want to beat Boro, so I’m not sure what that says about this match.”
Michael Bowers expressed his view, stating, “I see it as a derby but not a true rivalry. Rivalries imply mutual hatred, and while there are many London derbies, the fans often don’t care much about each other, similar to Yorkshire.”
Jack Dunn shared, “As someone born in Sunderland but living in Seaham, I want to win, but I won’t be as affected by a draw or loss against them compared to those further north. I still haven’t even watched the highlights from the January match.”
Liam Marsden noted, “It’s a local rivalry, and I want to win a bit more than against most teams, but it’s not a genuine derby. I don’t lose sleep over a loss to them like I do when we face the team up the road.”
Jonny pointed out, “No, because we still appreciated players like Arca and Leadbitter. If they joined the Mags, we wouldn’t feel the same.”
Lee stated, “No, it’s not a derby. It never has been for Sunderland. The result affects me like any other league match, though Boro seems to treat it as a derby, which is likely why they often win.”
David Hindmarsh concluded, “I’ve always considered it a derby, just not ‘the’ derby. A big part of why Boro has such a strong record against us is that they treat it as a significant match.”
