Quinn: Derby can be top draw

Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn believes the club’s “colossal” derby clash with Newcastle could become the north-east’s biggest sporting event.

The Irishman knows all about the pride at stake having scored in both the Black Cats’ famous 2-1 victories at St James’ Park during Peter Reid’s reign at the Stadium of Light.

He will get a chance to re-live those memories from the directors’ box on Gallowgate on April 19 next year.

That comes after hostilities are renewed with the club’s arch-rivals when Sam Allardyce’s side head for the Stadium of Light on November 10.

Quinn said: “I played a lot of derbies in Manchester and had not much luck in those ones at all, and I played in Arsenal v Spurs derbies as a younger player.

“But the Newcastle v Sunderland derby, the place goes ga-ga for about three weeks beforehand and then, depending on how you have done, if you have been lucky enough to win, your place stays ga-ga and the other place goes a little bit depressed.

“It is just colossal. To me, the first time we beat Newcastle over there and Ruud Gullit was the manager, we did not have many fans in the stadium that night, but I just could not believe the aftermath days later.

“People were writing songs about it here in Sunderland, it was amazing. You just feel this is so important to the people.

“Regardless of the outcome, the rivalry now that we have with Newcastle is a different kind of rivalry these days.

“Football has changed, there are new people involved at both clubs and I think it can become the leading sporting event of the region.

“Maybe the Great North Run organisers might not agree with that, but I just think it might be an opportunity for us now to make this derby bigger to everybody else.

“We all know what it’s like in this region but, perhaps with Sam Allardyce and Roy Keane involved, we will hopefully show the rest of the footballing world how big it actually is.

“It is something colossal to look forward to.”

The fixture list for the new season was published yesterday, with the Wearsiders’ reward for promotion an opening day home clash with Tottenham.

However, apart from the Wear-Tyne derby games, perhaps the most eagerly-anticipated fixture was manager Roy Keane’s return to Manchester United, which will come on September 1.

Quinn, who also confirmed Sunderland’s interest in Preston striker David Nugent, said: “It’s great, that’s what we wanted our fans to see.

“If you look at this time last year before Roy was appointed, if you could have given a Sunderland fan a wish, he might have said ’us going to Old Trafford next year would be great’, and that feels good.

“The fact there are such compelling figures as Roy Keane and Sir Alex Ferguson, it adds even more to it.

“But rather than pat ourselves on the back and say ’isn’t it great we are doing all these things?’, it’s only great if everyone is throwing in and doing their bit for the club.

“There is no time for pats on the back, it is all hands to the deck.”