‘I punched a police horse earlier than Newcastle vs Sunderland – this is the reason I did it’
The Tyne-Wear Derby is back in the Premier League for the first time since 2016, with the fixture between Newcastle and Sunderland throwing up a bizarre incident in the past
The Tyne-Wear Derby will make its return to the Premier League for the first time since 2016 on Sunday. Despite nearly a decade’s absence from the top flight and a 17km distance between the cities of Newcastle and Sunderland, the rivalry remains as fierce as ever.
The two teams did clash in the FA Cup third round in January 2024, where the Magpies clinched a memorable 3-0 victory at the Stadium of Light. Yet, the Black Cats, now managed by Regis Le Bris, are a completely different proposition this time around.
Sunderland have made a brilliant start to their first season back in the Premier League, managing six victories, five draws and four losses so far, thanks to their impressive summer signings.
It puts them one point ahead of their rivals Newcastle ahead of Sunday afternoon’s fixture, a fact that will undoubtedly fuel Eddie Howe’s men in their quest for all three points at the Stadium of Light.
Over the years, the derby has been a hotbed of raw, unfiltered emotion, marked by crunching tackles and an electrifying atmosphere inside the stadium. But it has also sparked some unsavoury incidents, including a notorious episode involving a Magpies fan punching a police horse.
After a 3-0 loss to Sunderland at St James’ Park in April 2013, tensions escalated between Newcastle fans and the police in Newcastle city centre. That was the moment supporter Barry Rogerson decided to square up to ‘Bud’, a Shire cross from West Yorkshire Police.
Footage captured the shocking moment Rogerson landed a right hook on the unsuspecting horse, which quickly went viral online. But the perpetrator claimed he was simply defending himself and that his face was only covered at the time because a dental filling had fallen out.
Speaking later to BBC News, he said: “I think I went to stop it with my left hand on its neck and I’ve punched it on the nose and I was stupid.”
When asked why he did it, Rogerson responded: “Self-defence. I mean the horse was bolting at us. It panicked, I panicked and it was just an instant reaction.
“I wasn’t intending to hurt the horse, I mean I don’t think I did hurt the horse. But it wasn’t intentional, it just happened.”
When asked about the scarf that masked his face during the incident, he explained: “My filling dropped out and the cold air was getting in. It sounds a feeble excuse but that’s the truth. I’m sorry but that is the truth. It was a cold day, cold windy day and that nerve was open to the air and I just pulled the scarf up.”
He added: “It makes us look like a right thug, I agree with you. But I’m not a thug. I’ve never been involved with football hooligans or whatever and I’ve never been in trouble before.”
