WALKING from St. Peter’s Metro station to the Stadium of Light amid black-and-white and red-and-white shirts was not the usual welcome to a derby match between Sunderland and Newcastle.

With the familiar scent of matchday scran – hotdogs, burgers, chips (cheesy or plain depending your allegiance) – wafting past each nostril, the trek to the stadium was complete.

As the charcoal sight of the tarmac melted away into a sea of stripes, what intrigued me was that this was made of black and white as well as red and white stripes. Without the usual ‘bite’ of a men’s derby – where Newcastle fans had to travel into Wearside on chartered coaches – the pre-match atmosphere took on a more family feeling.

Dotted outside the ground were facepainters; next to them, an inflatable goal to test how hard young fans could kick the ball. Fans walked side-by-side, Geordies and Mackems, scarved and flag-draped.

(Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO) Reflecting that increased sense of togetherness, pre-match was shared between clubs and supporters alike in memory of Colin Lock, a much-loved club photographer for Newcastle and Sunderland Women who sadly died earlier this year.

It was a moment of shared remembrance that transcended rivalry as the whole stadium rose to its feet to applaud his memory, including inside the press box.

The game itself was typical of a local derby. It was nervy and edgy, with a handful of big challenges and a sprinkling of controversy.

(Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO) Newcastle ran out winners after surviving a late onslaught of Black Cats attacks, but were lucky to see what looked like a clear-cut penalty for hosts Sunderland waved away by the referee.

Throughout the game, black and white scarves were spun by a packed out away end and tens of thousands of Sunderland fans willed their team on to do whatever they could to get back into the game. Nothing can match the roar of over 10,000 fans in a stadium as a form of motivation. And there are few stadia that can match the tenacity with which North East football fans can will a team to do well.

While the result was not what was the home crowd were looking for, there was no booing (save for the few reserved for former Sunderland keeper Claudia Moan who moved to Tyneside in the summer), and there was no post-match trouble that is so often seen in the men's game. 

(Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO) Family after family filtered out of the stadium as fans chatted tactics, looked forward to the next game, or bemoaned the decisions of the managers. No hassle, no fuss, just honesty and good vibes.

Women’s football is growing in the region and it will certainly pack out the Stadium of Light and St James’ Park in the future. But it has a storied history in the North East and the remnants of that still loom large over Sunderland. The original Women’s Premier League trophy, won by Sunderland, was at the stadium courtesy of the Football Fans’ Museum.

Sunderland were demoted following the restructuring of the Women’s Super League and have never returned to the top level since. They got close last season, but with only four points from their first five games, this season is shaping up to be a real struggle.

In a world where money reigns supreme, a game like Sunday’s women’s Wear-Tyne derby felt a bit like a throwback to a football where community was the real currency. Whether this is able to be retained as money becomes increasingly more important remains to be seen.

But for now, North East women’s football is firmly rooted in its communities and that bond was really visible at the Stadium of Light and long may that continue.