General features

This is the one day in the footballing calendar where otherwise responsible grown men feel entitled to bait their bitter rivals with obscene words, gestures and chants.  

This is different to the everyday banter exchanged between Geordie and Mackem colleagues, friends and even family (God forbid!).

Derby day is such a big event as there is far more than three points at stake! 

Roy Keane and Kevin Keegan

It hasn't happened that often in recent years, however the feeling of shame at getting beat by your bitterest local rivals is unbearable. 

It takes months to shake that feeling of being second best off and you don't get the chance to put things right until the two teams meet again. Nobody likes being second best and everybody likes to have those bragging rights.

As unbearable as the shame is, the joy at beating Sunderland is unparalleled.

Newcastle have had a lot of success in these games in the last 22 years, so I suspect that we feel the defeats more than Sunderland supporters. I could be wrong!

There are other rivalries in football for Newcastle United supporters but none so intense and fierce as that which we enjoy with our red and white friends from Sunderland!

Running challenge

In 2007, Mark ran 874 miles in 37 days from John O'Groats to Lands End and raised £34,000 for St Benedict's Hospice, in Sunderland.

Read about his achievements here and see photos of his lap of honour at St James' Park: