Sunderland owner ‘disgusted and hurt’ by Newcastle slogans

Sunderland's efforts to make Newcastle United supporters feel welcome for Saturday's FA Cup match struck a sour note with home fans after the club plastered their fierce rivals' slogans all over a Stadium bar of Light.

Sunderland owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus has apologized after images posted on social media showed signage at the Black Cats Bar, used by away supporters, proclaiming “WE ARE UNITED” and “KEEP IT BLACK AND THE WHITE FLYING HIGH”.

Newcastle traditionally play with black and white stripes while Sunderland play in red and white.

– Stream LIVE: Sunderland v Newcastle, FA Cup Third Round, Saturday, 7:30 a.m. ET, ESPN+

“I would like to apologize to everyone associated with Sunderland AFC for the events that took place today,” Louis-Dreyfus wrote on Instagram on Thursday.

“Like our supporters, I was disgusted and hurt by the photos circulating online showing inappropriate signs that have now been torn down.”

The towns of Sunderland and Newcastle in northeast England are separated by just 12 miles (19 kilometers) and their football teams have a long-standing rivalry that has been marred by violence and crowd disorder in the pass.

The pair have not met since March 2016, with Sunderland now in the second-tier Championship after being relegated in 2017, and Saturday's Tyne-Wear derby takes on added significance with the two sides meeting on 53 wins each.

Sunderland admitted “a serious error of judgement” and said the club's ownership group and board had requested an immediate review “to determine how this process unfolded”.

While the home fans were furious, Newcastle fans welcomed the changes in scenery, with one group of supporters posting on social media that they could “not fault the hospitality” of their hosts.