The decision to restrict away fans' travel to official club coaches for a derby match less than 15 miles away has been dubbed a "backwards step for policing" by a fans group.

Sunderland's Premier League trip to Newcastle on 6 December has been designated a "bubble fixture" after Northumbria Police said the behaviour of a minority at the same fixture last March created a "clear and significant risk of harm". At the time the force said the match had passed "largely without incident".

David Rose, vice-chair of Red and White Army (RAWA), said fans "deserve better" and claimed: "It strips away supporter freedoms."

More than 2,000 tickets have been allocated to Sunderland for the derby.

Rose said the bubble match designation, which imposes strict controls on the movements of fans, "applies blanket restrictions to thousands of law‑abiding fans and ignores a decade of progress in how high‑risk fixtures are managed."

RAWA said there had been no consultation with supporters at any point since that game and they believed the bubble was not necessary, proportionate or justified.

Police recommended the plan to the St James' Park Safety Advisory Group (SAG) in October and said it was the "most appropriate way of safely facilitating the full away ticket allocation".

The force said missiles were thrown and fireworks discharged into large crowds, including near police horses, during the Premier League clash on 22 March.

"Although this involved a minority of those in attendance," a spokesperson said, "such behaviour created a clear and significant risk of harm to large numbers of people and was therefore a key public safety consideration in our representations to the SAG."

Three arrests were made following the match, which Sunderland won 2-1 thanks to a stoppage time winner from Bryan Brobbey.

Newcastle United Supporters' Group (NUST) said it stood firmly alongside RAWA in calling for Northumbria Police to reconsider the decision.

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