Bubble arrangements have been put in place for Sunderland fans travelling to St James’ Park for the derby match against Newcastle United.

The Premier League revealing on Monday the live TV games for the first four round of league games in December.

The Mackem match is one of three of four to be televised and moved in the opening three weeks of December 2026.

Newcastle United v Sunderland will now take place on Sunday6 December with a 2pm kick-off.

After that announcement, NUFC swiftly announcing the restrictions on Sunderland fans.

Newcastle United announcing the Bubble arrangement with Sunderland fans forced to travel on official club coaches: ‘Sunderland supporters attending the Tyne-Wear derby at St. James’ Park on Sunday 6th December 2026 will be required to travel to and from Wearside on official club coaches following a recommendation by the stadium’s independent Safety Advisory Group (SAG). The recommendation follows advice from Northumbria Police to the SAG, which is chaired by Newcastle City Council as the Certifying Authority for St. James’ Park. Both clubs were invited to attend a recent SAG meeting to hear submissions made by Northumbria Police, and senior Newcastle United staff have since met with senior officers from the force to better understand the reasons behind the recommendation.

The club going on to state: ‘We know that the vast majority of fans from both clubs are impeccably behaved and add a great deal to the occasion, and we also acknowledge that this step has been taken as an additional measure to ensure the safety of all supporters, staff, the authorities and the wider public. We will now work closely with Sunderland AFC, Northumbria Police, Newcastle City Council and partner agencies to accommodate this recommendation and to ensure the match is a safe experience for everyone who attends. Further details on tickets will be shared by both clubs in due course. This recommendation does not impact away supporter travel for the return fixture at the Stadium of Light in May 2027, and any relevant recommendations will be made by the local Safety Advisory Group closer to that time.’

The Chronicle have reported that their information is that Sunderland fans will only be allocated 2,200 tickets for this derby match, rather than the usual 3,200+ tickets that visiting Premier League clubs normally receive.