I saw my team win on saturday, and wow, what a feeling that was. Beating Newcastle United, it just meant everything to us. It’s been so long since we had a derby like this in the Premier League, you know? The Stadium of Light felt like it was shaking.
We only won by that one goal, which came off a Newcastle player honestly. But who cares how it goes in, it still counts. When the whistle finally blew, the noise was just this huge wave of sound. Then our players did something I’ll never forget.
They all got together on the pitch, right in front of us supporters. And they lined up for a photo, copying one Newcastle took here years back. It was exactly the same, their poses and everything. I remembered that old picture right away, from when they beat us. This felt like an answer back.
Our manager later, he just smiled when asked about it. He said something like we’re always full of surprises and adapt quick. I think the players planned it for sure. It wasn’t just random, it was a message.
For me and every fan around, it wasn’t only about three points. It was like saying we remember, and now things are different. That photo they copied, it’s from two years ago in the FA Cup. Newcastle had their day then and made sure everyone saw.
But times change, and teams change too. Almost none of the players are the same from that last derby. We have a new manager now, Regis le Bris, who seems to really get what this rivalry means. Doing that celebration, it closes a book on an old hurt for us.
The whole thing just shows, some feelings between clubs never really fade. Players come and go, but the want to win this one, it stays forever. That picture our boys made, it’s ours now. I’ll keep that memory for a long, long time.
Truthfully, I didn’t even know some of our newer lads understood the history so well. But seeing them laugh and jostle into place for that picture, it showed they felt the weight of it all same as us. It wasn’t just a job for them that day, you could see it in their eyes. They knew.
Someone near me was saying the idea might’ve come from one of the kit men, who’s been with the club forever. That kind of makes sense, because it’s a fan’s sort of clever thought, isn’t it? A little bit of needed mischief that cuts right to the heart of things. Whoever thought of it, they deserve some real credit.
Walking back into the town after, the mood was just completely different than usual. It wasn’t only the victory pints being poured, it was like a shadow had lifted. People were talking to strangers on the street, all of us sharing the same story. That photo was already being passed around on phones in every pub, a new piece of our history.
For my dad, who sat through the lean years with me, he just kept shaking his head and smiling. He said it reminded him of the old days, when the rivalry had more of this sharp, witty edge to it. Not just the football, but the mind games too. It felt like we’d finally played our proper part in that again.
Looking ahead, this has to be a foundation, not just a single bright day. The league table looks better, of course, but it’s the feeling inside the club that matters more now. That they can turn memory into motivation, and a shared joke into a statement. That’s what I’ll choose to take from it, more than just the points.
