Newcastle vs Sunderland halted for alleged racist abuse of Lutsharel Geertruida | OneFootball

The Tyne-Wear derby between Newcastle and Sunderland was briefly halted after allegations of racist abuse from the crowd towards Sunderland defender Lutsharel Geertruida.

Five minutes into the second half, the Premier League encounter at St James’ Park was paused by referee Anthony Taylor, who called both teams’ captain over to the dugout to discuss the situation with the respective benches.

There was already a break in play after Newcastle centre-back Sven Botman was caught by a high boot, for which he was forced off as a concussion substitution, and Sunderland skipper Granit Xhaka took the opportunity to run over to Taylor and alert him to the abuse of Geertruida – the Dutch defender on loan with the Black Cats from RB Leipzig – that had come from the crowd.

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Referee Anthony Taylor discussed the incident with both benches (Getty Images)

The game was stopped for three minutes, in line with the competition’s on-field anti-discrimination protocol, and only resumed after Taylor had spoken to Geertruida, Xhaka and both teams’ benches.

The Premier League quickly released a statement confirming that the incident will be fully investigated.

“Today’s match between Newcastle United and Sunderland was temporarily paused during the second half after a report of discriminatory abuse from the crowd, directed at Sunderland’s Lutsharel Geertruida,” read the statement.

“This is in line with the Premier League's on-field anti-discrimination protocol. The incident at St James’ Park will now be fully investigated.

“We offer our full support to the player and both clubs. Racism has no place in our game or anywhere in society. We will continue to work with stakeholders and authorities to ensure our stadiums are an inclusive and welcoming environment for all.”

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Lutsharel Geertruida could ultimately celebrate a Sunderland win over their bitter rivals (Getty Images)

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe said in his post-match press conference: “We don’t condone racism of any form and the club will investigate.”

Meanwhile, Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris spoke to Geertruida after the game and said: “He is ok but it is not acceptable. It is important to report and manage the situation properly.”

The match was the first Tyne-Wear derby at St James’ Park since 2016 and the build-up was marred by violent clashes between both sets of fans outside the stadium.

A small cluster of Sunderland fans reportedly made their way to the stadium without a police escort and were eventually attacked after antagonising a large gathering of Newcastle supporters, with punches thrown and objects hurled in violent clashes.

Earlier on, the Sunderland team bus had also been a target for the home fans, with bottles and cans thrown as the visiting team arrived. Police were seen scrambling to put an end to the incidents and reports suggest the violence was over quickly, with just one arrest made.

“We are aware of a number of videos circulating on social media in relation to Newcastle United and Sunderland supporters goading one another,” Northumbria Police said. “In the main, everyone has co-operated and we are able to report that one arrest was made ahead of kick-off.”

The Black Cats went on to win the game 2-1 as Brian Brobbey grabbed a 90th-minute winner to extend Sunderland’s unbeaten league record against their bitter rivals to 11 matches, stretching all the way back to 2011 – the longest such streak by either side in the 128-year history of the fixture.