Sunderland have beaten Newcastle yet again – this time with their new kit | OneFootball

There’s been a lot to celebrate on Wearside over the past year. Not only did Sunderland finally return to the Premier League after going to Hell (well, League One) and back, but they went on to claim the bragging rights over their biggest rivals.

Sunderland’s double over Newcastle in the Tyne-Wear derby, with a 1-0 win at home and 2-1 win away, went some way to ensuring the Black Cats finished above their rivals, even qualifying for Europe by the end of it all.

And now Sunderland have beaten Newcastle again before the new season has even started: in the battle of the kits.

One of the later launches among the Premier League, Sunderland’s effort is worth the wait. Their new home strip looks like an instant classic, paying homage to their FA Cup win in 1937, which they will celebrate the 90th anniversary of this season.

Where so many kits try to capture a retro vibe and fail, Sunderland’s hits the mark.

In contrast, Newcastle’s home kit this season is a horror show.

Of course, Toon fans wouldn’t want to swap black stripes for red stripes. But they would prefer those black stripes to be placed alongside the familiarity of white stripes – and not the weird, barcode-style pattern they’ve ended up with.

It’s a genuine contender for the worst kit in the Premier League this season. It’s a genuine contender for the worst kit in Premier League history.

It’s definitely worse than Sunderland’s, which looks classy and is rooted in history.

As Sunderland explain in their launch: “The current SAFC crest sits within a shield, proudly displayed on the chest, while the exterior back of neck detail showcases the original city crest that adorned the 1937 shirt.

“In another nod to the heroes of 1937, the inner back of the neck details the starting XI from that famous day out at Wembley, when Sunderland triumphed in front of 93,495 spectators.

“A homage to the FA Cup itself, a subtle jacquard pattern runs across the shirt, a monogram letter S created using the handles of the cup for that extra level of detail, with red hummel chevrons proudly sitting on the shoulders.”

For Newcastle, the best it got for heritage in their announcement was: “On the back of the neck sits a magpie, a subtle nod to our heritage and home.” Fantastic.

Instead, the self-dubbed “future-thinking and progressive” Adidas effort was exalted for its “fresh, new take on the black‑and‑white stripes.”

Nope, we’re not having it. There are some things you don’t mess with.

It’s just as well it was Sunderland, and not Newcastle, qualifying for Europe this season. We know which shirt deserves to be aired more.