Tees–Wear derby

The Tees–Wear derby is a footballlocal derby contested between Middlesbrough F.C. and Sunderland A.F.C. who are separated by 2 rivers and 23 miles (direct), in the North East of England. It is the oldest competitive football derby fixture in the North East.

Broadly, Sunderland fans based in the City of Sunderland and further north towards Tyneside focus most of their attention on Newcastle United. Middlesbrough is not considered a major rival in these areas primarily due to the increased distance from Teesside, and the lack of regular interaction with Teessiders. The rivalry of the Tees–Wear derby, however, is much more intense and evenly balanced in southern County Durham, where fans of both clubs live and work close together and interact regularly. There is also an increased feeling of rivalry between fans of older generations who experienced greater crowd troubles between the two clubs during the 1970s and 1980s when British football hooliganism was at its highest levels.