Clark regrets wearing ‘Sad Mackem B****d’ t-shirt that ended Sunderland career

The list of players who have represented both Sunderland and Newcastle is vast but arguably none have caused more controversy than Lee Clark. The man who went from local fan favourite at Newcastle to the villain at Sunderland.

Clark came through the ranks at his boyhood club, making almost 200 appearances for Newcastle before making the move to Sunderland in 1997.

After two successful years bridging the Tyne-Wear divide and taking Sunderland back to the Premier League, it all came crashing down when the midfielder was pictured in London wearing a ‘Sad Mackem B*****d’ t-shirt with Newcastle fans before their 1999 FA Cup final at Sunderland .

‘Of course, I’ve got regrets. It was like biting the hand that feeds you. There were no camera phones then, just the old disposable ones and a few cameras clicked and it came out a few weeks later. It made my position at Sunderland untenable,’ Clark tells Mail Sport.

‘I only played for three clubs (including Fulham). I’m very welcome at two and not welcome at one but you can’t change what’s happened,’ he says.

Such was the uproar that Clark never played for Sunderland again and he admits that for obvious reasons, he will probably stay away from the Stadium of Light for Saturday’s FA Cup third-round tie – the first Tyne-Wear derby since 2016.

‘The groundsman had to get me a new entrance into the training ground because of the Sunderland fans ready to lynch me and rightfully so! I fully understood their feelings because you can’t be doing that to your own supporters. I’d undone two years of good work with them,’ says Clark.

‘I’ve only been back once to the Stadium of Light for a Tyne-Wear derby when Sam Allardyce had his first game as Sunderland manager at home and won 3-0. Let’s just say that Northumbria Police weren’t too happy with me turning up at a powder keg game to light it up even more,’ he adds.

To the present and still, Clark’s love for Newcastle is clear.

He refers to Eddie Howe’s side as ‘we’ on countless occasions during our conversation.

The 51-year-old lives within walking distance of St James’ Park and admits that Sunderland’s own goal of covering a bar inside the Stadium of Light with Newcastle branding for the away fans has caused more than a stir in his circles.

From a Newcastle point of view, it’s fantastic. From a Sunderland point of view, it is disastrous. It is a PR disaster of the biggest proportion,’ insists Clark.

‘They were already angry that Newcastle fans were in season ticket holders seats due to the bigger allocation but I just can’t believe that a home club would allow an away club to do that. Never mind with a rivalry like ours. It wouldn’t happen when you go away in the league. You try to make it as difficult as possible.

‘For the sake of the hierarchy at Sunderland, they will want to win even more because if they don’t, this will get brought up by the fans again and again. There’s a lot of disappointment, embarrassment and frustration.

‘But there’s a lot of happy Newcastle fans because they’ve rolled out the red carpet for us. It made me laugh seeing the things on social media where they’ve edited the Sunderland badge outside the Stadium of Light and replaced it with a Newcastle crest in the middle. It’s all fun and games,’ he adds.

Clark himself never lost a Tyne-Wear derby across his seven years at Newcastle and after sealing promotion with Sunderland in 1999, the t-shirt incident meant that he never faced his boyhood club as a Sunderland player, though he did score the winner for Fulham when they played Newcastle in 2003.

‘I had a terrific two years there as a player but hand on my heart, it was so difficult when Sunderland got promoted to the Premier League. One of the reasons I couldn’t carry on was because I could never see myself playing for Sunderland against Newcastle. That would have led to a couple of issues professionally but thankfully that never had to happen. I made some good friends at Sunderland and everyone was terrific but they always knew I was black and white,’ Clark admits.

So it is with surprise that when Mail Sport asks for his predictions, Clark speaks in a measured yet confident manner.

‘I’d like to think that with our experience, Newcastle will have the edge over the young Sunderland squad, who will play without fear. When the draw was made, I would have said a comfortable Newcastle win and with the form, it will be tight but Newcastle will come away with a 2-0 win.’