Newcastle have sent Tyne-Wear rivals Sunderland a fiery hidden message in the aftermath of their 3-0 FA Cup victory.

The two sides met for the first time in nearly eight years on Saturday afternoon

in the third round of the competition. Newcastle enjoyed a relatively

straightforward affair as a Dan Ballard own goal gifted them the lead.

Alexander Isak netted twice in the second period to ensure the Magpies’

progression. In giving their own take on the clash in their official match report,

Newcastle sent their neighbours a hidden message.

Each first letter of every paragraph of their match report revealed the letters SMB, UTM and HWTL. While difficult to

spot, the message is revealed as the popular Newcastle sayings: “Sad Mackem

B*******”, “Up the Mags” and “Howay the Lads”.

Following Saturday’s victory, Newcastle’s media staff got up to more mischief than

just that. They also posted a picture of Sunderland’s Stadium of Light, but they

had altered the phrase “Ha’Way the Lads” that was painted on the seats to

read “Howay the Lads,” the Newcastle version.

 

The post’s title, “We’ve been made to feel right at home this week,” alluded to Sunderland’s decision to transform its

Black Cats bar into a Newcastle-themed space, a move that compelled the team to

issue a dramatic apology and retract its original position.

Additionally, Newcastle posted a picture of the enormous Magpies supporter base during the match with the description,

“The Stadium of Black and White.” Lastly, following the game, the team posted a

picture on the Stadium of Light pitch to make fun of their Sunderland rivals.

Speaking after his side’s success, Newcastle boss Eddie Howe was left

hugely satisfied. “We enjoyed the occasion,” he said.

 

“It was nothing new for us and a normal day in the sense we’ve been playing

high‑profile Champions League and Premier League game this season. The

atmosphere wasn’t too dissimilar from playing at Milan or Paris Saint-Germain.

“It is a big win. The most crucial thing about this match is that we felt confident

again. We’ve had a difficult year and our injuries remain a major concern, but we

appear stronger on the outside. That extra set of tools had returned. Not only

did we win the game, but we also maintained a spotless record.

Newcastle returns to action the following weekend at St. James’ Park when they take on the defending Premier League champions Manchester City, following their matchup with Sunderland. They will also be closely watching Monday night’s FA Cup draw, which will take place for the fourth round.