Believe!

The Tyne-Wear derby or Wear-Tyne, as it happens this time round, is a game played between two clubs who's cities are just ten miles apart. It's a derby that is as ferocious as any around the world.

The rivalry stems back to the English civil war around the mid 1600's where we chose to follow the royal's and the Mackems decided to fight against them basically. The two known as the Cavaliers and the Roundheads.

This rivalry has continued ever since with many other battles cropping up with the two of us supporting different sides obviously.

When football became popular at the back end of the 1800's/early 1900's, the natural tendency would be for the football clubs to be the two main focal points of 'war' and the games would always be popular with one game alone being abandoned as the 30,000 capacity stadium couldn't cope with an estimated 120,000 turning up.

This time, the ground may be full but there will be around 47,000 or so in the Stadium of Sh***, the rivalry as animated as ever.

The overall record between the clubs shows us to have the edge slightly and not including cup games, we have a 51-40 advantage in games won with another 40 drawn. Goals scored is 205-191 in our favour also, which is an average of roughly three goals per game.

As always,the form book goes out the window in these games but our Premier league record is very impressive in the contaminated atmosphere surrounding their buildings with only one defeat in our ten games there. We're a side that hasn't really clicked this time round but this gives the opportunity to crack on and with some big players returning from injury in the shape of Tim Krul, Fabricio Coloccini and Steven Taylor, we have a big chance to continue the form of the past.

I hate derby games although i love the feelings drummed up, you try not to get involved in the emotion too much, too soon but it's just over forty eight hours to go and I'm ready. Hopefully the players are too.

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