Burn was speaking to UNITED, Newcastle United’s official matchday programme. Buy your copy from a seller outside St. James’ Park on Sunday for the full interview.
“Growing up, we had season tickets in the East Stand. We had two season tickets between three of us: me, my dad and my brother. The home games against Sunderland were class.
The whole area pretty much stops on derby day. Those are the days that are remembered and everyone speaks about. Whenever fans come up to us now, getting close to derby day, it’s always about how important it is that we beat Sunderland.
Everyone I knew was Newcastle, you could feel the excitement, the build-up. You could feel it in the city when you’re out and about. A generation younger than me probably don’t appreciate it as much because we haven’t had so many derbies, but the older generation like my dad know how it is. It’s life and death – and rightly so.
It’s quite hard to explain the derby for people who don’t live up here. It’s not like Liverpool-Everton or Villa-Birmingham when they’re in the same city. There’s distance between us, but because there are so few teams around us in the North, it’s a huge deal.
You want to be the best team in the North East. For a long time when I was growing up, Newcastle, Sunderland and Middlesbrough were all in the Premier League. They’re important games – but nothing is more important than Newcastle vs Sunderland.
‘I’LL REMEMBER IT FOREVER’
Alan Shearer was my hero growing up. I know it’s cliché to say but he was my idol. He was THE number nine for Newcastle, the captain, leading the line. The amount of goals he scored, that’s who you wanted to be. I loved that whole team, the Bobby Robson era. That was me, loving football, loving Newcastle – all the Champions League nights.
Gary Speed, Rob Lee, Nobby Solano, Oli Bernard, Laurent Robert, Shola [Ameobi]. They were all heroes for me. When I played on the back field that’s who you tried to reenact what they were doing. Even watching Newcastle games in my living room – I’d run out at half-time to the field to try and recreate what I’d just seen. It was a good time to be a Newcastle fan.
I’ve obviously got mixed memories [in the derby] growing up, we’ve had mixed results. It’s good, it keeps it competitive. The biggest one for me was 2009, I’d just signed for Darlington, and we beat Sunderland 5-1 at home. Shola and Kev Nolan scored – that sticks in my mind because half the lads at Darlington came from Sunderland and the other half were Newcastle. So it was a big deal.
To walk out at St. James’ Park, at home, in front of your own fans, knowing how much it means to so many people, all my family and friends; it will be special and something I’ll remember forever.
Everyone will be there. I think the ticket requests for the game will be even more than usual!
The atmosphere is so much better in the derbies, they’re the atmospheres you want to play in.
It’s just a proud moment for me, my family and everyone I’ve come across. I’m so thankful for the opportunities that I’ve been given.
I always say I’ve been very lucky to get the opportunities that I’ve had but at the same time I don’t think there’s been any luck in how I’ve taken those opportunities. Hopefully that will put us into good stead going into the game.”
Make sure to buy your copy of UNITED at St. James’ Park on Sunday, featuring:
“It hurt so much” – Full Dan Burn interview
Eddie Howe and Bruno Guimarães notes
Alan Shearer’s derby memories
When Sunderland played a home game at St. James’ Park…
A Special Day for Alan Suddick
High Hopes with Aidan Harris
Lasses target derby double
