Disappointment for fans set to watch Sunday’s derby at Westgate Road club
NX Newcastle no longer will be hosting a fanzone for March 22’s Tyne Wear Derby
A city centre fanzone gearing up for crowds on Tyne-Wear Derby day tomorrow has been called off, soon after announcing final ticket sales and with just hours to go before the big match. NX Newcastle – which has apologised for the cancellation saying it is due to circumstances “outside of our control” – had, as previously reported, promised fans a full matchday experience at the Westgate Road music venue, just down the road from where Newcastle United will be taking on Sunderland at St James’ Park on Sunday.
A special event there, building on the success of previous sell-outs, had been set to host plenty pre-match entertainment ahead of the action playing out on the big screen, with plans for wall-to-wall football anthems from popular DJ Danger Danny Routledge plus live sax music and a top Britpop band to whip up the atmosphere. Just on Friday, news was shared of a record 7.5 tons of beer having been ordered to meet Sunday’s expected demand.
Final ticket sales were also announced for the event, set to be hosted by Newcastle United YouTuber Matty Eltringham, with NX’s manager saying that the response to it “has been huge” and there had been “phenomenal demand”. But, despite hundreds of tickets being sold, there were reports on on Saturday of ticket-holders receiving email notification that the fanzone event was off and it disappeared from the venue’s website.
On Saturday afternoon, a spokesperson for NX says: “We’re sorry to announce that, due to unforeseen circumstances outside of our control, the Derby fanzone at NX will no longer be going ahead as planned. We know how much these events mean to supporters and we’re incredibly disappointed not to be able to host you for what would have been a huge day in the city.
“NX has built a strong reputation for delivering unforgettable fanzone experiences, and we never take cancelling an event like this lightly. Unfortunately, this situation was beyond our control and, despite our best efforts, we’re unable to proceed.
“All customers have been issued full refunds.” In its message to customers, NX added: “We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused and appreciate your understanding. We’ll be back soon with more events and look forward to welcoming you again in the near future.”
Those left disappointed by the cancellation could try their luck at a number of other venues. A round-up here includes other pop-up ‘fan zones’ showing the Tyne Wear Derby across the city which are either free entry or, on Friday, still showed ticket availability
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