ENGLAND IN EUROPE

For Sunderland supporters, one truth is obvious: no one on Wearside would ever cheer for Newcastle in Europe. The rivalry runs too deep, too bitter, too defining. But the question becomes more complicated when we look beyond the Tyne–Wear divide. Where do Sunderland fans stand when it comes to clubs like Liverpool or Arsenal playing abroad? And more broadly, when did English fans stop backing each other in Europe?

In the 1960s and early 1970s, there was still a sense of national pride when English clubs went abroad. Leeds, Liverpool, and Manchester United all reported neutral support from fans of other clubs when they played in Europe. The idea was simple: if an English side was in a European final, it was “good for the country.”

By the late 1970s and into the 1980s, that solidarity had eroded. Rivalries deepened, hooliganism scarred the reputation of English fans, and the Heysel disaster in 1985 — which led to a five‑year ban from Europe — hardened attitudes further. Supporting “England in Europe” became less important than seeing your rivals fail.

The Premier League era intensified this. Club identity became stronger than national solidarity. Arsenal fans rarely want Spurs to succeed, United fans don’t want Liverpool to win, and so on. The rivalries run too deep, and European success for a rival is seen as a threat to your own club’s prestige.

For Sunderland fans, the rivalry with Newcastle is absolute. But when Liverpool or Arsenal are in Europe, the answer isn’t uniform. Some Sunderland supporters might respect their history or enjoy seeing an English side win abroad, while others see those clubs as part of the Premier League elite they feel detached from. The truth is that Sunderland fans, like many across the country, measure success more by rivals’ failures than by national pride.

Further down the pyramid, fans often feel little connection to Premier League clubs in Europe. Research into lower‑league culture shows that supporters emphasise authenticity, community, and local loyalty. For many, watching Liverpool or Arsenal in the Champions League is no different than watching Real Madrid or Bayern Munich — it’s entertainment, not identity.

So was it gradual? Yes. The shift from national solidarity to entrenched rivalry was shaped by hooliganism in the 1980s, the European ban, and then the Premier League’s globalisation. Today, most fans measure success by their rivals’ failures rather than by English clubs’ collective achievements abroad.

For Sunderland, the rivalry with Newcastle makes the answer easy. When it comes to other teams, it’s more complicated — and perhaps that says more about modern football than anything else.