Premier League: Why Newcastle and Sunderland don’t have away fans pitchside

Implementation would give both clubs a logistical headache, with potentially around 3,000 season ticket holders needing to be uprooted at each club to create the new away areas.

Both teams already cater for supporters with disabilities, with lift access available at both stadiums. There are also new safe-standing facilities for visitors inside both grounds.

Supporters travelling to the Stadium of Light were housed in the South Stand until the start of the 2011-12 season. But the club moved the away section with a view to improving the atmosphere inside the stadium.

A Newcastle City Council spokesperson said the council has maintained the current arrangement for visiting supporters to prioritise safety, with away fans being segregated as they exit the ground via a car park.

“The decision was taken by the club in order to ensure all fans can enter and exit the ground safely,” they said.

“The decision taken a number of years ago, was supported by the local authority and the blue light services as part of the Safety Advisory Group. It was accepted by the Premier League.”

Sunderland City Council was also contacted by BBC Sport.

Stadium of Light officials also take steps to prioritise safety, with visitors banned from bringing coins, vapes and power banks into the ground for fear of home fans being struck by falling projectiles.

However, it has been suggested by some that the exemption gives both clubs an advantage, with away fans set far back from the pitch, making it harder for supporters to make their voices heard.

With the rule only applying to league matches, clubs can house away fans away from pitchside in the FA Cup or the Carabao Cup. Manchester City hand the entire third tier of the south stand to visiting fans, for example.

Meanwhile, across Europe’s top leagues it is not uncommon for travelling supporters to be housed far away from the action – Real Madrid’s Bernabeu and the San Siro in Milan are high-profile examples.