Sunderland pay tribute to club legend Gary Rowell after sad passing before Newcastle United derby

On the eve of the first North East league derby for almost a decade, Sunderland announced Rowell’s passing on Saturday evening. In a statement on social media, the club wrote: "We are truly devastated to announce the death of the legendary Gary Rowell, who has passed away at the age of 68 after a long battle with leukaemia.

"Gary passed away on Saturday afternoon – 50 years to the very day he made his Sunderland debut – surrounded by his sons Chris and Peter, who accompanied him when he was inducted into the SAFC Hall of Fame in 2020. A moment and honour richly deserved; Rowell described this as ‘the best night of my life’."

And replying to Sunderland’s tribute on X, Newcastle wrote: "Rest in peace, Gary. The thoughts of everybody at Newcastle United are with the family, those who knew him and the wider north-east community who looked up to him."

Born on 6 July 1957, Rowell represented Sunderland between 1972 to 1984, scoring a remarkable 103 goals in 297 appearances. He is one of only three players to have netted a century of goals for the club since World War Two, with Kevin Phillips and Len Shackleton having also achieved the landmark.

Paying tribute to his former team-mate, ex-Sunderland captain Shaun Elliot said: "I remember jumping on him when he completed his hat-trick against Newcastle. It made him a legend.

"We played together in the youth team. We got on well, and I sometimes used to stay with him. Gary was just the nicest person ever. We got in the first team together and went away with England Under-21s. He was a great finisher, and he never wanted to leave Sunderland."

Another of Rowell’s old Sunderland team-mates, Peter Stronach, added, "My first recollection of Gary was in Under-15s schools’ football when we played against each other. We then signed as apprentices for Sunderland at the same time and became good friends, as we played in the youth team together. He was a lovely, warm person. He always had a lovely smile and dazzling eyes. He was a beautiful person."

Sunderland will look to do Rowell proud when they take to the field against Newcastle this weekend. Regis Le Bris’ side have been in fantastic form following their return to the top flight, with the Wearsiders currently 10th in the table after winning six and drawing five of their 15 league fixtures this season.

Previewing the eagerly-anticipated derby, Le Bris said in his pre-match press conference: "We have had good experiences at Stadium of Light this season. It was loud, and I expect that it will be louder against Newcastle. So far, the players have used this energy really well, to raise the momentum, to push, to change the dynamic of the game. I hope that will be the case once again.

"If we think that the game will be easier because we had the good start to the season, I think it's a problem. If we play with ambition, with energy, then we'll be ready to manage different problems. We have try to stay grounded. It's always a balance to find the right level."

Meanwhile, Newcastle travel to the Stadium of Light in good form themselves, having lost just one of their last six matches in all competitions. The Magpies are currently 12th in the league table and can leapfrog Sunderland if they earn all three points.

Speaking ahead of the contest, manager Eddie Howe said: "It means everything to me personally (the derby). I want to do the club, the city, our people proud. I want them to be proud of the team. I want to be proud of the players so that's my challenge over the next few days."