Scoreline: Sunderland 1-1 Newcastle Tiote was given his marching orders by referee Martin Atkinson after just 25 minutes of Newcastle's derby fixture against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. In an attempt to kick the ball, the Ivorian international caught Black Cat's man Steven Fletcher and sent the striker flying. Yes, the studs were up but he barely touched the striker and his desire to kick the ball meant he was off balance. The challenge was simply a follow through and was in no way malicious. There was no jump involved and he did not drag his boot down Fletcher's leg. This was a typical case of Atkinson getting carried away in the derby.
NCTJ-accredited football writer with an MA in Sports Journalism. What Culture football editor. Write for the official Newcastle United programme. Former video reporter at North News. Featured and published in the Sunderland Echo, Shields Gazette, Mail Online, The Mirror, The Sun and others.
