The 2023 edition of the Great North Run in England was dominated by the hype around it being the final marathon race of Sir Mo Farah, but it also involved some hilarious moments involving Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe and Sunderland fans.
The Great North Run, which is the largest half marathon in the world, had some memorable moments in the latest edition. Of course, Mo Farah ran his final marathon and finished fourth, high-fiving fans along the way and making it a memorable one for the viewers.
What did Eddie Howe do in the Great North Run?
The organizers of the run also managed to convince Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe to fire the gun which signalled the start of the half marathon. A lot of viewers were, although, left confused by what Eddie decided to wear as an important part of the event.
The Englishman seemingly had an all-black outfit, which included black trousers, a black jumper and a black blazer – being deemed as highly overdressed in the sweltering heat currently troubling the UK.
However, Eddie earned a lot of attention after firing the gun and starting the half marathon, especially from the many Sunderland fans who ran the race. Of course, the Black Cats are the sworn enemies of Newcastle United and are having a lot of fun at their poor start to the season, in which Howe’s side has already three of their first four games.
How Sunderland fans mocked Howe in Great North Run
The Englishman was reportedly on the end of relegation jibes from the Sunderland fans, with one shouting ‘You’re going to get relegated Eddie’ at him. But that wasn’t all the flack that the Sunderland supporters had to give him after the race was started by the manager.
One Sunderland fan was even recorded sending a cheeky message to the Englishman as he went past him in the marathon. As Howe had his hands lower to give high fives to those competing in the race, one Sunderland simply refused to do that and shouted ‘Sunderland Till I Die’ at him.
That wasn’t the end of the mockery for the Newcastle United gaffer either. There were quite a lot of Black Cats’ supporters in the event and one Sunderland fan straight up showed him two middle fingers to make their feelings on the Englishman and his club very clear.
The Newcastle manager definitely didn’t receive any admiration from the rival fans, but other supporters have actually found this to be a pretty funny and likeable interaction. Some indicated that the fact that he got abuse from the Sunderland fans is a backhanded compliment and an indication that Eddie is indeed doing a great job at Tyneside.
Newcastle fans have also backed him up, mocking the Sunderland for actually being ‘below’ the Englishman while shouting all the obscenities at him – which could be a reflection of how the Black Cats are below the Magpies in the English football ladder as well.
Even though the Sunderland fans might’ve found time to hilariously mock Howe in the race, the manager will ultimately have the last laugh – as he’s primed to guide Newcastle United to the Champions League and face European elite teams like PSG and Inter Milan – whom the Black Cats have never met at the highest level.