Newcastle Game With Be Special For Tate

Alan Tate says playing at Newcastle United next weekend will be 'a bit special'.

The stand-in skipper is a Sunderland fan and he grew up dreaming of beating the Magpies at St James' Park, recently renamed the sportsdirect.com @ St James Park Stadium.

Although beating Newcastle would be a great feeling for Tate, he says defeating our fierce rivals Cardiff City tops the lot.

'I'm a Sunderland fan so playing Newcastle is going to be a bit special for me.'

'When I was growing up I dreamed of going to St James' Park and beating the Magpies.

'It would still be nice to beat them but I don't have a problem with Newcastle any more.

In fact I want all the clubs in the region - Newcastle, Sunderland, Middlesbrough, Hartlepool and Darlington - to do well.

'Cardiff are now the team I want to beat most. Winning at St James' Park would be a great feeling but no way would it be better than beating Cardiff.

'This is my eighth season with Swansea and I now feel like a local boy.

'The South Wales derby is the big game as far as I'm concerned. Winning that was a fantastic feeling - the best of my career so far.'

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