ALL the pride and passion of a North-East football derby is captured in a BBC2 documentary tonight.

The Close Up North programme Two Tribes recalls how Tyneside came to a standstill earlier this month as rival clubs Newcastle and Sunderland clashed in the Premiership at St James' Park, with a lot more than just three points at stake.

There is footage of the build-up to the game and its aftermath, as well as the fans' reaction after the Wearsiders came from a goal down to win 2-1, for the second season running.

The repeat victory thwarted the Magpies' hopes of revenge for last season's crushing defeat - the one which ended the reign of then manager Ruud Gullit.

Superintendent Graham Stafford is shown telling the pre-match police briefing that the North-East derby is one of those times when everyone is capable of causing some element of problem.

"It's not just the hooligan element we have to concern ourselves with," he says. "We've seen in the past that normal fans can behave extremely badly because of the emotions that run with this particular game".

One fan featured is so obsessed with the Black Cats that he has changed his name to Gary Sunderland FC Lamb.

"It's not just a game of football. It is Sunderland Football Club and it is life.

"I've got a little saying which I actually use - Sunderland AFC - it's a way of life to the faithful," he says.

Magpies fan Peter Caine says his love for Newcastle FC is only rivalled by his hatred for Sunderland. That extends to a refusal to wear anything red or even eat tomatoes because of their colour. "I don't have anything red in my life - better dead than red," he says.

The programme attempts to find out why this particular match causes such rivalry. Local historian Andrew Clark traces the answer back to the 17th Century when Newcastle supported Charles I and the Royalist cause, while Sunderland sided with Oliver Cromwell and the Roundheads.

"Later, as football developed in the 19th Century it became the natural outlet for this rivalry to develop," he says.

He recalls one incident in 1901 when a match had to be abandoned before the kick-off after 70,000 fans tried to cram into St James' Park, which had a capacity of only 3,500. Crowds spilled on to the pitch and prevented play.

l Close Up North is on BBC2 at 7.30pm