FOR 363 days a year, supporters of Newcastle United and Sunderland are desperate to see their team win. Twice annually, though, the priority shifts to avoiding defeat. Sunday is one of those days.

Divisions as deep as the seams that have traditionally separated the coalfields of the Tyne and Wear are reopened once more. Historical rivalries are revisited and remoulded, ensuring that football remains at the heart of a regional identity that endures throughout the years. Families and workplaces are split, with relations and colleagues pitted against each other for 90 nerve-jangling minutes. Little wonder a draw is often seen as the best way of saving face.

Nationally, the Tyne- Wear derby might have lost some of its lustre following a four-year spell that has seen both Newcastle and Sunderland competing in the Championship, and witnessed an increase in the media dominance exerted by the traditional ‘Big Four’ and interlopers Manchester City.

Why should the national press be interested in one of the most passionate and fiercely-contested games in football when there’s another spat between Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger to report?

Live or work in the North- East, though, and in the week leading up to derby day, the significance of the game becomes clear.

It is not just a topic of conversation, it is the only subject matter on supporters’ lips. Last Saturday, Sunderland secured only their second Premier League win of the season. Steve Bruce’s first thoughts afterwards? “It sets us up nicely for Sunday”.

On Wednesday, Tim Krul suffered a miserable night as Newcastle crashed out of the Carling Cup. Chris Hughton’s first comment after the game? “The goalkeeper will be fine for the derby.”

Paradoxically, the less successful Newcastle and Sunderland become, and the longer their search for a meaningful trophy stretches, the more importance is attached to the twice-yearly meeting of the tribes.

FOR 24 hours, the derby is the be all and end all of both clubs’ season, but from a neutral viewpoint – if one truly exists – it is possible to claim that Sunday’s game is of more significance to Newcastle.

Relegation to the Championship cut deep, scarring a club that had long since seen itself as superior to its noisy neighbour.

Last season’s promotion eased some of the pain, but even the most ardent Newcastle supporter would struggle to claim that supremacy has been regained given Sunderland’s higher league position and summer acquisition of £13m man Asamoah Gyan, a signing way beyond the Magpies’ current financial reach.

Winning the derby would make a powerful statement, not only that Newcastle are back, but that in the eyes of their supporters, they are back where they belong, namely at the top of the regional tree.

Five home games without a win have dampened some of the optimism that accompanied August’s unforgettable 6-0 win over Aston Villa, and created an uncertain environment whereby many of the divisions that appeared to have been repaired have threatened to rip asunder again.

The coalition between board, manager and supporters has always been an uneasy one – in recent weeks it has looked like coming apart at the seams with the uncertainty over Chris Hughton’s contractual situation raising new questions about owner Mike Ashley’s long-term vision for the club.

The mood on Tyneside is volatile – throw a Tyne- Wear derby defeat into the mix and the already uneasy foundations will shift alarmingly once more.

FOR Sunderland, the challenge on Sunday is somewhat different. On the face of it, life on the banks of the Wear is relatively rosy.

The Black Cats are seventh in the Premier League, unbeaten in seven matches and boasting a consistency of selection that hints at an underlying sense of stability and calm.

They were the only North- East team in the top-flight last season; this time around, they are worthy favourites to cement their position as top dog.

Scratch a little deeper, though, and some nervousness remains. It is a decade since Sunderland won at St James’, ten long years that have contained multiple false dawns, but precious few moments of genuine achievement.

The current side has started the season well, but key questions remain unanswered. How long will Gyan tolerate his current position on the bench? How long can Darren Bent withstand the pressure of being the only goalscorer in the side? How long until the current optimism dissipates into a more familiar sense of unfulfilled promise?

A win on Tyneside would provide tangible proof of progress, an unanswerable response to the traditional barbs of inferior attendances and substandard recent achievements.

It would also eradicate any lingering doubts over Steve Bruce’s background once and for all.

The Sunderland manager spent his youth watching on from St James’ Leazes End – guide his side to victory this weekend, and he will forever be remembered as a Wearside legend.

SO with two days to go, the scene is set. While the rest of the nation feigns indifference, two of the proudest footballing cities in the country prepare to renew acquaintances.

Passions will ignite, identity will be reaffirmed, emotions will run wild.

And on Monday morning, the countdown to the Stadium of Light derby will begin.