Sunderland apologizes to its fans for rebranding stadium bar in Newcastle colors for FA Cup game

SUNDERLAND, England (AP) — Sunderland has scored a spectacular own-goal off the field well before its FA Cup showdown with archrival Newcastle. The second-tier club apologized to its fans after a bar at the Stadium of Light was rebranded in Newcastle colors and banners ahead of Saturday’s derby. The Black Cats bar will serve as a corporate hospitality suite for visiting fans, but Sunderland pledged to return the space to its original state after a fan backlash. Sunderland apologized for “a serious error in judgment” and announced “an immediate review” to find out how it happened. Club owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus also apologized and said he was “disgusted and hurt” by the news.