It's no secret that Newcastle and Sunderland don't get on, but it's a shame that the north-east rivals are set to miss out on playing each other again next season.

Newcastle were relegated from the Premier League last season meaning that there would be no north-east derby this term.

Despite winning the Championship on the final day of the campaign and thus returning to the top flight, there will be no local derby next season as Sunderland and even Middlesbrough have both been relegated.

Despite the bad blood that goes back decades and decades, the fans have united over one thing recently.

Bradley Lowery. The brave little five-year-old who has battled Neuroblastoma - a form of cancer - since he was 18 months old.

His parents revealed that the huge Sunderland fan may not have too long left and doctors believe he only has a few options remaining, none of which will conclusively cure him.

Fans of the Black Cats flew a banner of Newcastle's home, St James' Park, last season that read “Auf Wiedersehen Prem,” which translates to "Goodbye Prem" from German.

It was thought the Newcastle fans were going to give Sunderland supporters a taste of their own medicine this time around, but nothing could be further from the truth.

The banner read flew over the Stadium of Light during the first half of their defeat to Swansea and read: "United by cancer, divided by leagues."

It is understood to have nearly 6,000 for Lowery and Frankie Sherwood and Hope Feeney, two other youngsters battling cancer.

A message posted to Bradley’s campaign Facebook page supported the plan: "So it appears there has been a lot of controversy about the banner that is getting flown over the SOL today. "I would just like to say we don’t feel the banner is offensive or insensitive, I can understand why some people feel it is not appropriate.

"However the only thing we thought of when we heard about the banner is it was very thoughtful of people to want to raise awareness and raise funds for Bradley, Frankie and Hope.”