 In a region where there are only three major professional football clubs, it can also include a match between Newcastle United and Hartlepool United.The derby had increased importance in the late 1990s and early 2000s, as the only North-East derby of the season, since at the time Newcastle United and Middlesbrough were Premier League teams (while Sunderland was largely outside the top flight at the time).Both teams enjoyed a degree of success in this period