Because the competition between the two teams is remarkably intense, Arema and Persebaya have to be separated into different region groups (east and west) in the league.

[3] On 23 January 1990, Iwan Fals launched the Kantata Takwa album in Tambaksari Stadium, the previous home base of Persebaya.

In the first 30 minutes of this concert, Bonek fans felt upset because the festival area was occupied by Aremania, which made pro-Arema chants.

In July 1992, Sepultura, a Brazilian heavy metal band, took part in a series of world tour concerts in Indonesia by holding a roadshow at Jakarta and Surabaya.

The Surabaya roadshow was hosted at the Tambaksari Stadium, the venue of the Iwan Fals' concert two years prior.

The rocks damaged the mirror of the bus, resulting in permanent left eye blindness to Nurkiman, Persebaya's attacking midfielder, that affected their ultimately victorious 1996/1997 season.

On 15 November 1997, Arema played an away match against Persebaya in Tambaksari Stadium, with the Aremania occupying the VIP tribune with a police escort.

[5] The deadliest incident in the Super East Java derby history occurred in Kanjuruhan Stadium on 1 October 2022, when Persebaya won Arema 3–2 at the end of the match.

[8] According to official police accounts, the tear gas caused the Arema fans to rush for the single exit point, resulting in a stampede and further asphxiations along the way.

[26] Indonesian President Joko Widodo instructed the association to suspend all Liga 1 matches until an "evaluation of improvement of security procedures" was carried out.

[31][32][33] As a response to their request, the chief of regional police defended its use, citing the threats posed by the rioters to the team's players and officials, however they also stated that they would evaluate the use of tear gas.

[39][40] Legal proceedings from third party organizations were also issued: the Institute for Security and Strategic Studies (ISESS), an Indonesian defence and security think tank, and the Indonesian Police Watch (IPW) ordered to dismiss the Malang police chief, Adjunct Chief Commissioner Ferli Hidayat, with further calls for dismissal of the East Java police chief Inspector General Nico Afinta in the ISESS side, and the request for Afinta to bring the organizers of the match to trial in the IPW side.

They will discuss to local football clubs and experts for suggestions, advices and commitments, re-assess the schedule and performing risk–benefit analysis.