Roker Report
Sunderland AFC's foremost blog and Podcast!
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Andy’s Player Ratings: Sunderland u21 3-1 Norwich City u21 – Angulo debut but Ta Bi takes top billing
Joe Cowan: 5/10 Will be extremely disappointed with the goal he conceded, letting a soft shot squirm into the far post. Had a few shots right at him which he handled well, played around the Norwich press well but his long kicking was a bit suspect. Finlay Holcroft: 7/10 Was strong at right back, giving […]
OTD (18/9/1950): When Sunderland & St Mirren Came Together to Honour Andy Reid
Two days after a chastening defeat at home to Blackpool, Bill Murray brought his charges north of the border to commemorate and celebrate a man who had left a lasting impression on the people and supporters of both St Mirren Football Club and Sunderland Association Football Club. Andy Reid was honoured with a thoroughly deserved […]
From the Darkest Days to a Night I’ll Never Forget
Wednesday night was about far more than a football match. It was about the journey Sunderland and its supporters have been on over the past five years – from the lowest of lows to standing inside the Stadium of Light and watching the Lads win a European game. We’ve had a few reminders recently of […]
Kevin Danso: Sunderland’s Quietly Brilliant Defensive Addition
Kevin Danso has flown under the radar since joining Sunderland, in my opinion. A hard, dominant and motivated defender, he has been nothing short of flawless in what we have seen from him in a Sunderland shirt so far. When the link first emerged during the transfer window, I wasn’t too sure what to think, […]
Sunderland in Europe: A Night Shared Across Generations
The moment that will stay with me is not the goal. It is looking to my right and seeing my uncle, Ebbie. The last time Sunderland played European football, he was there. Fifty-three years later, so was I, standing beside him as the players emerged from the tunnel against AZ Alkmaar. I had spent my […]
Sunderland Are Back in Europe – And What a Night It Was
If someone had told me five and a half years ago, on the long trudge back to the car from what is now called the Toughsheet Community Stadium in Bolton, that on my 23rd birthday we would be hosting a regular European outfit in AZ Alkmaar, in our first European game in 53 years, I […]
Haway The Podcast | Q&A | Getting Emotional About Sunderland Winning In Europe
Sunderland are back in Europe — and they’ve already got a win under their belt. 🔴⚪ Join the Haway The Podcast team LIVE for a Sunderland Q&A as we look back on the historic victory over AZ Alkmaar, discuss the Europa League adventure so far, and look ahead to Sunday’s trip to Manchester City. We’ll […]
Sunderland AFC, It Was Always You
I slipped a note underneath the pillow of my seven-year-old, letting her know the score when she woke up in the morning. Just to make sure she understood, I added below: “We Won!” I went back downstairs into the living room. There, I sat quietly for a minute or two. The noise had come like […]
Haway The Podcast | THURSDAY SUPPLEMENT | Sunderland v AZ Alkmaar: The Morning After
THE MORNING AFTER THE NIGHT BEFORE… 🇪🇺🔴⚪ Sunderland are back in Europe — and what a night it was at the Stadium of Light. Now, it’s time to dissect it. For this special Thursday Supplement, Ian Murtagh joins Haway The Podcast to look back on a truly historic night — and there’s a brilliant story […]
Talking Points: European Paradise on Wearside
French poet Paul Valéry famously claimed that “the best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up”. Last night, all of Sunderland woke up; a sleeping giant woke up, and Wearside’s collective dreams came true. It was a historic night, from the bedlam in the town and the Roker End concourse pre-game, […]
2 Up, 2 Down: Le Fée On The Spot As Sunderland Edge Past AZ Alkmaar
Andy Thompson says… Enzo Le Fée steps up It takes a lot of balls to stand up and take a penalty after you’ve missed one the game before, and I thought Le Fée was excellent and busy all game, with his pressing and intricate passing. Glad he got the opportunity to step up and get […]
Matchday Musings: ‘This Was So Much More Than A Game Of Football’
Ok, I admit it. For a period, many, myself included, didn’t like Sunderland very much. He was the problematic bairn, the one you love out of inherent duty, out of moral obligation as a parent. And if your paths weren’t inextricably intertwined, woven by some greater power at play, then you’d probably have dropped him […]
OTD (17/9/1892) Sunderland Put Six Past Villa In Titanic Clash!
Sunderland kicked off their third season in league football as reigning champions, having won the Football League title for the first time at just the second attempt in 1890-91, with Johnny Campbell scoring 31 in just 24 league games, Jimmy Hannah weighing in with 17 league goals, and Jimmy Millar with 15 in the league, […]
Haway The Podcast | Sunderland Win In Europe | Reaction Pod
SUNDERLAND WIN IN EUROPE! 🇪🇺🔴⚪ THIS IS NOT A DRILL! 53 years after their last European adventure, Sunderland AFC have finally returned to continental competition. And what a way to do it — AZ Alkmaar at the Stadium of Light in the Europa League! Enzo Balls Of Steel Le Fee stepped up to secure the […]
Andy’s Player Ratings: Sunderland 1-0 AZ Alkmaar – European Campaign Kicks Off With A Win
Robin Roefs: 8/10 Made a couple of really important saves when AZ had worked themselves chances inside the box, early on with his foot when the Dutch side were one-on-one and then late on after throwing himself at the ball following a scramble in the six yard box. Nordi Mukiele: 8/10 Got up and down […]
Fan Focus: What Can Sunderland Expect from AZ Alkmaar
We returned the favour and answered questions for our friendly opposition – check out what Matty had to say about Sunderland for AZFanpage by clicking here! AZ finished seventh in the Eredivisie last season, but won the KNVB Cup with an emphatic 5-1 victory over NEC and reached the Conference League quarter-finals. How would you […]
Sunderland v AZ Alkmaar: Our Europa League Predictions Are In
Stats at a glance: Alkmaar (H): 16/09/2026 Average home goals predicted: 2.4 Average away goals predicted: 0.4 Confidence of Roker Report’s writers: 7.5/10 Predicting a win for the Lads: 100% Martin Wanless (Cautious Optimist) says… Score prediction: Sunderland 2 AZ Alkmaar 0 First Mackem to Score in Europe in over 50 years – Fofana A […]
Match Preview: Sunderland v AZ Alkmaar — The Lads Kick-Off In The Europa League
Wednesday 16th September 2026 Sunderland v AZ Alkmaar – Europa League Stadium of Light – Kick-Off: 20:00 Tickets & Match Coverage TV/Stream: Full live match coverage is available via TNT Sports. Radio: Full live match commentary available via BBC Radio Newcastle (not online) Don’t forget to follow the blow-by-blow account of the game on the […]
Haway The Podcast | MATCH PREVIEW | SAFC v AZ Alkmaar | We Build Up To Our European Opener
JOIN US AS WE PREVIEW SUNDERLAND’S FIRST EUROPA LEAGUE FIXTURE! Bomber & Ian join Chris to preview what is likely to be an emotional night at the Stadium of Light as we play in Europe for the first time in over half a century! Join the lads as they discuss what it means for Sunderland […]
Sunderland v AZ Alkmaar: The Tactical Battle Under the Lights
Tonight, Sunderland will take on AZ Alkmaar at the Stadium of Light as the Black Cats embark on their first European campaign in more than five decades. As we welcome De Kaasboeren to Wearside for our opening UEFA Europa League fixture, it’s worth taking a look at the stats, history and tactical details that build […]
Sunderland’s European Adventure Is About More Than Football
The excitement is building very quickly for the first competitive European game in Sunderland for 53 years. I haven’t shaken off the disappointment of the defeat to Arsenal yet; however, the quick turnaround for the midweek game against AZ Alkmaar means that the disappointment is certainly tempered by the anticipation for a huge night at […]
Starting XI: Is This How Sunderland Will Line Up Against AZ Tonight?
This is a huge day for everyone connected with Sunderland, and I’m sure the players are looking forward to this as much as we all are. I could write 50,000 words on what this means, the build up and feeling ahead of this game but it’s covered brilliantly elsewhere on the site this morning – so […]
OTD (16/09/1922): When Charlie Buchan Hit Four as Sunderland Go Nap
Sunderland had not started the 1922/23 season particularly well, and it was causing Bob Kyle, Sunderland’s manager, more than a little consternation. One win and two defeats in the first five games was concerning, but within those games there had been no great sign of a performance and a team beginning to gel! Sunderland had […]
There Are Worse Things to Do on a Wednesday
It used to be that when the fixtures piled up in the lower leagues, you’d squeeze a midweek fixture in, sandwiched between two Saturday 3pm kick-offs, missing the Champions League on TV to watch us toil against some nondescript seaside town. More often than not, that would fall on a Wednesday. For quite some time, […]
For Those Who Dreamed of Seeing Sunderland in Europe
Like me, I am sure that you have consumed every single fibre of content before the AZ Alkmaar game – whether it be articles in Roker Report, press conferences from Régis Le Bris and Granit Xhaka, or some of the promotional material from TNT Sports. It still feels very much like a fever dream. Sunderland […]
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