Sunderland AFC's foremost blog and Podcast!
Sunday is the 159th the Lads have taken on that lot up the road so we thought we’d catch up with someone who has covered most of them for the past 36 years – so Ian Murtagh joined us to talk about the upcoming derby and a whole host of other things! On today’s show… […]
about 5 hours ago | 0 reads
There’s something uniquely draining about following Sunderland. It doesn’t matter if it’s the men or the women, home or away, top of the league or fighting at the bottom – supporting this club is a guarantee of emotional whiplash. The highs and lows often come in the same ninety minutes. Tonight’s 2–2 draw against Sheffield […]
about 7 hours ago | 0 reads
John Wilson says… What’s keeping me positive is the fact that this game certainly won’t define our season — and taking a longer-term view, it won’t define the trajectory the club is on. Of course it’s depressing whenever we lose — and certainly to them — but our visit to the ‘Visitors’ is in many […]
about 7 hours ago | 0 reads
After leaving Wigan’s Springfield Park frustrated after a controversial refereeing decision had denied his team all three points – which came off the back of a controversial referring decision denying his team all three points at home to Blackpool the weekend before – Denis Smith’s regard for the footballing authorities wasn’t at its highest level. […]
about 7 hours ago | 0 reads
Dear Roker Report, Maybe it is just me, but I somehow do not sense this Sunday’s big game is causing the same anticipation and levels of anxiety as the one at the SOL and those in bygone seasons. Something just seems missing in the build-up, and whether it is injury concerns or other reasons, I […]
about 7 hours ago | 0 reads
Joe Cowan: 7/10 No real chance with any of the goals, although he may be a little upset at getting beat by the first and third goals, with them arrowing into his near post. Made one really important save with his feet when Sunderland were 2-1 up and was proactive from set pieces. Alex Lienard: […]
about 15 hours ago | 0 reads
Welcome to today’s edition of Haway The Podcast, and there’s somuch to talk about we thought we’d do another Q&A! Martin, Andrew and Ant tackle your questions, including: Is Premier League footy actually any good? Why are our set pieces so poor? What’s going on with Diarra? Is a DRS type solution an idea for […]
about 23 hours ago | 0 reads
As a general rule of thumb, I don’t tend to issue rallying cries without an element of conviction to back them up. Many of my Roker Report colleagues are far more adept at finding the sweet spot when banging that particular drum and trading in blood-stirring Shakespearean oratory in the process, whereas I prefer to […]
1 day ago | 1 read
Hailing from Mauchline in East Ayrshire, Lalty’s family home is deep in Rabbie Burns country. He first played organised football for his hometown team of Mauchline in 1887/88 and the following season played for the Ayrshire Rifle Volunteers. Season 1889/90 saw the volunteers change their name to Newmilns, amalgamating with Newmilns Rangers and Newmilns Star […]
1 day ago | 1 read
It’s almost a year to the day since we lost 3–0 at Coventry in a game which probably ended our hopes of automatic promotion from the Championship. At that point in our journey, promotion was a hope and a realistic ambition – especially after the positive impact made by Régis Le Bris in his first […]
1 day ago | 3 reads
Dear Sunderland AFC Women, There’s something special about women’s football and anyone that’s followed it for more than a few years knows that. It’s not just the football itself — although that’s increased in quality, intensity and standards of professionalism at a remarkable pace. It’s also the connection, the sense of community and the feeling […]
1 day ago | 0 reads
Another key game for the Lasses Tonight’a rearranged meeting between Sunderland and Sheffield United feels bigger than it did a month ago when the weather forced its postponement. Back then, Sunderland’s position in mid-table felt stable but the delay has changed the tone entirely. Portsmouth and Ipswich have found small but significant bursts of form, […]
1 day ago | 3 reads
Sunderland currently find themselves with little room for hesitation. Performances have been encouraging in spells, the identity is clear and the effort is unquestionable, yet the league table remains tight enough to demand sharper edges and bolder decisions. This is the moment to make choices that reflect urgency, context and the fine margins that define […]
2 days ago | 0 reads
Welcome to today’s edition of Haway The Podcast, and there’s plenty to talk about for today’s Q&A podcast! Martin, Andrew and Ant tackle your questions, including: Why the negative atmosphere at the Stadium? Is Regis Le Bris’s future in question? Is social media reaction a true reflection of fan sentiment? Is our squad depth a […]
2 days ago | 2 reads
There are milestones in football that feel significant no matter who reaches them — a first goal, a debut, first start and a first season as a regular — and then there are milestones that make you take stock and appreciate the scale of what a player has achieved. Katy Watson reaching one hundred appearances […]
2 days ago | 2 reads
Sunderland returned to the Stadium of Light to resume League action after a three-game stint on the road to face a Brighton side who were looking to draw level on points with the hosts. With a fresh raft of injury concerns announced just before kick-off, Sunderland were left down to the bare bones and Brighton […]
2 days ago | 2 reads
Gav says… It’s a really difficult position that we’re in right now, because the outcome of Sunday’s game may well ultimately decide where we go from here. As things stand, we are currently just three points behind Everton in 8th and four behind Brentford in seventh, which are probably the positions you want to be […]
2 days ago | 4 reads
I don’t normally feel the derby nerves this early into the week of a game, but I think that feeling at the pit of my stomach kinda sums up the place we’re in right now with Sunderland. Obviously, it’s normal to be nervous before such a huge game, but there’s so much uncertainty about how […]
2 days ago | 3 reads
When I started researching this date in history, I had to do a double-take at the newspaper headlines suggesting that, up to that point, the 1986–87 season had been anything but miserable. It is seared in my brain as one of the most utterly depressing, gut-wrenching seasons ever following the Lads. But studying the stats […]
2 days ago | 1 read
Sunderland have been forced into a rethink — not by choice but out of necessity. Louise Griffiths’ suspension has created a gap on the left side of the defence that can’t be filled on a like-for-like basis, and the coaching staff now face a decision based around structure, identity and the balance of the entire […]
3 days ago | 2 reads
Hello and welcome to another episode of On This Week, and we’ve got a load of good stuff to talk about today as Martin, Andrew and Kelvin once again take a walk down memory lane. On the show today: All this and more! Get subscribed to Haway The Podcast so you never miss another episode […]
3 days ago | 1 read
Is it all over? Is a player who scored an array of sublime goals en-route to promotion and appeared to have thrown himself wholeheartedly into life on Wearside before kicking off the 2025/2026 season in encouraging form edging ever closer to the Stadium of Light exit — or is there some form of redemption arc […]
3 days ago | 1 read
As football fans, we’re conditioned to react to results. Whether we win, lose, or draw, the outcome of the most recent match generally dictates our mood, our perception of the performance, and our perception of the general state of the club. And after Saturday’s defeat – our third successive at the Stadium of Light, not […]
3 days ago | 1 read
It was almost like the football gods conspired to create a season like this. When Sir Bob Murray kicked off plans to build a new stadium for Sunderland at the old colliery once the Nissan site had fallen through, it seemed a little bit ridiculous. Since relegation in May 1991 from the top flight, we’d […]
3 days ago | 2 reads
Ian Bendelow says… If you’re offended by any of the below and leave early – good. Because I mean every word. And if you don’t like it? Piss off and support Newcastle. Three years ago a survey was carried out to find out which club had the most “early leavers.” Interestingly, the top six places […]
3 days ago | 1 read