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Sunderland AFC's foremost blog and Podcast!
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Latest Entries
From Rock Bottom to Europe — A Journey Worth Savouring
In the hazy, hungover afterglow of what was one of the best weekends any of us can remember, it’s difficult to know where to begin reflecting on what we’ve just achieved, but I think placing our European qualification in the wider context of the club’s journey is a good place to start. After speaking to […]
On This Day (27th May 1985): Arthur Wright – Sunderland’s Forgotten Half-Back Hero
Arthur Wright was an ‘adopted son’ of Castletown. He was actually born in Burradon, Northumberland, on 23 September 1919. In 1929 his family moved to Castletown and so began a Sunderland connection that would last fifty-six years. Arthur’s early days saw him playing for Castletown Schools and Sunderland Schools. He also played for the famed […]
Fan Letters: BBC Bias Can’t Spoil Sunderland’s Celebrations!
Want to have your say on all things Sunderland? Drop us a line and we’ll publish your views! [email protected] Dear Roker Report, I couldn’t believe that our game was on third last — incredible bias on behalf of the BBC. No problem with the first two games concerning the final relegation place, but our game […]
Luke O’Nien: The Ultimate Sunderland Ambassador
In the run up to the Chelsea game, I wrote a piece on here about Luke O’Nien, a player that’s quite simply defied the odds during his career at Sunderland. There appears to be a section of the fanbase that he’ll never win over for some reason, despite being the most committed and professional individual […]
Haway The Podcast | ROKER REWIND | Gary Bennett | Part 2 | Signing For Sunderland
Welcome to the second part of our look at how Gary Bennett arrived at Sunderland. Last week, Martin, Andrew and Chris left Benno hanging by the telephone, waiting for Sunderland to call – this week, we find out what happened! Tune in to discover All this and more! Get subscribed to Haway The Podcast so […]
Editorial: Sunderland’s Greatest Day
I’ve waited a day or so before writing this for a good few reasons. One, I was in absolutely no fit state after the match to write anything other than “where r u???” to my Uber driver as I stumbled out of the Baker’s Oven with some mince concoction, and two, I knew I’d be […]
Talking Points: Europa Awaits as Sunderland Dream Big Again
I recall the 2005 Champions League Final like it was yesterday. Not because of Liverpool’s dramatic comeback, or Jerzy Dudek’s penalty-saving heroics, but because of how it made me feel as a Sunderland-supporting kid – envy. Not least because I was surrounded by my mum’s half of the family (all loud and proud Scousers of […]
“One Day, One Game, One Moment”
Andrew Parrington says… Forced to watch from afar, the greatest moment for me was the moment the players broke their huddle after the match, after learning that we would be going to the Europa League. Like a lot of fans all over the country and around the world, I was watching in my Sunderland shirt […]
On This Day (26 May 1988): England Heartbreak For “Ower Gary”
Gary Owers was a brilliant servant for Sunderland AFC during the 1980s and 1990s, and many Roker Park regulars felt at the time that his skills deserved wider recognition. There were various rumours and links with big moves up the league over the years that failed to materialise, and somewhat unfortunately for a player whose […]
Sunderland’s Class Of 2025/2026 Are The Immortals
All my life, I’ve been searching for something, Something never comes, never leads to nothing… The opening lines of the Foo Fighters’ 2002 single All My Life (released, coincidentally, at a time when Sunderland were entering a major downturn that culminated in relegation to the second tier under Mick McCarthy) have often felt like an […]
Haway The Podcast | This Is Not A Drill | Sunderland Qualify For Europe!
Man. Where do we even start with this?!! Well, we’re going to try. Martin’s got the job of trying to make sense of it all and simultaneously making sure it was all real and trying to understand just what happened yesterday. Thankfully, he’s got a good friend of the pod with him – Jeff Brown […]
Haway The Podcast | PUBCAST | SAFC 2-1 Chelsea | Let’s Get Carried Away!
We only went and qualified for Europe!!! Join the Lads live and direct from the pub straight after Sunderland beat Chelsea 2-1 at the Stadium of Light to take our place in next seasons Europa League! All this and more! Get subscribed to Haway The Podcast so you never miss another episode of our free […]
Matchday Musings: Sunderland Reach New Heights On A Stunning Final Day
“Play the game, not the occasion” is a truism that’s often wheeled out by coaches, ex-pros and pundits when a club is facing a fixture that could potentially change its trajectory and open up the kinds of possibilities that many might not even dare to comprehend. I daresay we considered this approach ahead of last […]
2 Up, 0 Down: Sunderland Make Their European Dreams Come True!
John Wilson says… What an atmosphere! On a glorious, memorable afternoon at the Stadium of Light, the stadium was bouncing and my ears were ringing for most of the match. An absolute joy to behold. Everyone played their part and the Lads responded. Wow! Enzo Le Fée — he’s magic, you know! Every last man […]
Andy’s Player Ratings: Sunderland 2-1 Chelsea – Lads Qualify For The Europa League!
Robin Roefs: 10/10 Will be disappointed with himself for the Chelsea goal but has been unbelievable all season and rock steady today. Lutsharel Geertruida: 10/10 Had his flank completely shut down, didn’t give Chelsea anything, was good on the ball and we’ve got to try and get him on a permanent. He’s so good. Nordi […]
Haway The Podcast | Match Preview | SAFC v CHELSEA | Can We Get Carried Away?!
None of us thought we’d be in this position exactly a year ago at Wembley and we’re going to enjoy it! Andrew and Jonny join Chris for the final match preview of the season as Chelsea come to town! On today’s show… All this and more! Get subscribed to Haway The Podcast so you never […]
Starting XI: Is This The Team To Get Sunderland Into Europe?!
After last Sunday’s excellent win at Everton gave us a glimmer of European hope, we head into the season’s final fixture with the possibility of claiming a place in one of the European comps next season. Of course, it’s not in our hands completely, we just need to do our bit – which is win against […]
Fan Focus: What Kind Of Test Will Chelsea Pose Sunderland?
Earlier this year, Chelsea sacked Enzo Maresca, who’s allegedly set to take over at Manchester City next season. Is there any frustration over the way he departed and potentially knowing what was coming next? Not really. He never really connected with the fans who didn’t like his personality or his football. The frustration is more […]
Score Predictions: Can Sunderland See Off Chelsea?
Martin Wanless predicts… Score prediction: Sunderland 3 Chelsea 1 Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Nilson Angulo Well, it’s a shame the season has to come to an end really, but what a season it’s been, and it still could get even better. Chelsea have a load of good players but having watched them a couple of times […]
Match Preview: Sunderland v Chelsea — It’s The Final Day Of A Great Season!
Sunday 24th May 2026 Sunderland v Chelsea – Premier League Stadium of Light – Kick-Off: 16:00 Tickets & Match Coverage Tickets: Tickets are sold out. TV/Stream: Full live match coverage is available via Sky Sports. Radio: Full live match commentary available via BBC Radio Newcastle (not online) Don’t forget to follow the blow-by-blow account of […]
One Year On: ‘Til The End, My Bonny Lads!
The date is the 13th of May 2025 and the match time is 12:00. The unfettered noise and limbs in the Stadium of Light is ear-splitting and unprecedented. Dan Ballard’s goal in the dying embers of extra-time of a tense second-leg play-off semi-final has released a torrent of guttural emotion. It is the kind of […]
Haway The Podcast | OPPO PREVIEW | How Much Do Chelsea Fans Want To Qualify For Europe?!
WIt’s our final opposition preview of the season and there’s not many clubs who would claim to have had a more chaotic season than Chelsea this year! So luckily for us, we talked to Max from the Chelsea Unfiltered podcast to tell us all the goings on at Chelsea ahead of the big game! On […]
Super Sunday for Sunderland
Every time I think about Sunday, my stomach lurches. Normally when thinking ahead to a big game, this is with nerves or apprehension, but instead it is with excitement. It isn’t often that we as Sunderland fans find ourselves in such a positive situation. Victory, combined with other results, could result in the club’s first […]
The Merry Merry Month of May!
This time of year has been an enjoyable one for Sunderland fans in recent years, and 24 May 2025 at Wembley was the most significant day in the club’s history for more than fifty years. In the sunshine and warmth, we watched with dismay as Sheffield United put themselves ahead through Tyrese Campbell. Moments later, […]
Régis Le Bris Is Sunderland’s Tactician Supreme!
A team that collects twenty two points from losing positions in a competition as challenging as a near-full season in the Premier League doesn’t do it accidentally. Rightly lauded throughout the season, much has been made of the collective fighting spirit of this Sunderland squad, often coming from a goal or two down to win […]
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