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After writing regularly about Dan Neil for four years and quite possibly boring Roker Report readers senseless in the process, this could very well be the last article I pen in praise of him, therefore I have zero intention of holding back or trying to be subtle. Why? Because I love him as a footballer. […]
7 days ago | 0 reads
John Wilson says… I remember seeing him ping his first goal for us at the Stadium of Light and running over to the section where his family was, and where he used to stand as a young supporter — a great memory for Dan and for us. He developed into being a proud product of […]
7 days ago | 2 reads
The boy who lived out the dream of every Sunderland supporter, Dan Neil, has finally left the club to join Ipswich Town on loan before his contract expires in the summer. What a ride it has been. Only two SAFC supporters have ever led out a winning Sunderland team at Wembley, and Dan Neil is […]
8 days ago | 1 read
After a defeat on Saturday, an injury to Granit Xhaka and the transfer deadline looming, there’s a packed mailbag to get through today! Join Martin, Gav and Andrew as they attempt to answer all of your questions. On today’s agenda: This episode contains a promotion for MedExpress. Visit MedExpress.co.uk to check your eligibility and get 30% off […]
8 days ago | 1 read
Roker Report were saddened to learn of David Young’s passing earlier in the month, so for our latest ‘On This Day’ feature we have decided to look at the context surrounding a game where the Sunderland defender excelled… Given the FA Cup exploits that soon followed it is easy to forget that Bob Stokoe’s initial […]
8 days ago | 0 reads
Ben McKevitt says… Arsenal’s home defeat to Manchester United has left us as the only team left unbeaten at home and we’re all hoping for a huge response to ensure the streak continues as we welcome Burnley to the Stadium of Light. In my opinion, the setup against West Ham was all wrong in terms […]
8 days ago | 0 reads
As Sunderland embarked on a heavyweight and dizzying pre-Premier League squad overhaul during the summer of 2025, is it fair to say that the addition of the experienced Bertrand Traoré for a fee that, comparatively speaking, felt like an absolute drop in the ocean alongside the sums of money we spent elsewhere perhaps didn’t feel […]
8 days ago | 1 read
Not everyone who writes for Roker Report knows each other; in fact, many of us aren’t even in the North East. A couple of years ago, two of our “silver foxes” (Lars and Kelvin) met up on the beautiful island of Lindisfarne, as it had become clear that it was a place that was close […]
8 days ago | 1 read
There’s a particular kind of anticipation that surrounds a young footballer on the brink of breaking through. It’s not the kind of loud explosive hype that accompanies a marquee signing, but something quieter, steadier and often more meaningful — the feeling that a club’s identity is renewing itself from within. Sunderland Women have long been […]
8 days ago | 3 reads
Welcome to another episode of On This Week, where we delve through the archives to explore the history of Sunderland AFC. Join Martin, Andrew and Kelvin today as they nerd out on: Get subscribed to Haway The Podcast so you never miss another episode of our free daily SAFC show!
9 days ago | 2 reads
There’s no denying that Saturday afternoon was probably as bad as it has gotten for us so far this season. We were, to be pretty blunt, crap. We’re allowed to be crap occasionally, though, aren’t we? No team is perfect. We were expected to spectacularly struggle this season, and yet here we are, sitting as […]
9 days ago | 0 reads
Mark Twain, the author of Huckleberry Finn, coined the phrase “lies, damned lies and statistics” — or as we used to say in my day job, why let the truth get in the way of a good story. We’ve had a sobering weekend, being put to the sword by a very beatable West Ham side. […]
9 days ago | 0 reads
As a football fan — and certainly as a Sunderland supporter — you often get a sense of how a game might pan out well ahead of kick off; a vibe that either breeds optimism or pessimism, and on Saturday morning, I have to admit that ahead of our trip to West Ham, I didn’t […]
9 days ago | 0 reads
Alan Brown is a strange figure in Sunderland’s history on paper. If you purely look at the fact that he was in charge during Sunderland’s first two relegations in the club’s history, you might be forgiven for looking at his legacy in a certain way. Brown’s arrival in 1957, however, came at a time when […]
9 days ago | 2 reads
Sunderland’s 1–0 win over Southampton was not a match defined by flowing football, slick passing sequences or attacking flair. It was defined by grit. By resilience. By a patched‑together squad digging deeper than they have all season. By a team that refused to be beaten despite missing key players, relying on a youthful bench, and […]
9 days ago | 1 read
Sunderland’s 1–0 win over Southampton was not a match defined by flowing football, slick passing sequences or attacking flair. It was defined by grit. By resilience. By a patched‑together squad digging deeper than they have all season. By a team that refused to be beaten despite missing key players, relying on a youthful bench, and […]
9 days ago | 4 reads
Join Chris, Martin and Ian Murtagh as they rake through the bones of one of our poorest afternoons of the season, as the lads went down 3-1 at West Ham. On the agenda today: Don’t forget to subscribe to Haway The Podcast on your favourite pod platform, and never miss another episode!
10 days ago | 1 read
When Sunderland beat Manchester United in a dramatic November 1984 Division One fixture few supporters leaving the ground at full time would have tipped the Lads to be relegated come the end of the season. The 3-2 success at Roker Park had been achieved on the back of notable team spirit and seemed to underline […]
10 days ago | 3 reads
Xhaka’s Enormous Influence The one thing that every Sunderland fan feared came true on Friday evening, as rumours swirled throughout the Sun’lun social media echochamber that Granit Xhaka would miss the game. That was confirmed when the lineup was announced – and in spite of travelling down with the team, the captain was missing from […]
10 days ago | 1 read
How Much Did We Miss Granit? The loss of Captain Xhaka for this game was a contributing factor to the disappointing result, but it was not the be-all and end-all in my view. The midfield in the first half just wasn’t quite at it, apart from the first five to ten mins. If Sadiki’s shot […]
10 days ago | 0 reads
Ciaran McKenna says… Brian Brobbey’s goal Another brilliant finish from Brobbey — although it did turn out to be something of a consolation goal. The build-up play to find Nordi Mukiele was terrific and so was the ball into the box. It was a class header from the Dutchman, but just a shame that was […]
10 days ago | 2 reads
Today, Sunderland welcome Southampton to Eppleton for a fixture that feels far more significant than the table alone suggests. On the surface, it’s eighth versus sixth in a mid‑season meeting between two sides who’vw shared enough history in recent years to make the fixture familiar, if not outright fierce. But beneath that surface lies a […]
10 days ago | 0 reads
I don’t think any Sunderland fan who watched that performance today will claim to be happy about it, but there’s certainly one or two ways you can choose to go with your reaction to it all. I’m choosing to be a little bit more reflective than reactive, I’d say, given that it’s not too often […]
11 days ago | 0 reads
Unfortunately, Sunderland didn’t turn up and West Ham did, with the Premier League strugglers scoring three first half goals to earn a deserved victory, despite a consolation header from Brian Brobbey. Join Gav, Andrew and Jonny as they react to a dramatic afternoon at the London Stadium. On today’s show: All of this and more […]
11 days ago | 0 reads
Robin Roefs: 6/10 Didn’t do anything wrong today, had a good attempt to save all three goals and generally did well. Nordi Mukiele: 6/10 Had a difficult time in the first half against Summerville and got beaten in the air for the opening goal, thought he battled well though and came back into it. Ended […]
11 days ago | 0 reads