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Roker Report

Sunderland AFC's foremost blog and Podcast!

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Haway The Podcast | REACTION | Sunderland lose at Brentford

Well, thankfully there haven’t been too many of these to talk about this season, but we’ve got to show up when they do! Sunderland were well beaten in the end by Brentford, but it could have been oh-so different if we’d put our penalty away. Join Martin, Andrew, and Mike as they chat about the […]

Haway The Podcast | MATCHDAY PREVIEW | Brentford v SAFC | Time To Win Away!

IIIIIIIITTTT’SSSSS MATCHDAAAAY (again!), and today we head to take on Brentford in the capital. Join Gav and Andrew as they look ahead to Sunderland’s game… will we get our first three points on the road since October, will it be a fifth draw in a row, or will the in-form Bees put us to the […]

MLS

Match Preview: Brentford v Sunderland — Clash Of The Surprise Packages!

Wednesday 7th January 2026 Brentford v Sunderland – Premier League Stadium of Light Kick-Off: 19:30 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 the […]

Starting XI: One Change Predicted For Sunderland At Brentford!

After a couple of tough games – mentally and physically – we’re heading to Brentford without too many options to change things up. Will Regis keep faith with the team that played against Spurs, or will we look to freshen things up a little bit? Here’s how I think we’ll line up tonight. Goalkeeper: Robin […]

On This Day (7 January 1862) Sunderland’s First Captain, John Auld, Is Born

John Robertson Auld was born in Scotland in 1862. His early football career appears to have been fashioned playing centre-half for Lugar Boswell, a club based in the small Ayrshire town of Lugar where he had moved to with his elder brother to open a Cordwainer’s (shoe-mender’s) business. His determined and attacking performances brought him […]

Score Predictions: Can The Lads Leapfrog Hendo And The Bees?

Martin Wanless predicts… Score prediction: Brentford 1 Sunderland 1 Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Brian Brobbey Another game, another draw! It’ll be a tough game today – Brentford are in form and are coming in off the back of an excellent win at Everton. We’re still down to bare bones, playing a fourth game in ten days […]

MLS

Chris Rigg Is Exactly Where He Needs To Be

Want an illustration of how quickly time seems to pass by in football terms — or simply graphic proof of how radically things have evolved at Sunderland in recent years? The picture below was taken just under three years ago, during a game in which a ridiculously youthful Chris Rigg was denied what would’ve been […]

NFL

Haway The Podcast | ON THIS WEEK | 5-11 January | Albert McInroy and ‘Mr Smith’ Gets Going

Welcome to another episode of On This Week, where we take a look back through the archives of Sunderland AFC history. Join Martin and Andrew on today’s show as they reminisce about: Plus much more. This episode of Haway The Podcast is sponsored by ⁠LiveScoreBet⁠, a principal partner of Sunderland AFC.  For more information visit LiveScoreBet.com […]

‘A Tale Of Two Captains’ — The International Brigade

Written By Former Sunderland Midfielder, Kieron Brady The name Raich Carter is firmly embedded within the lore of Sunderland AFC and the hearts and minds of its followers. A son of Hendon, he was the local lad come good – a one-goal-every-two-games inside-forward who would lead the club to league and cup glory in the […]

View From The Away End: Sunderland Dig Deep For A Point At Spurs

In his epic poem The Waste Land, T.S. Eliot remarked that April is the cruellest month, but I doubt he ever had to face up to three away games in six days at the beginning of January. At any other time of year the prospect of three back-to-back trips to new stadia within six days […]

Navigating the AFCON Crunch: Sunderland’s Tough Festive Run

This period of the season has been at the forefront of every supporter’s mind since the start of the season, especially with the arrival of so many AFCON participants. It is a tough portion of the campaign for any team, never mind one with six first-team players unavailable. The first yellow-card suspension line falls right […]

On This Day (6th Jan 1951): Sunderland Show The Wright Stuff In The Cup!

“Close, but not close enough” was the best way to describe Sunderland AFC’s relationship with the FA Cup during the 1950s. Having spent boatloads of cash in trying to bring some of the biggest names in the game to Roker, the club were desperate to get their hands on some silverware in return for their […]

Can Sunderland Women Continue To Find Home Comforts At Eppleton?

The question of where Sunderland AFC Women should call “home? isn’t simply about bricks, grass and turnstiles. Instead, it cuts right to the heart of what the women’s team is, who it’s for, and how seriously the club and the wider footballing world are prepared to take it. In recent years, as the Lasses have […]

Haway The Podcast | ASK DANNY | Danny Collins Joins Us To Chat Spurs 1-1 SAFC!

Sunderland managed to wrestle control of the game in the end down in London on Sunday to take a well-earned point away with them, so we thought we’d grab the thoughts of former Sunderland defender DANNY COLLINS, and to throw your questions his way… On today’s show: All of this and more – get subscribed […]

Matchday Musings: Sunderland’s Gritty Point at Spurs — Fightback Spirit Shines

Carrying our characteristic tenacity into 2026 earned us a hard-earned point against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City on New Year’s Day – proving once again that we could hold our own against the finest sides in world football. Thursday’s result was an ideal launchpad for the year ahead and for our trip to London, with a […]

MLS

Talking Points: Brobbey Becomes The Hero As Sunderland Grab A Point

Sunderland earn the fruits of their labours After a gruelling battle with Manchester City followed by a tight turnaround ahead of this trip to North London, it felt like a good bet that Sunderland might find the going tough against Spurs, and that’s certainly how it was for the first forty five minutes as the […]

MLS

2 Up, 2 Down: Brobbey Slams Sunderland Towards A Share Of The Spoils!

Gav says… Brobbey hits his stride I think Brian Brobbey has been really good recently and the goal he scored against Spurs was probably the best we’ve scored all season, although you have to give credit to Omar Alderete, Nordi Mukiele, Granit Xhaka and in particular Enzo Le Fée for their part in it, too. […]

Lasses Spotlight: “A Complete Guide To Matchdays At Eppleton”

Before we dive in, it’s worth saying clearly that this article hasn’t been written to push an agenda, to guilt-trip anyone or to suggest that “real” supporters must attend women’s football, as Sunderland AFC is a broad, passionate community, and people support the club in many different ways. This guide simply exists to help those […]

On This Day (5th Jan 2002): Reid’s Sunderland On Wrong End Of Cup Upset!

I loved the Peter Reid era. It was born out of a time when we thought things could potentially get pretty bad for the club. Roker Park was falling to bits, and from the moment we returned to Division Two in May 1991, we were just surviving to stay in it. After Denis Smith’s appointment […]

On This Day (4th Jan 1936) Sunderland Get On The Maine Road To Title Glory!

1936 was to be a magnificent year in the history of Sunderland AFC — despite an inauspicious start on 1 January when the team suffered a surprising home loss to struggling Aston Villa. It was a humbling 1-3 defeat at the hands of a side that would end the campaign by being relegated, and yet […]

MLS