Roker Report
Sunderland AFC's foremost blog and Podcast!
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Editorial: World Cup Woes, Fixture Fever & a Warm Welcome to New Faces
Despite really looking forward to seeing this World Cup get underway, I’ve struggled to get into it, in truth. The shite kick-off times have really dampened my enthusiasm. It’s Sunday afternoon as I write this and, at the time of typing, I’m yet to see a decent game. All the good ones have happened during […]
In Sunderland Circles, Régis Le Bris Stands Alone
As Sunderland AFC has evolved as a club, changed course and overhauled its playing squads as well as witnessing multiple ownership changes and glorious highs and crushing lows during the past three decades, the definition of what we would class as the “perfect manager” for our club has changed — often to a radical degree. […]
Shad Forsythe: The Man Behind The Sunderland Fitness Revolution
To prepare for Sunderland’s return to the Premier League, Kyril Louis-Dreyfus embarked upon a summer of sweeping changes which saw the arrival of a new director of football, fourteen new players recruited and a shakeup of the backroom staff undertaken. As part of the latter, the club announced in early July the arrival of Luciano […]
On This Day (15th June 1990): The Debate On Sunderland’s Promotion Rumbles On
The 2025-26 season has given rise to a future quiz question that might test the best of memories: which team lost in the semi-final and final of the play-offs in the same season? The answer is, of course, Middlesbrough. This will be added to a question that, for over three decades, has had Sunderland as […]
Haway The Podcast | There’s A Black Hole In Sunderland AFC’s History – And We Need To Fix It
Did you know that there’s a Sunderland AFC goalscorer who scored over 300 goals for the club? Susan Cox (nee Smith) played for SAFC’s women’s team from its formation in 1989 until 2001, and as one of the founding players from that era, she feels that the club need to recognise the true history of […]
Haway The Podcast | UNPOPULAR SAFC OPINIONS | Stokoe, Cattermole, Big Sam & Gareth Hall!
What’s your one opinion on Sunderland AFC that you’re a little bit scared to say out loud in case it gets you a clip round the lug? Well, this is a safe space where you can say anything you like… so, join Gav, James, Andrew and Kelvin as they got together for a pint at […]
Roker Report’s World Cup Diary, Part One!
Well, the football has started, and some of it has been good, right? A Mackem scored a worldie on Friday night in what was probably the best game of the competition so far — not that many of us bothered to stay up until 4:00 to watch it. Thus far, controversy off the pitch has […]
On This Day (14 June 1884): Raise A Glass As Sunderland Win On Tyneside!
Sunderland took on a Newcastle FA representative side on this day in 1884, and unlike some of the derbies that have taken place between sides from the two cities, the organisers hoped that this fixture would help unite instead of divide communities in the north east. The game was in the opening round of a […]
Scouting Report: Viery — From Grêmio To Sunderland This Summer?
In an era where managers like Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta have made left-sided defensive distribution a non-negotiable tactical requirement, defenders that can naturally open up passing angles on the left flank are worth their weight in gold, and Grêmio’s twenty-one-year-old starlet Viery has quietly put together a statistical profile in Brazil that should have […]
From Empty Seats to Wild Celebrations – The Brentford Turnaround
Cursing that I’d knocked my SoL coaster off the back of my desk, I had to scrabble around among a few other odds and ends that were “stored” there and managed to locate it, along with a match ticket that must have fallen off a shelf above. I was in the habit then of trying […]
Haway The Podcast | ROKER REWIND | The G Force — Part 1
On today’s show we look back at the origins of the G-Force – Eric Gates and Marco Gabbiadini – with the ultimate aim of answering the question, ‘was it Denis Smith’s greatest stroke of luck, greatest piece of management, or something in between? On today’s show, Martin, Andrew and Kelvin look back on Denis Smith’s […]
On This Day (13th June 2017): From Washington to Wembley – The Rise of Jordan Pickford
On this day in 2017, we sold a brilliant club protégé to Everton for the then very handsome sum of £25 million, including £5 million in add-ons. Although Jordan didn’t officially sign until two days later, the agreement had already been made. Potentially, only the recent sale of Jude Bellingham has surpassed that fee for […]
Europa League Dreams and the Hunt for an Away Ticket
With all the excitement surrounding our qualification for the Europa League I thought I would have a little explore of the chances of managing to acquire a ticket to a venue outside of these shores. Is it just football fans who obsess about grounds? I find there is something magical about going to a ground, […]
Scouting Report: Kerim Alajbegović – Sunderland’s Next Statement Signing?
Reports have emerged linking the club with 18-year-old Bosnian sensation Kerim Alajbegović – a player whose stock has exploded over the last 12 months following a stellar campaign with Red Bull Salzburg in the Austrian top flight, backed up by some exceptional performances to help Bosnia qualify for the World Cup. On paper, Alajbegović represents […]
Mukiele – Right Back or Centre Half? The Big Le Bris Dilemma
Since signing for Sunderland in the mad summer window of 2025, Mukiele has been a revelation. He featured in 32 of Sunderland’s Premier League games this season, some at right-back and some at centre-half. But where is his best position? He first came into the side against Huddersfield in the Carabao Cup after signing late […]
Haway The Podcast | THOMAS SORENSEN | We Catch Up With Our Former Danish Keeper!
It was a pretty small group of players who knew what it was like to finish in the top half of the Premier League table, and we speak with one of them today! Thomas Sorensen joins us to talk about his time with the clubs as well as this current Sunderland side! On today’s show… […]
On This Day (12th June 1976): “Oh Tommy Tommy!” Happy Birthday To Sunderland Favourite Thomas Sørensen
Ask any Lads fan of a certain age to name their top five Sunderland keepers and it’s a good bet Tommy will be amongst them. Tommy was born in Fredericia, a town located in the southeast part of the Jutland peninsula in Denmark, and started playing youth football at local clubs Erritsø and Assens before […]
FAO Sunderland’s Top Brass: “Go And Get Geertruida!”
Generally speaking, I’m not fond of lusting after loan players, lest I come across like a lovesick Take That fan circa 1996, desperately hoping that news of their breakup wasn’t actually true and that things could be worked out. As good as Yann M’Vila was during his brief spell at Sunderland, I always felt the […]
Sunderland, UEFA Rules, And The Makeup Of The Squad!
On the back of the club’s epic achievements from last season and securing Europa League football, we’re entering uncharted territory — not just for the lads on the pitch, but also for the fans. We’re facing a delicate balancing act in order to adhere to UEFA’s strict rules and guidelines, which I’ll break down for […]
Sunderland And Europe: A Balancing Act?
I’ve seen and heard a lot of comments since we qualified for Europe. From people on the outside of the Sunderland bubble, the consensus seems to be “Well done, but you’re going to struggle with the schedule.” While Spurs, Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace finished in the places directly above the relegation zone, Arsenal, Manchester […]
Potential Sunderland Targets To Watch At The World Cup!
With forty eight teams — including England —and twelve Sunderland players suiting up, there are already more than enough reasons to watch the World Cup, starting on Thursday in North America. That said, if you’re looking for more, a handful of players that’ve been linked with Sunderland already this summer (and before) will be in […]
Haway The Podcast | SUMMER PREDICTIONS | We Try And Predict What Might Happen This Summer!
It might be dangerous to predict what might happen this summer but we’re going to try anyway! Join Andrew, Bomber & Chris as they try and predict all sorts about Sunderland’s summer! On today’s show… All this and more! Get subscribed to Haway The Podcast so you never miss another episode of our free daily […]
Debuts, Dreams & Rég of the Rokers
Every debut carries a strange mixture of hope, expectation and the quiet suspicion that it might embarrass you at any moment. Mine has arrived in slightly surreal circumstances. I tend to write stuff (and even draw things) when I’m on the train from London and back for home games. Just for shits and giggles, for […]
From Wearside To The Big Stage: Every Sunderland Player To Represent Us At The World Cup
With the World Cup launching later today, and Sunderland AFC being one of the most represented clubs in the world at this summer’s tournament, supporters will have plenty of interest in the fortunes of our lads. Their involvement will add another chapter to a rich international history at the club, one that spans generations and […]
On This Day (11 June 1999) Spanish Legend Decides Against Sunderland Move
While the feel-good factor was definitely there as Sunderland clinched promotion back to the Premier League in style, amassing 105 points and blowing away all comers, that mood was soon to be dampened when Lee Clark’s antics at the FA Cup Final emerged, an impasse with Allan Johnston’s contract, and Michael Bridges’ desire to get […]
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