Roker Report
Sunderland AFC's foremost blog and Podcast!
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Sunderland AFC’s Financial Rise: A Model Built to Last
Financial Stability: Last Year’s Foundations Last year, with the filing of the FY24 accounts, it felt like Sunderland had reached a crossroads. It wasn’t exciting, but all things pointed to a very well-run football club from a business perspective. It had established itself on a very stable financial footing (which I don’t wish to understate […]
Derby Day Is Looming — Bring It On!
It’s been a very long time since Sunderland visited St James’ Park — almost ten years to the day, in fact, since a 1-1 draw when Newcastle ended a six-game losing run against the Lads. A lot has happened in the last decade. We’ve been down to the third tier and come back again; they […]
Fan Letters: “I’m Not Panicking About The Mags On Sunday!”
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’ve just read the opinions on people leaving early — and it’s not just at full time. From thirty five minutes onwards, people head down below for their half time refreshments. It drives […]
On This Day (20th March 2016): Honours Even In Tyne-Wear Derby
In the context of how both teams were faring at this stage of the season, the 1–1 draw that was played out between Rafa Benítez’s Newcastle United and Sam Allardyce’s Sunderland was not beneficial for either team. With Sunderland lying in 18th position and Newcastle lying a place – and a point – below their […]
Haway The Podcast | CHIT-CHAT | We Catch Up With Ian Murtagh Ahead Of Sunday!
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… […]
Lasses Match Report: Last Minute Heartache
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 […]
Reasons To Be Cheerful Ahead Of The Wear-Tyne Derby!
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 […]
On This Day (19 March 1988) Another Ref Controversy – But Marco The Subject of Smith’s Fury!
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. […]
Fan Letters: “Should Chris Rigg Start For Sunderland vs Newcastle?”
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 […]
Andy’s Player Ratings: Man Utd u18 3 – 2 Sunderland u18 – Brave Black Cats Bow Out
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: […]
Haway The Podcast | Q&A Part 2 | Set Pieces | Habib Diarra | VAR
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 […]
An Away Derby Success Would Be One For The Ages
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 […]
On This Day (18th March 1869): Hugh ‘Lalty’ Wilson, Captain Of Sunderland’s ‘Team Of All Talents’, Is Born
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 […]
Sunderland’s Remarkable Return: Don’t Take It for Granted
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 […]
“To Sunderland Women, From Supporters Who Travel, Care and Believe”
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 […]
Lasses Match Preview: Can Sunderland Blunt The Blades?
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, […]
Lasses Spotlight: “Ruthlessness Or Realism For Mel Reay?”
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 […]
Haway The Podcast | Q&A Part 1 | SOL Atmosphere | RLB Future | Squad Depth | Injuries
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 […]
Lasses Spotlight: Katy Watson — Sunderland’s Newest Centurion!
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 […]
Talking Tactics: Brighton Defeat Exposes Sunderland’s Mounting Injury Crisis
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 […]
What Are Your Expectations For The Rest Of Sunderland’s Season?
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 […]
Derby Nerves: Rigg & Sunderland Ready for Newcastle
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 […]
On This Day (17 March 1987): Misery For McMenemy’s Sunderland At Stoke
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 […]
Talking Tactics: A Left Back Conundrum For The Lasses?
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 […]
Haway The Podcast | ON THIS WEEK | 16-22 March | Ref Threatened With Oranges | Leeds 67 | Phil Gray
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 […]
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