Roker Report
Sunderland AFC's foremost blog and Podcast!
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The Wear-Tyne Derby: Bring It On!
Sunderland vs Newcastle is a game we all fear and dread in equal measure. Games against that lot from up the road are rarely dull, and the last nine years saw us drop to our lowest point. We’ve gone from losing at Bolton and Cheltenham to tussling with the best in the country every week. […]
On This Day (13th Dec 2014): Poyet’s Sunderland Stutter To Draw With West Ham
Whilst four defeats in sixteen games doesn’t sound so bad, the fact that Gus Poyet’s side had drawn ten and only won two games at this point of the season was beginning to become a worrying trend. After Poyet’s heroics of last season, where the team sensationally stayed up after being cut adrift for so […]
This Derby Is Ours: Sunderland Reborn And Ready
A lot has changed in the last 10 years – Brexit, a global pandemic, and Donald Trump being elected… twice. But the more things change, the more they stay the same, and after nearly a decade apart Sunderland are finally ready to meet Newcastle in the league once again. This then is no normal derby. […]
Derby Eve: A Lifetime of Red-and-White Passion
It’s derby eve, and a quiet sense of purpose and intensity has settled on me, as it has done many times before this game. I was brought up in Morpeth, in a house that was split between the Toon and Sunderland. I had good friends growing up who were every bit as daft on the […]
Haway The Podcast | WEAR-TYNE DERBY | North-East Journalist Mark Douglas On Sunday’s Clash
This weekend’s game between Sunderland and Newcastle is creeping closer and closer, so today we’re joined by a Haway The Podcast debutant – Mark Douglas, the Northern Football Correspondent for i News. He covers both clubs in the north east and has done for many years, so he knars his onions… On today’s agenda: All […]
Jermain Defoe – Sunderland Icon, Derby Hero, & Legend
I was already in love with Sunderland by the 5th of April 2015, but after that day, I was head over heels. I remember rushing to the Stadium after playing for my football team in the morning. It was my first taste of the Wear-Tyne derby, but I was already very aware of its importance. […]
The Battle Of New Year’s Day
As I was growing up, a lot of songs and chants which were commonplace around Roker have since disappeared. “We hate Nottingham Forest, we hate Liverpool too (and Leicester)We hate Man United, but Sunderland we love you” To the tune of “Land of Hope and Glory”, fans could obviously insert different teams to suit. One […]
On This Day (12 Dec 1995): ‘Newcastle United Have Got Their Sums Wrong’ Says Murray
Throughout his tenure as Sunderland chairman, Bob Murray always seemed to be driven – almost in equal measure – by a desire for Sunderland to do well, combined with a deep-rooted dislike of ‘them up the road’. To be fair, that’s not too different from many Sunderland supporters, particularly those raised in halfy-half places like […]
Sunderland Fans – How Are The Pre-Derby Nerves?
Cal Mills says… I feel just how I felt about the play-off final… calm, confident, and assured. As we’ve seen already this season, the quality of football we play with the caliber of players we possess has given the league’s top teams the runaround already. Everyone related to Sunderland AFC knows how much this game […]
Cheer The Lasses On This Christmas!
As the league’s winter break draws near, Sunderland Women will be looking to close out their 2025 with 3 points against bottom-of-the-table Ipswich Town Women on Sunday 21 December at Eppleton Colliery Welfare Ground. The Lasses, who started the season in good form but now find themselves 11th in a tightly-contested WSL2 table, are desperate to […]
Haway The Podcast | GUS POYET | How I Beat Newcastle (Three Times!) As Sunderland Boss
We’re really ramping up towards Sunday’s Wear-Tyne derby between Sunderland and Newcastle at the Stadium of Light – so, who better to get on the show than a man who has a perfect record as our manager having won all three of his games in charge against the great unwashed? Joining us today to explain […]
Sing Your Hearts Out For The Lads!
During the last couple of days, most of my time has been spent thinking about Sunday’s derby. I’ve been feeling nervous and anxious, hoping that we get something out of the game, but then my perspective changed as I realised something — it should be Newcastle who are hoping to get a result out of […]
On This Day (11th December 1926): A Day To Remember for Dave Halliday
Any day you win, score six goals, and beat Manchester United has to be seen as a good day out for a Sunderland AFC team, and this is exactly what they did on this day in 1926. In the fantastic book The Absolute Record written by Rob Mason, Mike Gibson, and Barry Jackson, the season […]
Poyet’s Sunderland v NUFC Derby Victories: Which Was Your Favourite?
Jonny Hawley: SAFC 2-1 NUFC, 2013 In a crowded field, Poyet’s first derby is right up near the top of my personal list – it’s no Richardson free kick, obviously, but I absolutely loved that game. I’d have just turned 15 not long before the match, so I was in that sweet spot in life […]
Fan Letters: The Importance Of Realistic Expectations
Want to have your say on all things Sunderland? Drop us a line and we’ll publish your views! [email protected] Dear Roker Report, As our season unfolds, I think we maybe need to take an actual reality check in what our expectations actually were before the season got underway, and now what seems to be a […]
Andy’s Player Ratings: Sunderland u18 3-0 Forest u18 – Black Cats Make FA Youth Cup Progress!
Joe Cowan: 7/10 He didn’t have much to do tonight and was really well protected by his defence but looked confident in his handling and with the ball to feet. George Bell: 7/10 Was solid defensively at right back, comfortably dealing with any rare threat that came his way. Charlie Forsyth: 7/10 An accomplished display […]
Haway The Podcast | CHIT-CHAT | Ian Murtagh Talks To Us Ahead Of Sunday’s Derby!
All thoughts are turning to the big one on Sunday, so who better to join Gav & Chris to talk through it all but someone who has covered pretty much every game between the two sides for the last 35 years – which can only mean Ian Murtagh! On the agenda: All of this and […]
Luke O’Nien: From League One Losses To His Premier League Debut
Look, even though he got stupidly sent off at the weekend, Luke O’Nien has fully cemented his legacy as one of the greatest Sunderland players. I’d even argue that he could receive straight red cards for the rest of his career and still not lose the love of so many supporters. Luke O’Nien’s Sunderland journey […]
Simon Adingra: The Ivory Coast’s Loss But Sunderland’s Gain?
Anthony Gair says… Although surprising, it’s not the end of the world for Adingra. The Ivorian can utilise this time as a massive opportunity to cover for any of the missing wingers; to get himself some proper Premier League football under his belt and be a real positive force for our push for the title! […]
Who Could Be Sunderland’s Difference-Makers Against Newcastle?
Anthony Gair says… Well, just to start off, I’m absolutely bricking it. I always do, and I always will before the derby. Our main threat against Newcastle will be down the wings, I expect. Hopefully they field Dan Burn and Kieran Trippier as I feel Romaine Mundle, Bertrand Traoré, Wilson Isidor, Brian Brobbey, Chemsdine Talbi, […]
On This Day (10th Dec 2004): Darren Williams — From A Black Cat To A Bluebird
Darren Williams eventually arrived at Peter Reid’s Sunderland in October 1996. He had been recommended by future Sunderland coach and manager Ricky Sbragia, who was at that time York City youth-team coach. Williams had a pre-season trial for Sunderland reserves, but with his contract finishing, a fee could not initially be agreed. Reid eventually got […]
Haway The Podcast | Q&A | Luke’s Red, SAFC’s Squad Depth, The Lasses & The Derby!
Welcome to today’s Q&A podcast as Martin, Andrew and Ant take on your questions at the start of a busy week! On today’s agenda: Thanks to everyone for listening and especially to those who sent in questions via social media, the website and by email [email protected]. This episode of Haway The Podcast is sponsored by LiveScoreBet, […]
On This Day (9th Dec 1961): Second Half Spike Seals Sunderland Success!
The respective signings of George Herd and Brian Clough in April and July 1961 added an extra dimension to Sunderland’s attacking threat for 1961-62. Their first full season saw the club put together a strong promotion push that made them the third highest scorers in Division II, but the increased goalmouth action was not quite […]
Our Writers React To Sunderland’s FA Cup Draw!
Ciaran McKenna says… I think we could’ve done much worse with the draw — a title-challenging Premier League team away would’ve been rather upsetting. Equally, a home draw against a lower league team wouldn’t have gotten the fans up for a cup run. An away game at a new ground with a bustling away end […]
Can Wilson Isidor Become Sunderland’s Latest Derby Hero?
If there’s one thing we learned during his maiden campaign on Wearside — apart from the fact that he’s got the kind of passion for football and transparent love for Sunderland that you can’t help but admire — it’s that behind the smile and the affable, happy-go-lucky exterior, there’s a fiercely competitive footballer and mentally […]
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