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Roker Report

Sunderland AFC's foremost blog and Podcast!

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Matchday Musings: Honours Even As Gillett Shafts Sunderland Again

When trying to sum a game of this nature up — an affair during which an injury-wracked Sunderland performed with the kind of purpose, attacking intent and wholehearted approach that harked back to our displays in gritty encounters during AFCON — it’s tempting to use words such as “pride”, “passion” and “togetherness” as the Lads […]

Lasses Spotlight — Brianna Westrup: Sunderland’s Defensive Kingpin

There’s a particular sense of calm that settles over a team when the right defender steps back into the heart of the backline. It’s not dramatic and it’s not loud, but it’s something steadier, something that spreads quietly through the pitch until everyone around her begins to breathe differently. That’s what’s happened at Sunderland since […]

Refereeing Farce: Gillett & VAR Let Sunderland Down

I’ve never really commented on refereeing standards as well as VAR. I’ve never felt the need to. In the space of 65 minutes at the Vitality Stadium that stance has changed. We know that every club will find themselves on the wrong end of decisions, particularly the ones which are up for debate. When things […]

Starting XI: Four Changes Predicted For Sunderland’s Game At Bournemouth

Well, as far as bad days at the office go, Sunday was right up there, and the repercussions will be felt again at 11.15am this morning when the team news is announced. Jocelin Ta Bi, Norid Mukiele, Romaine Mundle and Brian Brobbey all suffered injuries that will keep them out today, alongside Reinildo and Dennis […]

Score Predictions: Away On The South Coast – Points on Offer?

Martin Wanless predicts… Score prediction: Bournemouth 2 Sunderland 0 Sunderland’s first goalscorer: N/A After predicting positive results over recent weeks and getting nowhere, I’m trying reverse psychology on the world this weekend by predicting a defeat, and no goals. We were poor against Fulham last weekend, so we need to bounce back with a display […]

MLS

Fan Focus: What can we expect from Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth side today?

After a run of 11 league games without a win, Bournemouth are unbeaten in 7 – what the key factors behind your upturn in form? I’d say it’s actually quite difficult to pinpoint what has happened specifically, the make-up of the team hasn’t changed too much and if anything we lost some key players to […]

What Could Sunderland’s Post-2025/2026 Plan Look Like?

Despite what happened against Fulham, I still believe we’ll avoid relegation this season, so maybe it’s time to turn to what comes next — and what happens to the “model” that’s taken us this far. ​We know the current model has two major parts: invest heavily in the club’s infrastructure and buy young (and often […]

On This Day (28 Feb 2018): Survival Is “Doable” Insists Coleman!

It took a quick glance at the results from the 2017/2018 season to remind myself why I completely erased this season from my memory. It was a nightmare from start to finish; so bad, in fact, that I would rather watch a film directed by Edward D. Wood Jr (once rated the world’s worst film […]

Match Preview: Bournemouth v Sunderland — Can The Lads Get Back On Track On The South Coast?

Saturday 28th February 2026 Bournemouth v Sunderland – Premier League Vitality Stadium – Kick-Off: 12:30 Tickets & Match Coverage Tickets: Tickets are sold out. TV/Stream: Full live match coverage is available via TNT 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 […]

Lasses News: Sunderland Women In Talks Over Majority Sale

I have spent the past year watching Sunderland Women navigate something that feels significant yet strangely quiet; a process that’s unfolded mostly behind closed doors but has the potential to reshape the future of the club in a way we’ve not seen before. It’s been a year of conversations, negotiations, pauses, restarts and the kind […]

Haway The Podcast | OPPO PREVIEW | What’s Gannin’ On Down At Bournemouth?!

It’s been a season of three halves so far for Bournemouth… or something like that anyway! First they were great, then they were crap, and now they are great again, so thankfully Alexander Smith from the Bournemouth Daily Echo caught up with us to tell us more! On today’s show… All of this and more […]

Can Sunderland Cope With Their Latest Raft Of Injuries?

Ciaran McKenna says… This isn’t really the news you want to see when going through a slightly rough patch, but there are definitely silver linings. Nordi Mukiele being sidelined is a real shame. His excellent defensive qualities will be a big miss but his attacking output is something that’s seemingly gone under the radar and […]

Sunderland’s Dip: Time To Roll Up Sleeves & Fight Back

If you lose three games on the bounce – regardless of who those games are against – there’s going to be a change in the mood around the camp. If the fans are feeling tense and tetchy, you can imagine that the players are too. The defeat to Fulham was demoralising, but not as demoralising […]

Lasses Rewind: “The Day Eppleton Lost Its Mind”

I still think about that Sunday as if it is stitched into the inside of my ribs, 18 February 2024. Sunderland Women 4–3 Lewes. Eppleton in the cold, the kind of cold that gets into your fingertips and makes you tuck your hands into your sleeves until the football warms you up from the inside […]

NFL

On This Day (27 Feb 1988) Promotion Push Suffers Double Setback With Away Defeats

It’s easy to look back on Sunderland’s 87-88 season as a positive one all told, and ultimately it was – but it wasn’t all plain sailing. Last week, I wrote about Sunderland’s 2-0 win over Brentford as Denis Smith’s team looked to cement its place at the top of the Third Division – a victory […]

On This Day (26th Feb 2022): The Alex Neil Reign Has Lift Off With Big Win At Wigan

‘Back to basics’ was the way Alex Neil described his approach to getting a victory at the DW Stadium as Sunderland cruised to a win against a Wigan Athletic team that had only lost one game in the previous four months. This was a significant win for a Sunderland side trying to get their promotion […]

Who’s The Most Technically Gifted Player We’ve Seen At Sunderland?

Anthony Gair says…Enzo Le Fée I’ll go with the easy one: I think we’re currently watching the greatest set of technical footballers ever to set foot inside Sunderland’s stadium.  Saying that, Le Fée is by far and away the greatest technical footballer I reckon I’ll see play in red and white in my lifetime. In […]

The Thorny Issue Of Early Stadium Of Light Exits

OK, it didn’t look great. In fact, it looked terrible as Sunderland were hit by a late Fulham counter-attack as they sought an equalising goal during Sunday’s chastening affair, with Alex Iwobi finishing off a slick move and prompting swathes of home fans to make for the exits, leaving a sea of red and white […]

‘Til the End, or ‘Til the 82nd Minute?

This place has a presence that can’t be ignored. They prepare for eleven men, they can’t prepare for you. The roar that forces the error. The pressure that changes games. The moment their belief cracks. They say it’s hostile, that this place closes in on you. You don’t just support, you interfere. Your attitude tilts […]

Haway The Podcast | Q&A | Mundle, Early Leavers, Sunderland’s Season & More

A lot of questions are being asked following Sunderland’s defeat against Fulham so we asked for yours on the socials and you responded! So Gav & Andrew joined Chris to attempt to answer them and anything else we could throw at them! On today’s show… All of this and more – get subscribed to Haway […]