Sunderland AFC's foremost blog and Podcast!
Between October and March, Sunderland endured plenty of travel sickness; after Christmas in particular, we lost comfortably on several occasions without ever really laying a glove on our hosts. Our poor run on the road was never a real cause for concern — although the 3-1 loss to West Ham in January was abysmal on […]
How much euphoria can one fanbase take in less than a year? Quite a lot, as it turns out, and after a dramatic latest edition of the Wear-Tyne derby, what was once a trio of unforgettable Sunderland moments is now a quartet — the likes of which we’ll doubtless look back on with increasing fondness […]
What a time for an extended international break. Anyone who regularly listens to the podcast will no doubt have been bored of me banging on about how crap international breaks are – but not on this occasion. Safe in the knowledge that our performance couldn’t be dented or diluted by the next fixture for three […]
It was a fairly strange way to get promoted, thinking back. Finding out on teletext what the Football Association’s final decision was regarding Swindon Town. Especially after following the most comprehensive 1-0 defeat I’ve ever witnessed in the play-off final at Wembley. It then got to the next level of weird when Ron Atkinson turned […]
The walk up to the Stadium of Light felt different. Well, it was different as I crossed over the Keel Crossing for the first time — but the game carried a weight that settled into people’s steps and conversations, a sense that this wasn’t just another fixture on a long calendar. The men had done […]
There’s been eleven derby wins in the Stadium of Light era and we rank all of them! In this part one we begin in 1999 and cover the first six! Let us know your memories of these days! On today’s show… All this and more! Get subscribed to Haway The Podcast so you never miss […]
Games like today cannot be understated. The passion, the raw undiluted energy and the cacophony of noise that erupts from the stands of Derby are like none other. Whilst this may not be men’s football, the animosity, hatred and vitriol between Sunderland Women and Newcastle Women is just as palpable as it is with the […]
The start of the 1980s was a time of great promise at Roker Park, yet the second half of the decade was to see Sunderland slide into oblivion. Promoted in 1980 and with a promising squad full of youthful talent being cultivated in the years that followed, it seemed for a while as if the […]
Ben McKevitt says… There are a lot of bases to cover in terms of recruitment. Of course, we primarily look at the incomings but due to the position of the club right now and the way we want to operate, there’ll also be a lot of noise around outgoings this summer. The club did an […]
It’s been one week since Sunderland beat Newcastle, and what a week it has been. I’m not really sure when the buzz will end, but I still haven’t gotten bored with watching all the content surrounding the game. The highlights, the goals, the fan footage, the crying mags… It’s all still absolutely brilliant. I suppose […]
Want to have your say on all things Sunderland? Drop us a line and we’ll publish your views! [email protected] Dear HTP team, Just wanted to start by saying how fantastic the pre and post Derby coverage had been. Having soaked it all in and watched every angle of every joyous moment, I just wanted to […]
Good morning! Because we’re in the thick of the international break we’ve got no Sunderland match today (boo….), Gav and Andrew are joined by Connor Bromley to mull over all the latest news in the world of Sunderland AFC, including… All this and more! Get subscribed to Haway The Podcast so you never miss another […]
In what will always be remembered as ‘that play-off final’ – the epic 4–4 draw with Charlton Athletic and the subsequent penalty defeat – the 1997/98 season was, or so very nearly, a wonderful year for SAFC. As part of a powerful run-in to the end of the season, we played Bury at the Stadium […]
Alex Charlton says… I grew up thinking that Sunderland would never play European football in my lifetime, so for this to even be a topic is astounding and a testament to how far this club has come over a short period of time. Are we ready for it? At this moment in time I would […]
Sunderland’s outstanding performance in their first season back in the Premier League has multiple components. Many of them revolve around the carefully curated crop of players who were signed after promotion from the Championship was secured. You can take your pick from a list which includes Granit Xhaka, Robin Roefs, Omar Alderete, Reinildo, Noah Sadiki, […]
Derby day Q&A was only half of what you lovely people sent in, so we got together again to answer the rest of your questions! On today’s show… All this and more! Get subscribed to Haway The Podcast so you never miss another episode of our free daily show. Want to get in touch with […]
Despite calming what appeared to be choppy waters for Sunderland AFC during the 1993/1994 season, Mick Buxton’s success in shoring up the defence and making the team difficult to beat would ultimately be his undoing the following season as his uninspiring style of play left many fans disillusioned with the direction of the team. Buxton’s […]
Ciaran McKenna says… In terms of derby victories, I’ve been rather spoilt; in fact, I was only three years of age the last time we tasted defeat in a clash against them. Despite that, the majority of our wins between 2011 and 2015 aren’t really stuck in my mind. Even though I’m sure I would’ve […]
The frustrating thing is, in my opinion, they’re not even a very good team compared to us. We shouldn’t lose to them. Thus spoke Mr Anthony Gordon after Newcastle’s latest derby defeat. The red and white media has been full to the brim these past few days, featuring clips from the past made by Mags’ […]
Boos rang around St James’ Park shortly before 2:00pm as we triumphed on Tyneside once again. During the second half, the Lads were magnificent and overall, apart from a sloppy first fifteen minutes, we were by far the better team. With several first-team players out, our defence was patched up and after conceding early, it […]
Whilst the international break is upon us, winning against Newcastle allows us not only to gloat – and a lot – but also to chat about some of the other cool things going on around the city. Kevin Johnston – ward councillor for Copt Hill and a massive Lads fan – joins Gav and Andrew […]
Just close your eyes and remember… Big Sam’s first home game in 2015. Jermain Defoe’s volley past Tim Krul. Niall Quinn’s equaliser; Eric Gates’ through ball and Marco Gabbiadini’s finish, Fabio Borini’s perfect penalty and George Holley’s hat trick. A last-minute winner in 2014. Gary Rowell and Kevin Arnott deciding to “just take the piss”. […]
After admitting his months-long pursuit of John Byrne was unlikely to come off before the transfer deadline, Denis Smith moved onto plan B. While a fee had been agreed with QPR and personal terms agreed with the player, Byrne’s ‘golden handshake’ to leave Loftus Road couldn’t be resolved, and Smith moved on in the transfer […]
He’s been here for eight years, making over four hundred appearances and finding himself being tested again and again, but always responding strongly and silencing the doubters in the process. However, it’s fair to say that when Luke O’Nien got into a muddle alongside Melker Ellborg during Sunday’s derby, with their moment of indecision leading […]
“The frustrating thing is, in my opinion, they’re not a very good team compared to us. We shouldn’t lose to them.” The words of the philosopher Claire Balding, sorry, Anthony Gordon, after Sunderland’s second win over his team in the space of four months. Which came, incidentally, four years after the now Richest Club In […]