Roker Report
Sunderland AFC's foremost blog and Podcast!
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Goodbye, Patto: A Sunderland Lad Who Got Us Back
There are times when a player leaves your football club and you immediately think to the future and the replacement signings. Then there are those whose departure makes you stop and look back. More often than not, we find ourselves doing the latter at Sunderland these days, and Anthony Patterson definitely falls into that category. […]
On This Day (11 August 1999): 1950s Sunderland Hotshot Dickie Davis Passes Away
Richard ‘Dickie’ Davis, born 22 January 1922 in Birmingham, died on this day 11 August 1999. Davis, a forward who played for Sunderland and Darlington, turned out for the Lads on 144 occasions between 1946 and 1954. A prolific scorer during his time on Wearside, he scored seventy-three times – a strike rate of just […]
Sunderland Are Well-Placed To Kick On Once Again
As the transfer window closed last season and we all marvelled at the fact that we’re now a club captained by Granit Xhaka, with hugely experienced players of the calibre of Reinildo, Nordi Mukiele and Omar Alderete, and exciting young prospects of the potential of Habib Diarra, Noah Sadiki and Chemsdine Talbi all wearing our […]
Clearing The Decks: Views On Sunderland’s Summer Revamp
Calum Mills says… The loss of ‘vibesman’ Leo Hjelde is a bit sad. No darting run away from the front post means no Dan Ballard header and that trip to Wembley! He had a few bright sparks in red and white — particularly his debut away to Middlesbrough — but other than that, he was […]
Lens Away: A European Taste of What’s to Come
In any other year, a mid-August trip across the channel to face a club like Lens would be one of the high points of the off-season, particularly when the bulk of pre-season has been spent in the United States, a huge financial commitment for any fan. This is a very different pre-season, however, where finances […]
Haway The Podcast | HAWAY THE Q&A | Promoted Clubs, Membership Schemes & More
Welcome to today’s pod, and we’re delving into some of the questions we didn’t get the chance to answer last week! 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. Ready to have an AI that can tackle real work? […]
Editorial: One More to Go — Are Sunderland Ready for the Big Kick-Off?
One more to go… It’s usually a game of two halves and, by my reckoning, it’s been a pre-season of three parts – and we only have one game to go until we countdown to Ipswich. There was our trip to York that got early minutes into the legs, especially for those few who didn’t […]
Sunderland’s Quiet Window: Patience or Cause for Concern?
At the end of the 2025/2026 season, as Sunderland’s players, fans and coaches basked in the elation of having qualified for the Europa League in the most thrilling fashion, Florent Ghisolfi was at the heart of the on-pitch celebrations, joining in the party with the likes of Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and Régis Le Bris – and […]
Lens Away: A Weekend to Remember for the Sunderland Supporters
My son Sam and I set off from home at 11:00 on Friday morning and had a largely stress-free trip down to Folkestone, across on Le Shuttle and then approximately an hour’s drive to Lens. We arrived at our apartment around 18:00, dropped the bags and went straight out in search of adventure (beer). On […]
Why Luke O’Nien Represents the New Sunderland
It felt a little like a “proud dad moment” when listening to Luke O’Nien speak on a recent episode of the High Performance Podcast. Not because I consider it the pinnacle of sporting interviews, but because of the journey O’Nien has been on since arriving at Sunderland and where that journey has ultimately taken him. […]
On This Day (10th August 1992): Sunderland Midfielder Wanted By Little’s Leicester
On this day in 1992, Leicester City were poised to make a bid for Sunderland’s out-of-favour midfielder Gordon Armstrong. Armstrong had been an automatic choice since Denis Smith took over in 1987, but had started only two of Sunderland’s five pre-season matches and Leicester manager Brian Little was set to test Malcolm Crosby’s resolve to […]
Haway The Podcast | REACTION | Sunderland 2-0 RC Lens | Sacré Bleu!
Sunderland put in an utterly dominant and convincing performance away in France against RC Lens, a side who have just won a major trophy, pushed PSG at the top of Ligue 1 last season, and will play in the Champions League in the coming campaign… so are we right to feel a little bit chuffed […]
Matchday Musings: Fun In The Sun As The Lads See Off Lens!
Yesterday’s match was a rarity for me: a pre-season game that looked to have something approaching an actual atmosphere. I wasn’t overly fussed about the Lads’ North American tour. I’m pleased it all went well but sinking $25 Michelob Lights with a side of grits in the PricewaterhouseCoopers THUNDERDOME isn’t my idea of fun. Knocking […]
On This Day (9 Aug 1950): When Tommy Wright Nearly Walked Away from Sunderland
With the 1950/1951 campaign about to start, Tommy Wright should have been looking to build on a successful first full season at Roker Park, yet the capture from Partick Thistle was far from comfortable and, rather than readying himself for the big kick-off, he had gone back home – and had made it known that […]
2 Up, 2 Down: Sunderland See Off Lens In A Lively Friendly!
Dean McDonald says… Chris Rigg, take a bow! Rigg looked every inch a Premier League player when he came on, playing a big part in both goals and just looking comfortable whenever he got the ball. The big hitters are back Noah Sadiki, Robin Roefs, Trai Hume, Luke O’Nien and Reinildo all getting ninety minutes […]
Talking Points: Five Things We Learned From Sunderland’s Win Over Lens
Bright debut for Meunier First of all, as highlighted pretty much every time we’ve spoken about him on the pod, what a specimen of a man. He’s turning 35 in September but popped up all over the pitch in a very bright 45 minutes on his Sunderland debut. He’d press high alongside Hume on the […]
A Pre-Season Catch-Up with the One and Only Ron Manager
It’s been quite a while since I’d caught up with retired football supremo Ron Manager. As the new season approaches, I thought it would be a good time to get flashes of wisdom and some deep and meaningful insight from him about the game in general, and Sunderland in particular. Ron has forged a lifelong […]
Andy’s Player Ratings: Lens 0-2 Sunderland – Black Cats Cruise To Victory
Robin Roefs: 6/10 A spectator for most of the game, had a couple of easy claims to make and a soft shot straight at him but most of his involvements were with his feet. Thomas Meunier: 7/10 A really good debut, reliable on the ball and always quick to provide an outlet on the right. […]
Fan Focus: What can Sunderland expect from Coupe de France winners RC Lens?
Lens finished just six points behind PSG last season in what was a remarkable push for the title. What were the key factors behind your excellent form? I would say there are three key factors behind the season’s success: First, the alignment between the ownership, the sporting management, and the coach was solid, with everyone […]
Haway The Podcast | MATCHDAY PREVIEW | RC Lens v SAFC | Avengers Assemble In France!
1500 of Sunderland’s finest are heading to the north-east of France today to watch the Lads take on RC Lens of Ligue 1, who won a cup last season and qualified for the Champions League, so it should be a good test. Join Gav, James and Michael as they get together for today’s show! All […]
Opposition Analysis: Will Lens Test Sunderland’s Mettle?
Can Sunderland come out on top against a Lens side packed with attacking quality and fresh from a strong 2025/2026 campaign? The Lads travel to north-eastern France for a clash with RC Lens, the 2025/2026 Coupe de France winners and Ligue 1 runners-up, with Black Cats defender Arthur Masuaku having spent six months on loan […]
On This Day (8th Aug 1998): The Day Peter Reid’s Great Sunderland Side Began to Take Shape
All great things start somewhere. Maybe the entertaining team under Peter Reid was already making people sit up and take notice the previous season, when we lost that superb play-off final to Charlton Athletic. However, this 1998/99 season opener at the Stadium of Light against Queens Park Rangers was the marker for what was to […]
Match Preview: Sunderland Say ‘Bonjour!’ As We Head To France
1500 Sunderland supporters are heading to the north of France this afternoon to see the Lads take on a Lens side who had one of the most successful seasons in the club’s history during the 2025-26 campaign. Les Sang et Or — who are managed by former Eintracht Frankfurt boss Dino Toppmöller — won the […]
Fan Letters: Fans Praise Sunderland’s Summer Strategy
Want to have your say on all things Sunderland? Drop us a line and we’ll publish your views! [email protected] Dear Roker Report, Sunderland’s pre-season tour of the USA was a masterstroke by the club. Pre-season games generally consist of two teams each half, where match minutes are more important than the result. Everybody connected with […]
Haway The Podcast | OPPO PREVIEW | Hugues Honoré on RC Lens vs Sunderland!
BONJOUR! Tomorrow, Sunderland have two friendlies against RC Lens, and with that in mind we had a chat with Hugues Honoré from Culture Sang et Or Podcast ahead of the games! 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. […]
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