Sunderland AFC's foremost blog and Podcast!
Unless you’re into watching seriously obscure footy leagues, there’s a high chance you’ve never actually watched Jocelin Ta Bi play before. Is he any good? We, obviously, don’t know, so we bent the lug of someone who does – Hapoel Petah Tikva fan Dor Blech! On today’s show: All of this and more – get […]
Sunderland came into this game in sixteenth position in the league and in need of points against Dave Sexton’s evolving Red Devils. United had been knocked out of the FA Cup by Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest the previous Saturday and arrived looking to make a quick recovery. Sunderland had sought some relief in the cup […]
We’re all familiar with the club’s famous motto, ‘Til The End. It promotes the fighting spirit that the team has shown over the last couple of seasons and that almost took on a life of its own as we continued to score late goals and achieve late victories that gave us memories we’ll never forget. […]
Want to have your say on all things Sunderland? Drop us a line and we’ll publish your views! [email protected] Dear Roker Report, Now that we’ve virtually secured a second season in the Premier League, can we please take the handbrake off during the first half — especially at home? On Saturday, we tended to pass […]
Having the ability to bounce back quickly from defeats is a huge component of a good football team. Sunderland have lost just five out of 22 matches this season, and after every one, we’ve done exactly that. Brentford was a heavy defeat by anyone’s standards, but there were plenty of caveats, with the main one […]
The North East has always been a region that reveres its footballers not only for their talent, but for their graft, their character and their connection to the community. It’s a place where supporters value honesty as much as flair; where determination is celebrated as loudly as a goal, and where players who give everything […]
We asked and you all replied with some cracking questions so thank you very much! Jonny & Andrew join Chris to answer questions ranging from who we’re signing next to early leavers at the Stadium of Light! All of this and more – get subscribed to Haway The Podcast so you never miss another episode […]
It’s often said that Régis Le Bris has performed miracles, seamlessly slotting the summer signings into the ethic moulded by the lads who got us promoted. The joie de vivre, camaraderie, spirit, and togetherness have all been transferred from the old to the new. This was no more illustrated than in the video the club […]
The 20th century was just a few weeks old when Preston North End arrived at Roker for their latest fixture, and whilst they had been one of the leading clubs during the late 1890s this new era found them struggling near the bottom of the league. A recent upturn in results had not been enough […]
I travelled to the game against Crystal Palace by train and had plenty of opportunity to read the responses to the team announcement. I have to confess I was bewildered by the reaction to “5 at the back”, with so many people questioning Régis Le Bris’ set-up. It was clearly going to be the flexible […]
At around 2:30pm on Saturday, the sight of Dan Neil going through his warm-up routines as the players got themselves ready ahead of kick off against Crystal Palace caught my eye. As the Lads executed their drills, he and Chris Rigg spent a good deal of time passing the ball back and forth, their exchanges […]
The FA Cup tie between Sunderland AFC Women and London City Lionesses was more than a competitive fixture. It also provided a rare tactical insight into what this Sunderland side could become, and although the match ended in a narrow 0-1 defeat, the performance revealed structural strengths that have often been missing this season — […]
Welcome to another episode of On This Week, where Martin, Andrew and Kelvin take a trip down Sunderland memory lane. On today’s show: All of this and plenty more – get subscribed to Haway The Podcast so you never miss another episode of our free daily SAFC show!
If you occasionally find yourself pining for the days of the FA Carling Premiership — a time when Nintendo, Northern Rock and Harcros Building Supplies were advertised pitchside, VAR was merely a pipe dream and “low blocks” weren’t part of the footballing vernacular — Brian Brobbey’s display against Crystal Palace on Saturday might well have […]
The Adobe Women’s FA Cup clash between Sunderland AFC Women and London City Lionesses at Eppleton Colliery Welfare Ground was always destined to be a stern test for the Lasses. With London City arriving as one of the most possession-dominant and technically proficient sides in the competition, Sunderland knew they would need to adapt tactically […]
Like most Sunderland fans, I had heard of AFCON but truthfully only knew the basics. But after a week in Marrakech, I was increasingly aware of my Mambas, Super Eagles, Zebras, Leopards, Elephants and had even figured out that Bafana Bafana that I kept hearing about was in fact the nickname of the South Africa […]
Jack Ross really wasn’t that far away, but if I ask you to guess the score from a game in his first season as manager, you can probably guess. Even seven years down the line, that scoreline is etched on our brains when it comes to thinking about the 2018-19 season. Considering the circumstances that […]
I think everyone can agree that the summer transfer window was a huge success. The signs are that January will be a lot quieter with the majority of work focused on outgoings. Given the numbers in the “bomb squad” — plus those out on loan — has the club left itself with a problem? Obviously […]
Join Chris, Martin and Kieron Brady as they discuss Sunderland’s excellent 2-1 over Crystal Palace yesterday. On today’s agenda: Plus, Kieron talks about Captain Frederick Robinson and the International Brigade Link to Kieron’s article mentioned on the podcast: https://rokerreport.sbnation.com/opinion/120863/a-tale-of-two-captains-the-international-brigade. Visit solidaritypark.com for more information.
We normally drive up from Yorkshire for home games but, for a variety of reasons, I attended the game against Crystal Palace on my own. A quick check of rail fares meant that the Grand Central return ticket was less than £20 (courtesy of being an old git with a Senior railcard) so, accompanied by […]
After two weeks of back-page murmurs and speculation, Sunderland finally ‘joined the chat’ in the January transfer market, announcing the acquisition of Jocelin Ta Bi — a reportedly crafty winger from Israeli side Maccabi Netanya. Fashionably going by his first name on the back of his shirt, à la trendsetters ‘Virgil’ van Dijk, as well […]
Sunderland emerge from their winless run — and impressively so! After a Christmas and New Year run that hardly represented a “slump” but was marked by one or two less-than-convincing displays and culminated in a disappointing defeat at the hands of Brentford, this felt like an ideal opportunity for the Lads to rediscover the winning […]
John Wilson says… Trai Hume makes his point I thought Hume played very well. Whenever people discuss a predicted team, it’s Hume that gets the push. He’s not always guaranteed his right back berth but it’s not a problem as he can slot in at left back or more recently, in midfield. He was also […]
Everybody at Roker Report was saddened to learn of the death of former Sunderland player Alan Black, who passed away recently at the age of 82. The following is an updated version of an article that was originally published in 2024 to celebrate his 81st birthday… Having joined from Dumbarton Alan Black provided cover mainly […]
Having played, rather infamously, in 1974 and then as recently as 2014, Sunderland and Carlisle United are no strangers to FA Cup meet ups. The clubs were even drawn against each other for two years running in 1994 and 1995, with both ties having to be settled via replays at Brunton Park – the first […]