Roker Report
Sunderland AFC's foremost blog and Podcast!
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On This Day (24 July 2006): A Sunny Night In Dublin With Niall Quinn!
It seemed like the perfect time for the club to arrange a pre-season friendly in Dublin, where Sunderland would take on Shelbourne FC, and on a sunny midweek evening in the Irish capital, hundreds of Sunderland supporters, — including this writer — made the journey from both near and far to Tolka Park on Dublin’s […]
Hope Returns: Why Sunderland Fans Can Dream Again
As Sunderland fans, we’ve been almost institutionalised over the years into thinking negative thoughts about the club’s and team’s future, or its ability to maintain any semblance of long-term satisfaction – let alone happiness. I’ve written in these pages before about “doing a Sunderland”. Many other clubs (if not all) can claim to have similar […]
Sunderland’s 1955 North American Trip: What Happens On Tour, Stays On Tour…
In 1955, Sunderland embarked on an international tour for the first time since the pre-Second World War trip to Spain in 1935. The North American tour was scheduled to last just under a month and would include nine matches in all, with four against Huddersfield Town, as well as games against Nuremberg, the Montreal All-Stars, […]
Haway The Podcast | SAFC IN THE USA | Sunderland Fans Stateside On Our Pre-Season Trip!
Sunderland have jetted off to the States for this summer’s pre-season tour, so we thought it would be a grand time to chat to some Massive Lads Fans who follow the club from the other side of the pond! Joining Gav are Jim, Mike and Jose! On today’s show: Find out more about the SAFC […]
On This Day (23 July 1995): Gray Right At Home As He Hits A Pre-Season Hattrick
When Michael Gray looks back on his career, the moment Peter Reid walked into Roker Park must be viewed as a sliding doors moment. The youngster had burst onto the scene under Malcolm Crosby – famously scoring in the first minute of his first start, in his first pro game at Roker – before enjoying […]
What Can Sunderland Hope To Gain From Their USA Tour?
Malc Dugdale says… I’m quite relaxed about pre-season as last time around, we hardly ripped up trees, but we then had our best season in many decades. I’d like to see what the lads who had injuries late last season can do, as we’ll need depth in the squad more than ever this season, so […]
Opposition Focus: Can Sunderland Show Some Pre-Season Promise Against Liverpool?
Can Régis Le Bris’ side reproduce the exciting, free-flowing football shown against York City and trouble Liverpool in Nashville? The Lads now travel stateside to face the Reds at GEODIS Park in Nashville on 25 July and the game itself — as with all matches hosted over the last six weeks in North America — […]
Haway The Podcast | Balogun Bollox, Geertruida No More, & New Sunderland Home Kit Coming?
Plenty is going on in the world of Wearside, so join Gav, Chris and Andrew for this week’s chinwag about all things Sunderland! 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 us? You can drop us […]
View From The Away End: York Offers Sunderland the Perfect Return to Club Football
With England’s painful – and arguably avoidable – exit from the World Cup at the semi-final stage still fresh in the mind, a quick turnaround before the return of club football was the perfect tonic. I always think of pre-season friendlies like an appetiser at a fancy restaurant; they’re not what you’re there for and […]
Thanks, Lutsha, And Good Luck!
Since the days of Bergkamp, Davids and Kluivert, I’ve had an affinity for Dutch players, so I was primed to like Lutsharel Geertruida from the jump. Then he almost scored this goal. And then, on his first start, he provided the hockey assist (to another Dutchman) for this legendary goal. I was all in, yet […]
On This Day (22nd July 1977): The Sunderland Career That Never Took Off
Bob Stokoe paid a near club-record fee for coveted winger Roy Greenwood. Less than 18 months later, Jimmy Adamson was ready to listen to offers, and all the signs suggested a deal could be done… The Journal‘s John Donoghue shared the thoughts of Sunderland manager Jimmy Adamson on this day in 1977. Adamson said: “The […]
2026/2027 Could Be A Coming-Of-Age Campaign For Sunderland’s Youngsters!
We saw flashes of their immense potential on the domestic front at times last season and for many of Sunderland’s young tyros, during a marathon and frankly weird World Cup in the United States, and as the Lads continue to put in the hard yards ahead of the 2026/2027 season, there should be a growing […]
Haway The Podcast | INTERVIEW | We’re Joined By Danny McNamara From Embrace!
If you hadn’t seen it already, there’s a weekend of live music down at Seaburn in mid-August with Cliffe Park Live with the likes of The Waterboys & Ocean Colour Scene, and on Friday 14th August, Embrace headline the evening! So we caught up with Danny McNamara to catch up on everything about the gig […]
The Match That Made Me Fall in Love with Sunderland
As we’re about to embark on a European campaign and my sixth consecutive season as a season-ticket holder, it seems appropriate to reminisce about where it all began. It all started back in 2008, when I was just a five-year-old lad looking for something to do at the weekend. My dad and his brothers are […]
Can Sunderland Avoid A Sticky Second Season?
A band’s second album can notoriously be a let-down. You can get The Bends following Pablo Honey, but The Stone Roses didn’t really deliver following their self-titled debut. While the Premier League isn’t unfamiliar territory for Sunderland fans, beginning another top-flight season on the back of such a fruitful campaign certainly is. The remainder of […]
Which Of Sunderland’s Fringe Players Could Be In The Spotlight This Pre-Season?
Dean Dugdale says… Jocelin Ta Bi was impressive in a recent youth tournament, and he assisted in the recent pre-season game too. He got off to a great start last season before injury in what seemed to be his first chance. He has confidence, attacking intent and ability, and we need talented wide men — especially […]
On This Day (July 21st 1984): Sunderland Played Nissan In A Relationship Building Friendly
The Japanese car giant Nissan had, as recently as March that year, selected Wearside as the location for its massive investment in its UK manufacturing operation. A friendly match was suggested to mark the occasion, with Japanese side Nissan FC visiting Roker Park for a historic, relationship-building fixture. The manufacturing plant was to be built […]
Haway The Podcast | 2ND SEASON SYNDROME | Can Sunderland Learn From Our Past?
Pundits will periodically mention the second season syndrome but is it actually a thing?! Gav & Andrew joined Chris to go through whether or not there’s anything in it as the lads look at Premier League history as well as the other two occasions we’ve prepared for a second season! On today’s show: All this […]
Editorial: Sunderland Are Back In Action & The World Cup Comes To A Close!
Good to be back… It was good to have that matchday feeling back, especially with our game at York City being a 3pm kick-off on a Saturday afternoon. It just means you have something in your mind from the moment you wake on a Saturday morning, that you either know you need to get ready […]
Sunderland Loan Watch: Aleksić Off The Mark!
Let’s be honest, lads and lasses: being a Sunderland fan means your eyes are glued to more than just the first team sheet on a Saturday afternoon. With the club’s focus on cultivating top-tier young talent at the Academy of Light, keeping tabs on our rising stars and squad players out on loan has become […]
Régis Le Bris Will Make More History in 2026/27, And Deservedly So!
If there was one thing missing; one final touch that would’ve truly completed an unforgettable day as Sunderland secured a European berth for 2026/2027 after that iconic victory over Chelsea back in May, it would’ve been a rousing rendition of a seldom-heard chant once the music stopped and the layout of the final league table […]
On This Day (20th July 1986): Batey Waits For Sunderland Showdown With McMenemy
Almost exactly one year on from the excitement and optimism that greeted the arrival of Lawrie McMenemy to Wearside, the Sunderland manager was due to arrive back at Roker Park – following his trip to Mexico to watch the World Cup – on this day in 1986, safe in the knowledge that rebel director Barry […]
Can Data Help Sunderland Find Brian Brobbey’s Deputy?
Simon and Garfunkel, Wham!, Robbie Williams and Take That. Sometimes you have to accept you’re not the star of the show. We’ve seen Eliezer Mayenda depart for €25 million this summer, and at twenty one, the ‘Big Man’ most likely decided that backup minutes were not sufficient for his development. Brian Brobbey’s excellence — both […]
Haway The Podcast | YORK PUBCAST | Reaction To Sunderland’s First Friendly!
After the final whistle against York, Gav met up with a few of the lads to go through their day out and to give their reaction on Sunderland’s first friendly of the summer! On today’s show… All this and more! Get subscribed to Haway The Podcast so you never miss another episode of our free […]
Matchday Musings: Pretty In Pink Sunderland Demolish York City
The Lads started pre-season ahead of their first European campaign in fifty three years in style, defeating York City 1-5 at the LNER Community Stadium. Régis Le Bris named a starting eleven with a mix of first team names, backup options and returnees from loan, as our twelve-man strong World Cup contingent aren’t expected to […]
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