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Latest Entries
Lasses Spotlight: The Trials And Tribulations Of The WSL2
The WSL2 has a way of stripping a team back to its essentials. It’s not a league that rewards reputation, sentiment or history. Instead, it rewards clarity, consistency and the ability to adapt to a division that’s as unforgiving as it is unpredictable. For Sunderland Women, 2025/2026 has been a study in what happens when […]
Sunderland’s Greatest Homegrown Forwards: The Post-War Heroes
In the weeks following the premature loss of Gary Rowell, I — along with probably just about everyone else who saw him play for Sunderland — found myself reminiscing about some of his finest moments in a red and white shirt. A glancing header into the net in front of the Roker End, a cracking […]
Lasses Time Capsule: “The Women Who Built Sunderland”
Sue “Buddah” Smith: The sweetest left foot in the North East! Before Sunderland Women had an academy to be proud of, before the club became known as a production line for England internationals and before the WSL era and the rising profile of the women’s game, there was Sue ‘Buddah’ Smith. She was the kind […]
Haway The Podcast | CHIT-CHAT | We Catch Up With Gordon Armstrong!
A technical issue meant we had to cut short our chat with former Sunderland midfielder Gordon Armstrong, but we did get a chance to catch up with him on the transfer window as well as how difficult a tie like Sunderland faced at Oxford could be! On today’s show… All of this and more – […]
Nostalgic Win At Oxford: A Reminder of Sunderland’s Journey!
Being a Sunderland fan is a funny thing. One minute you’re seemingly teetering on the edge of unholy disaster, then, poof — it can all change in an instant. You’re getting promoted, you’re winning games, and you’re on a cup run. Just as quickly as things can ramp up, stuff goes awry and it’s that […]
On This Day (17th Feb 1976): The Joy Of Sunderland: Did They ‘Stoke’ Your Passion?
A wonderfully evocative article from Barry Jackson has prompted today’s feature, which looks at a game that brought the romance of the FA Cup back to Wearside just as his new love affair with Sunderland was blossoming. The Lads’ battling fifth round showing in Staffordshire forced a replay and despite Stoke City’s top flight status, […]
For Sunderland, Radical Changes Post-Speakman Could Be Hazardous
If the confirmation and timing of Kristjaan Speakman’s Sunderland departure took many people by surprise when it was confirmed on Friday afternoon, the only thing more worthy of animated discussion than his legacy at Sunderland was what his exit might lead to — as well as the precedent the departure of such a notable figure […]
Lasses Spotlight: Ella West — The Quiet Rise Of A Sunderland Talent
There are players whose progress feels inevitable, even when circumstances conspire to slow their momentum. Ella West is one of them, and her call‑up to the Scotland U19 squad for their upcoming double‑header against Belgium is more than a line on a squad announcement graphic. Instead, it’s a statement, a reminder, and confirmation that the […]
Our Writers React To Sunderland’s FA Cup Draw!
Gav says… When someone mentioned that we’d beaten Oxford on the way to reaching our last FA Cup final in 1992, I did take a look at who else was in the draw to see if any of the other teams we faced that year were still in, and to my amazement, they all are. […]
Haway The Podcast | Q&A Pod | Mundle’s Role, Speakman Departure And Team Selection
Welcome to another episode of Haway The Podcast, and we’ve got a whole load of your questions to answer today! Join Martin, Andrew and Ant as they delve into today’s mailbag… All of this and much more – don’t forget to subscribe to Haway The Podcast for your daily hit of SAFC!
FA Cup Talking Points: Oxford Pay The Penalty As Sunderland Advance
Sunderland play the conditions to perfection With question marks over the playing surface and some pretty nasty conditions to deal with, the scene could well have been set for a classic cup shock. However, Sunderland though approached things brilliantly, kept their heads when things got tricky and made sure they will be in the hat […]
Matchday Musings: Diarra Makes The Difference As Sunderland See Off Oxford!
It was an intriguing team selection from Régis Le Bris, with Dennis Cirkin, Luke O’Nien, Lutsharel Geertruida, Romaine Mundle and Wilson Isidor all starting despite seeing far less game time in the Premier League, yet on reflection, this worked quite well. O’Nien picked up “player of the match” from the TNT Sports team (I would’ve […]
2 Up, 2 Down: Sunderland’s FA Cup Progress Continues!
Ciaran McKenna says… Enzo Le Fée — magnifique! “Le Magician” was brilliant. He’s really stepped it up a gear the last month or so and he kept that form up. He didn’t put a foot wrong, pulling the strings and doing his defensive duties well. He gave up the penalty, too, although I’m not 100% […]
Lasses Time Capsule: “A Story Of Resilience, Legacy And Rebirth”
In the beginning… Long before Sunderland AFC Women existed in name, before the academy became a conveyor belt of international talent and before the club’s story was intertwined with the rise of the women’s game, there was “Cowgate Kestrels”, a small team from Newcastle that was built on community spirit and the sheer love of […]
On This Day (16th Feb 1991): Clough’s Final Visit To Roker As A Manager Ends In Defeat
It had been 27 years since Brian Clough had graced the turf at Roker Park as a Sunderland player, but a record of 63 goals in 74 appearances would ensure that on this in 1991, he would receive a hero’s welcome on Wearside. The man in charge at Roker at the time was Denis Smith, […]
Andy’s Player Ratings: Oxford United 0 – 1 Sunderland – Diarra Seals Fifth Round Spot
Robin Roefs: 7/10 Never tested by the home side, other than punching out a shot in the first half but was his usual calm self around the box and in possession. Trai Hume: 7/10 Pretty comfortable defensively and tidy in possession, almost scored with a really good first time effort from a high ball but […]
On This Day (15th Feb 1890): No Fog, But Plenty Of Rain At Tynecastle!
Later in the year, Sunderland would apply for entry into the Football League but prior to that, their seasons were predominantly made up of friendly and exhibition games. Whilst already established as the strongest team in the county, matches against sides from further afield took on extra significance as not only were they often lucrative […]
Lasses Spotlight: The Dilemma Of Repeated Postponements
The 2025/2026 season has been anything but straightforward for Sunderland Women. A campaign already marked by inconsistency and uneven performances has now been further disrupted by a trio of postponed fixtures: the away match against Durham Women, a home meeting with Sheffield United, and most recently, the home clash with Nottingham Forest. For a team […]
FA Cup Score Predictions: Will Sunderland Progress At Oxford’s Expense?
Martin Wanless predicts… Score prediction: Oxford 1 Sunderland 2 Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Chemsdine Talbi We’ll surely put out a strong team today, just as we did at Everton, and we’ll need to as it’ll be a tough fixture. Given the opposition, it’s likely we’ll go back to a more attacking setup, and I fancy us […]
Haway The Podcast | MATCHDAY PREVIEW | Will Sunderland Beat Oxford In The FA Cup?
In what is a nice change of pace from the fun and frolics of the Premier League, today we find ourselves back in FA Cup action away at Oxford United. Join Gav, Andrew and Jonny as they preview this afternoon’s game! All of this and more – get subscribed to Haway The Podcast so you […]
Fan Focus: What Can Sunderland Expect From Oxford?
Back in late December, Gary Rowett was sacked as Oxford manager. What were the key things that went wrong? I think in any managerial tenure there is a point where everybody gets a little sick of one another. Without doubt, I think this happened here and I don’t think Gary Rowett was at all disappointed […]
Match Preview: Oxford United v Sunderland — Can The Lads March On In The Cup?
Sunday 15th February 2026 Oxford United v Sunderland FA Cup Fourth Round Kassam Stadium Kick-Off: 14:00 Tickets & Match Coverage Tickets: Tickets are sold out. TV/Stream: Full live match coverage is available via Discovery+. Radio: Full live match commentary available via BBC Radio Newcastle (not online) Don’t forget to follow the blow-by-blow account of the […]
Starting XI: How Many Changes Will Sunderland Make Today For Fourth Round Oxford Clash?
After two big games in the last week, Regis Le Bris has a big decision to make in terms of team selection – do we treat the FA Cup game today at Oxford in the same way we’d would a league game, or do we rotate to give players valuable minutes. As at Everton, I think […]
Haway The Podcast | OPPOSITION PREVIEW | George Elek On Oxford Challenge
Admittedly, we didn’t think we’d be catching up again so soon after our summer debrief, but the FA Cup likes to throw up surprises, and since Sunderland are heading to take on Oxford United on Sunday in the fourth round, we thought it would only be right to get our old mate George Elek (host […]
On This Day (14th Feb 2004): Love Is In The Air As Fans Stay Away For FA Cup Tie!
Despite stating that Birmingham City were underdogs coming into this FA Cup fifth-round tie, Sunderland were thankful to striker Kevin Kyle for securing a 1-1 draw that would keep them in the competition another few days at the very least. An amazing individual strike from Mikael Forssell fired Birmingham into a 27th-minute lead, working his […]
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