Passing the torch to the next generation of Sunderland fans

Photo by Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images

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For many of us, supporting Sunderland is a lifelong passion — regardless of what we make of it.

The burden of following this club is passed down from a family member or friend, and we get to grips with it, loving it when we can, as much as we hate it, and more often than not!

In February 2022, I penned a piece for Roker Report on how another fading promotion push and the big-money takeover for those up the road could work in tandem to drive a generation of younger fans away from the club and elsewhere

in the football world.

I wrote about how the ease of watching Premier League football and the difficulty people had in buying a Sunderland shirt in the city combined to make the prospect of watching third-tier football on a Saturday afternoon a grim prospect.

I was twenty four at the time and although thoroughly fed up after four seasons in League One, I still felt a buzz from getting to games now and again.

Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

Looking back at how things have changed since this piece was published, it’s miraculous to see how everything about the club has progressed. We were a laughing stock in February 2022, fresh off 2-1 losses to Cheltenham and Doncaster, with the 6-0 humping at Bolton still fresh in our minds.

There must’ve been kids watching us then who’d never seen us in the Premier League or any of the good times we’ve had in the last twenty five years and thinking “What’s the point?” — and it was hard to blame them. However, I hope the lads and lasses who stuck it out are still with us and are getting ready for their first taste of Sunderland in the top flight.

Earlier this week, a reader sent in a letter that vaguely touched on this. In it, Callum Askew wrote about how he wants the club to value fans not just in Sunderland, but those in the surrounding areas of what was once the Durham coalfields.

We have hardened support in County Durham, and Callum called on the club not to take this for granted. This is something that’s happened in the past but is hopefully very much a thing of the past, and we continue to grow.

Photo by Crystal Pix/MB Media/Getty Images

His words struck a chord with me and he made a great point about tapping into the wider County Durham catchment area.

We should put ourselves front and centre, especially in an area that’s seen an increase in the number of Newcastle shirts seen in public. Doing this would help to make sure the younger generations feel appreciated by the club, because there’s plenty of love going in the opposite direction.

Sunderland’s path back to the Premier League has been long and tumultuous, with some awful chapters along the way. Yet the good times have been reminders that even if you feel your faith waning, sticking by your football club can give you the best experiences you could ever ask for in sport.

Our promotion chapter is written, now a fresh page is turned, and the pen lid is off, ready to start scribbling again!

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