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Dear Roker Report,
Sunderland taking us to dizzy heights so we can see the summit before they fall off the cliff edge is part and parcel of being a Sunderland fan.
We accept that teams will beat us, and our loyal fans turn up more in hope than expectation even when expectations are high, but what our loyal fans won’t and shouldn’t tolerate is our team just not turning up.
It doesn’t matter which division we’re in but all we ask as a minimum — especially at home — is that these highly-paid footballers turn up. These footballers have
one job that matters, and that’s to perform for ninety minutes once a week.
Results and performances like this hurt the fans that graft and hope to escape the trials and difficulties of the life they face every day, and all they ask is those that wear the shirt and take the shilling perform for ninety minutes a week.
Sadly, on Friday night — like four years ago in Bolton, 2018 in Southampton or 1982 in Watford, etc — the wheels came off but not all disasters end in a spanking and I think back to Port Vale, Fulham or Brentford, where we just didn’t turn up.
The whole team (including the backroom staff) owes the fans an apology for the Nottingham Forest game but more importantly a performance in the next game.
Loyal fans who aren’t the richest or in the best of health deserve better, and there’s no defence for Friday night’s performance.
Gavin Marshall-Elliott
Ed’s Note [Phil]: Hi, Gavin. Thank you for your letter.
I fully agree with your take on Friday night’s shambolic defeat at the hands of Nottingham Forest.
It was nowhere near acceptable for a team that’s set tremendously high standards ever since the season kicked off, and the manner in which we collapsed — as well as the speed — was not reminiscent of the Sunderland that we’ve known and loved during 2025/2026. Very disappointing and a real let-down.
Fortunately, our next fixture looks quite favourable and we need to see a very strong reaction from the Lads when they travel to the Midlands to take on Wolves.
I’m sure they’ll be eager to get back to winning ways and to prove that Friday night was merely a blip rather than the latest evidence of a slump, and I would expect Régis Le Bris to freshen the team up and consider some tactical tweaks, as well.
Dear Roker Report,
After some sunny beers outside city centre pubs and chatting to some hopeful and sensible Nottingham Forest fans, we made our way across the new bridge to get a first glimpse of Welcome to Sunderland — and we were immediately struck by the amateurish upside-down W masquerading as the letter M.
The slant of the letter and the top of the W doubling up as the bottom of the M are giveaways and the irony of this observation is that my mate turned and said, “It probably means we’ll not know up from down when defending tonight” — such prophecy!
Anyway, the point to these utterings is that we’ll very soon become the butt of jokes unless we sort out our lettering!
It’s obvious once you look at it.
Phil
Ed’s Note [Phil]: Hi, Phil. Thank you for getting in touch.
I think the new sign that greets fans on the exterior of the South Stand looks great and will be a really worthwhile addition to the stadium.
I understand where you’re coming from, but I’m not overly bothered by the fact we’ve recycled a letter, flipped it upside down and used it like that; the effect is the main thing and for those of us who remember the iconic sign at Roker Park, I think it’ll be greeted very positively.
