‘Til The End’: Why Sunderland never say die!

I don’t know about you, but something feels different at the Stadium of Light.

The atmosphere during our opening home games has been electric, and for good reason. This is a new Sunderland: a club back in the Premier League, armed with a new-look squad and a collective determination to make our return a lasting one.

​In the past, a late opposition goal at home in a tight game often felt like the final nail in the coffin.

You’d hear the groans, sense the fragility, and, for some of the more fragile among

us, see some heading for the exits to “beat the traffic”, but on Saturday against Brentford, the opposite happened. When the visitors scored, the crowd and the team didn’t shrink — they roared back, and what followed was a display of pure grit; a relentless push, not just for a point, but for all three.

This spirit is perfectly captured by the club’s adopted mantra: ‘Til The End.

Launched during the 2021/22 League One campaign, the slogan has resonated powerfully, uniting the fans and players with a single identity. In League One, it was about ending four seasons of misery, and in the Championship, it reflected a young squad that never knew when it was beaten — just rewatch the late drama against Coventry City or Sheffield United for proof.

Now, back in the top flight, ‘Til The End takes on a new meaning: unwavering support for thirty eight games, fighting to bridge the gap and secure our Premier League status. If the atmosphere during the West Ham and Brentford games is anything to go by, the players will have the backing they need.

​Saturday’s match was decided in crucial moments where nerve and execution were tested. As supporters, we can’t step onto the pitch (the League One half time challenges show that this is probably for the best) but with 46,000 of us united, the impact is undeniable.

That collective roar creates momentum.

It inspired a player like Enzo Le Fée to thunder into tackles and then, with what the BBC called the “vociferous backing of 46,000 Mackems,” step up to the penalty spot convinced he would score. It also gave Wilson Isidor the confidence to know that he can get onto a pinpoint cross and bury a header in the dying embers of a game whilst in the depths of sleep deprivation following the birth of his daughter.

Our impact is profound, but it’s clear to see.

We won’t win every home game this season, but that isn’t the point. I’m proud to watch a team that gives everything until the final whistle. We are Sunderland AFC. We back our team. ‘Til The End.