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Dear Roker Report,
Not sure if you can help in order to look into the purchasing of tickets or the fact that I can’t buy tickets.
My family have been to a few games this season and we’ve all really enjoyed the season so far.
However, the issue is the purchasing of tickets for “Category A” games which I believe are only available if you have a ticket history from 2024/2025. I have purchase history but all of my family tickets were assigned to me rather than individually — but we all attended games in previous seasons.
I have absolutely no problems in having a criteria to meet for certain games and I understand restrictions placed when demand may be high. However, like the Leeds home game and now the Liverpool game where there are plenty of tickets still available to purchase, I can’t purchase tickets for the rest of my family.
I messaged the club about this and received no response, and I think after a period of time the tickets should be made available to the rest of supporters.
There are tickets available and I want to buy four, but I can’t give my money to the club. It seems a bit unreasonable in my opinion, and not very business-savvy.
Neil
Ed’s Note [Phil]: Hi, Neil. Thank you for your letter.
It’s unfortunate to hear that you’ve been experiencing such difficulties in purchasing tickets and although we don’t generally receive as many letters regarding this issue as we used to at Roker Report — which is to the club’s credit — it’s never nice to hear that fans are encountering issues.
I do feel that one of the potential pitfalls of Premier League football from a ticketing perspective is that demand has skyrocketed and more and more supporters — particularly non season-ticket holders — are finding it tricky to lay their hands on tickets for home games, which are understandably as rare as gold dust.
I’d love to think that the club will be constantly considering possible ways of opening it up to all and giving everyone a chance, but there are always going to be limitations, sadly!
Dear Roker Report,
I remember when Bali Mumba was sold and the upset it caused, but I was reliably informed that there was a better player waiting to come through in Dan Neil.
Early doors, it looked like we were on to a winner and then for some reason they decided to put him in a different position on the pitch.
In my humble opinion, that wasted two years of his progression. He clearly struggled trying to adapt and we lost a player who could — as they say — “provide the ammunition for the forwards”, which is something we’re still trying to find in the present moment.
I read on RTG’s pure football page one of the reader’s sentiments, which was: “It’s a shame he couldn’t improve with the speed of the club”, but I reckon that’s the fault of whoever reckoned he was the new Corry Evans.
A. Lynn
Dear Roker Report,
We all know football can be a brutal business and that many youngsters get thrown to one side. However I do feel Dan Neil is a special case.
For a long time, he pushed himself in a role not suited to him for the sake of the team. Then, when Habib Diarra was injured and it seemed that he would get to play in his proper role alongside a vastly experienced captain, he didn’t even get the slightest chance.
I still remember that final pass for Jack Clarke to score that goal, and I hope he provides many more.
Sometime in the future, when a star player wants to move on, I hope supporters remember Neil, as loyalty is a two-way street.
Thanks, Dan, and good luck.
Jim Wales
Ed’s Note [Phil]: Hi, A and Jim. Thank you for getting in touch.
I’m well aware that in some quarters, Dan Neil wasn’t entirely appreciated and that he often seemed to be judged by and held up to higher standards, but to my mind, his Sunderland career and his legacy in red and white doesn’t need to be defended.
Two hundred-plus appearances, two promotions — one as captain — and some exceptional goals, performances and moments of brilliance in midfield is what I’ll remember Neil for, and the point about loyalty is absolutely correct: we demand 100% loyalty from players at all times but we often don’t reciprocate when they find the going slightly tougher.
Something to consider, in my opinion.
