Sunderland: would you like them back in the Premier league?

[SAFCInPeace]

Cause it got banned before we even stayed building the stadium.

Newcastle, Sunderland, Manchester Utd all managed to get blag letters from local police saying it wasn't safe to let fans out from lower course and got an exemption... which is obviously rubbish, because Sunderland are now planning on moving fans back to lower bowl, and prior to moving fans up there, had 25 years of them in the lower tier.

Had we done that, they'd have just told us no.

We didn’t lad, we were just relegated before that rule was brought in.

 

[ChesterBlue]

On one hand, they have a few players I’d like here

On the other hand, I remember they had a weird streak of beating Newcastle in their derbies - and I hate Newcastle

Overall, I reckon anyone who hates Newcastle as much as I do is probably sound

 

[Khalekan]

For Sunderland fans of a certain vintage (i.e. people of my age) last night’s game must have felt like a lifelong injustice avenged.

After what Jimmy Hill era Cov did back in the 70s when Sunlun lost at Goodison but would have been safe if either Cov or Bristol lost in their game at Highfield Road.

Hill stalled the kickoff so both teams knew the Mackem’s fate at Goodison and played out a 2-2 draw in their game at Cov.

 

[Evertonthat]

I was surprised we've not spread the fans over two tiers, to be totally honest.

But there's definitely a thing, re. Atmosphere where away fans must be located at pitch level.

It could be the concourse that's determined this. The upper concourse at Bramley Moore, you can walk right around from north, through east to the south. If we had an away section in the upper, they'd have to segregate this I think.

 

[Alanbileysfeathercut]

I vote that I’m not arsed either way about Sunderland being in the PL, can take it or leave it, but I do like to see them winning games of football

Was at both legs of the Cov game, a proper exciting nervy chess-match of a tie. Two of the best finishes to games I’ve ever seen as a Sunderland fan (and the single best atmosphere I’ve ever seen at the SOL last night)

Did well to come through it, as we had to play a proper counter attacking game after they ripped us apart when we tried to play attacking a few months ago.

We like Everton as a fanbase for what you did for Bradley Lowery, and your lot will always be welcome up here as a result. That kindness is not something our lot will forget about ever.

Yous always did well v the horse punchers .
I'm surprised you wouldn't won't to get back up.
See if you can hoodwink the officials by playing jobes brother?
The current manager seems OK.
Couple of good signings, and you could consolidate and build.
Easy peasy

 

[SAFCInPeace]

Yous always did well v the horse punchers .
I'm surprised you wouldn't won't to get back up.
See if you can hoodwink the officials by playing jobes brother?
The current manager seems OK.
Couple of good signings, and you could consolidate and build.
Easy peasy

Aye, I know you lot are very proud (rightly) of being a PL team for so many years. But truth be told, I think the Championship (and lower leagues) is just more fun. I go home and away with the lads, and right now I generally see us win a fair number. They're normally pretty class days out, often across Northern England. I very rarely go into games thinking that the best we can hope for is a fluke draw, and we're not scrapping for relegation.

The PL for us was absolutely grim towards the end, and there was no connection at all between the players and team. There were players earning more in a month then I'd earn in ten years, and they couldn't of given less of a crap. We'd also go to all these grounds and it was full of tourist fans who you couldn't have a beer with before or after the game (Old Trafford, Emirates, Anfield etc.) as they were bussed in and out the city. I know for some people it's class seeing all these top players in the oppsoition, but I'm only there for Sunderland - so I couldn't care less about that either.

You say consolidate and build, but build to what? Let's be honest, we're not gonna win owt. Even at our best, we're still gonna lose more then we win - and eventually it'll all come crashing down again. And more then likely, if we get promoted it'll actually be more like Southampton (or worse) then anything else - the gap is ridiculous these days. You need to be owned by a sovereign wealth fund to compete, and I don't want that either.

To be honest, our manager is class, the young team we've assembled (for about 3m all up, if you include Le Fee as a loan) are a joy to watch. Despite the Cov game (where tactics came into play) we play good attacking football too. If we don't go up we'll lose a few to the PL and be able to bring in a few more young lads to watch next season. I go into most games feeling like we can win this, and 90% of them are a decent watch too.

So as probably insane as it sounds, I have zero interest in being promoted really. I'll celebrate at Wembley, and then be extremely anxious for the miserable season ahead. And that lack of ambition wasn't there for our last couple of promotions - I couldn't wait to be in the PL then.

 

[Evertonthat]

Aye, I know you lot are very proud (rightly) of being a PL team for so many years. But truth be told, I think the Championship (and lower leagues) is just more fun. I go home and away with the lads, and right now I generally see us win a fair number. They're normally pretty class days out, often across Northern England. I very rarely go into games thinking that the best we can hope for is a fluke draw, and we're not scrapping for relegation.

The PL for us was absolutely grim towards the end, and there was no connection at all between the players and team. There were players earning more in a month then I'd earn in ten years, and they couldn't of given less of a crap. We'd also go to all these grounds and it was full of tourist fans who you couldn't have a beer with before or after the game (Old Trafford, Emirates, Anfield etc.) as they were bussed in and out the city. I know for some people it's class seeing all these top players in the oppsoition, but I'm only there for Sunderland - so I couldn't care less about that either.

You say consolidate and build, but build to what? Let's be honest, we're not gonna win owt. Even at our best, we're still gonna lose more then we win - and eventually it'll all come crashing down again. And more then likely, if we get promoted it'll actually be more like Southampton (or worse) then anything else - the gap is ridiculous these days. You need to be owned by a sovereign wealth fund to compete, and I don't want that either.

To be honest, our manager is class, the young team we've assembled (for about 3m all up, if you include Le Fee as a loan) are a joy to watch. Despite the Cov game (where tactics came into play) we play good attacking football too. If we don't go up we'll lose a few to the PL and be able to bring in a few more young lads to watch next season. I go into most games feeling like we can win this, and 90% of them are a decent watch too.

So as probably insane as it sounds, I have zero interest in being promoted really. I'll celebrate at Wembley, and then be extremely anxious for the miserable season ahead. And that lack of ambition wasn't there for our last couple of promotions - I couldn't wait to be in the PL then.

There is sense in that. Nobody wants to watch their team struggle, and we know how that feels all too well after the last few seasons! We'd almost certainly have joined you in the championship without the help of our resident Mackem in the nets!

Unfortunately, that's the state of play with the gap between Championship and PL at the moment. It's pretty much a given that all 3x promoted teams are in for a tough season next season. You'd also have VAR to contend with! One of the main reasons I like watching Championship games is the lack of VAR.

As far as building, the only method that's actually shown to work recently appears to be the Forest method of buying about 50 players and hoping to find 11 that can gel together and compete! Way too risky a strategy in my opinion, but its certainly paid off for them this season. I'd expect Leeds and Burnley to invest in their squads to try and stay up, but like you say, its a ridiculous gap to bridge.