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Sunderland AFC's foremost blog and Podcast!
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Latest Entries
Haway The Podcast | 2ND SEASON SYNDROME | Can Sunderland Learn From Our Past?
Pundits will periodically mention the second season syndrome but is it actually a thing?! Gav & Andrew joined Chris to go through whether or not there’s anything in it as the lads look at Premier League history as well as the other two occasions we’ve prepared for a second season! On today’s show: All this […]
Editorial: Sunderland Are Back In Action & The World Cup Comes To A Close!
Good to be back… It was good to have that matchday feeling back, especially with our game at York City being a 3pm kick-off on a Saturday afternoon. It just means you have something in your mind from the moment you wake on a Saturday morning, that you either know you need to get ready […]
Sunderland Loan Watch: Aleksić Off The Mark!
Let’s be honest, lads and lasses: being a Sunderland fan means your eyes are glued to more than just the first team sheet on a Saturday afternoon. With the club’s focus on cultivating top-tier young talent at the Academy of Light, keeping tabs on our rising stars and squad players out on loan has become […]
Régis Le Bris Will Make More History in 2026/27, And Deservedly So!
If there was one thing missing; one final touch that would’ve truly completed an unforgettable day as Sunderland secured a European berth for 2026/2027 after that iconic victory over Chelsea back in May, it would’ve been a rousing rendition of a seldom-heard chant once the music stopped and the layout of the final league table […]
On This Day (20th July 1986): Batey Waits For Sunderland Showdown With McMenemy
Almost exactly one year on from the excitement and optimism that greeted the arrival of Lawrie McMenemy to Wearside, the Sunderland manager was due to arrive back at Roker Park – following his trip to Mexico to watch the World Cup – on this day in 1986, safe in the knowledge that rebel director Barry […]
Can Data Help Sunderland Find Brian Brobbey’s Deputy?
Simon and Garfunkel, Wham!, Robbie Williams and Take That. Sometimes you have to accept you’re not the star of the show. We’ve seen Eliezer Mayenda depart for €25 million this summer, and at twenty one, the ‘Big Man’ most likely decided that backup minutes were not sufficient for his development. Brian Brobbey’s excellence — both […]
Haway The Podcast | YORK PUBCAST | Reaction To Sunderland’s First Friendly!
After the final whistle against York, Gav met up with a few of the lads to go through their day out and to give their reaction on Sunderland’s first friendly of the summer! On today’s show… All this and more! Get subscribed to Haway The Podcast so you never miss another episode of our free […]
Matchday Musings: Pretty In Pink Sunderland Demolish York City
The Lads started pre-season ahead of their first European campaign in fifty three years in style, defeating York City 1-5 at the LNER Community Stadium. Régis Le Bris named a starting eleven with a mix of first team names, backup options and returnees from loan, as our twelve-man strong World Cup contingent aren’t expected to […]
Talking Points: Sunderland Kick Off Pre-Season With A Win!
The Lads’ starting eleven doesn’t miss a beat The team that started the first half was fantastic to a man. Granted, they were facing League Two opposition, but York City are ahead of us in their pre-season schedule, having already played one game and defeated League One Barnsley. We know from experience that facing a […]
2 Up, 2 Down: Sunderland See Off York As Pre-Season Begins
Dean McDonald says… Sunderland get back into the grove! The first team lads looked up to speed immediately. Enzo Le Fée in particular didn’t miss a beat and didn’t look like a player just back in pre-season. Aji Alese’s comeback Alese returned and completed forty five minutes with no trouble. You’d be hard-pressed to find […]
On This Day (19th July 2003): McCarthy’s Boys Continue To Learn
With the club still coming to terms with a damaging relegation from the Premiership a couple of months earlier, and many of the squad’s higher earners needing to be moved on in order to balance the books, Sunderland boss Mick McCarthy had his work cut out during the pre-season of 2003 – 04. A pitiful […]
Andy’s Player Ratings: York City 1-5 Sunderland – Black Cats Cruise To Victory
Melker Ellborg: 6/10 A spectator for most of the 45 minutes he was on the pitch, did well with anything that came his way. Trai Hume: 7/10 Did very little defending and often popped up in central midfield, which he did when he picked up an assist after picking out Rigg in the penalty box […]
Haway The Podcast | CHIT-CHAT | York, New Sunderland Signings & More On Memberships!
IT’S MATCHDAY! The Lads are back in action in our opening pre-season friendly, so we take a chance to talk through the latest news as well as looking forward to the game! On today’s show… All this and more! Get subscribed to Haway The Podcast so you never miss another episode of our free daily […]
On This Day (18 July 2006): Bob Stokoe’s Statue Is Officially Unveiled!
The Bob Stokoe statue was officially unveiled on this day in 2006. It was sculpted by Sean Hedges-Quinn, a bronze monument to one of our most loved and idolised managers — nicknamed The Messiah. The enormous grin and Stokoe’s attempts to keep that trademark trilby hat on his head even in the heat of such […]
Match Preview: York City v Sunderland — Everyone Ready To Get Started Again?!
Saturday 18th May 2026 York City v Sunderland – Friendly LNER Community Stadium – Kick-Off: 15:00 Tickets & Match Coverage Tickets: Tickets are sold out. TV/Stream: Full live match coverage is available via safc.com. Radio: Full live match commentary available via BBC Radio Newcastle (not online) Don’t forget to follow the blow-by-blow account of the […]
Fan Focus: York Reporter Gabriel Lifts The Lid On The National League Champions
League champions. 108 points. That last day drama. Is it fair to say that’s the greatest season of York’s history? Without a doubt, yes. It was a season that broke all sorts of records for the football club, reaching their highest points tally, winning a league title for only the second time in their history […]
Finding My Sunderland Family in America
For a long time, being an American Sunderland supporter was a solitary existence. Nobody I’d ever met knew what a Super Kev, a Stadium of Light or an Accrington Stanley was. Nobody I’d ever met understood what a great escape or a relegation felt like. I was alone. Or at least I thought I was. […]
Sunderland tracking Swedberg
Signing another winger is thought to be a priority for Florent Ghisolfi this summer, particularly following the departure of Bertrand Traore. Roma’s Matias Soule has been strongly linked with a move to Sunderland, with the club said to be competing with Fulham for his signature, but another new name has emerged this morning. According to […]
What Sunderland Can Expect from York City
Can Sunderland overcome one of last season’s most dominant teams in National League history? York City arrive with a record-breaking attack, a formidable defence, and the confidence of champions. York City favour lining up in a 4 – 2 – 3 – 1 formation in possession and a 4 – 3 – 3 shape without […]
A Balancing Act: Sunderland’s Domestic And European Challenge!
Dean McDonald says… I’m looking forward to the challenge and I think the assumption from opposing fans that we’ll go down due to European football is a very lazy one — the last team to go down whilst playing in Europe was Ipswich in 2002. As others have pointed out, we still need to add […]
On This Day (17th July 2009): The Peter Crouch Transfer That Got Away From Sunderland
After being appointed Sunderland manager just over a month earlier, Steve Bruce was hoping to invest heavily in a new squad that would make the rest of the Premier League sit up and take notice ahead of the 2009 – 10 season. The Sunderland side certainly needed both a refresh and a cull. After a […]
My First Sunderland Game: “The First Journey Across The Irish Sea!”
Growing up in Ireland in 2002, supporting Sunderland AFC was one of the quickest ways to stand out in a primary school playground. In my class, there were eight football-mad boys, each proudly supporting their chosen club. There were four Liverpool supporters, one Leeds United fan, one Tottenham supporter, one Celtic fan and me, almost […]
Haway The Podcast | FROM THE ARCHIVE | When We Spoke To Ricky Sbragia!
With the Lads taking on York at the weekend we thought we’d pull our chat with Ricky Sbragia from our archive! Recorded a few years ago, Ricky takes us thorugh his time at York and Sunderland! The sound quality and the presenter have hopefully improved over the years but enjoy! On today’s show… All this […]
Haway The Podcast | THOMAS MEUNIER | Is Sunderland’s New Signing Any Good?
Sunderland announced the signing of Belgium international right back Thomas Meunier yesterday – so, with this in mind we sought out the expert views of someone who knows him well. Joining the pod for today’s show is French football expert Baptiste Reynaud to give us his insight on a man who has spent so much […]
Who is Dayann Méthalie? Sunderland’s Latest Left-Back Target
As the Black Cats look to bolster the squad and find that perfect balance of youthful exuberance and tactical flexibility, our scouting network has been working overtime. Today, we are casting our eyes across the English Channel to the south of France. Toulouse has become a breeding ground for elite young talent in recent years, […]
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