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Roker Report

https://rokerreport.sbnation.com/ | 925 entries published

Sunderland AFC's foremost blog and Podcast!

Latest Entries

Lasses Spotlight: A Celebration Of Community Values And Opportunities For All

There’s a particular kind of pride that runs through Sunderland — the pride of a city shaped by industry, resilience and community; of people who know what it means to graft, to stand together and to believe in something bigger than themselves. That same pride is woven into the story of Sunderland Women, and on […]

4 days ago | 3 reads

Fan Focus: What Can Sunderland Expect From Port Vale?

Port Vale are currently bottom of League One, 10 points from safety – what would you say are the key factors behind this? Darren Moore being tactically poor and he didn’t know how to change things when needed. At one point, we had four wing-backs injured and he still didn’t change our shape. To add […]

4 days ago | 1 read

‘Cup Fever’ Is Catching For Sunderland!

For so long, the FA Cup has felt like a hindrance for Sunderland; a chance to play a weakened team at a half-empty Stadium of Light or to get knocked out at the first attempt. However, we now find ourselves in the last sixteen of the world’s oldest cup competition for the first time in […]

4 days ago | 1 read

Score Predictions: Will Sunderland Beat Port Vale?

Martin Wanless predicts… Score prediction: Port Vale 0 Sunderland 3 Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Isidor This is a great opportunity for us, and one we need to take seriously – and I think we will. While we have plenty of injuries and suspensions, we can still name a strong team and with a quarter final place […]

4 days ago | 1 read

On This Day (8 March 1980): No Goals But Plenty Of Entertainment On Wearside!

Sunderland’s 1979/1980 promotion campaign was built largely on the back of some excellent home form, with the visit of Jock Wallace’s high-flying Leicester City proving to be another positive on the Roker record. Both teams were battling it out near the top of Division Two and would eventually go up at the end of the […]

4 days ago | 2 reads

Starting XI: Three Changes Predicted For Sunderland At Port Vale

After a brilliant win at Elland Road on Tuesday all but guaranteed safety, we can focus on the FA Cup – and this is a game I hope we take as seriously as possible. Despite Vale’s lowly league position they’ve picked up under their new manager, and this game absolutely falls into the ‘nothing to […]

4 days ago | 1 read

Match Preview: Port Vale v Sunderland — Will The Lads Make It To The Quarter-Final?

Sunday 8th March 2026 Port Vale v Sunderland FA Cup Fifth Round Vale Park – Kick-Off: 13:30 Tickets & Match Coverage Tickets: Tickets are sold out. TV/Stream: Full live match coverage is available via TNT Sports. Radio: Full live match commentary available via BBC Radio Newcastle (not online) Don’t forget to follow the blow-by-blow account […]

4 days ago | 0 reads

Mr Sunderland: A Testament To Mr. O’Nien

Sunderland beat Leeds 1–0 midweek with what many called a depleted team. The trip to Elland Road was not without its dramas: a Leeds disallowed goal jangled the nerves somewhat before Habib Diarra struck from the spot to take Sunderland to the much-coveted 40-point mark. Yet the highlight of the story has to be Luke […]

5 days ago | 1 read

Sunderland Greats: Vic Halom

Vic Halom is one of those players from our 1973 FA Cup winning team that fans of the time still get misty-eyed about. Born in Swadlincote and raised in Burton-upon-Trent, he actually began and spent the first years of his professional career in London, starting as an apprentice at Charlton and making his league debut […]

5 days ago | 1 read

Me, Tom, Arthur, And The FA Cup

As I detailed in a previous article, I am unusual in being an adopted Mackem who grew up in the Potteries and caught the Sunderland bug watching the Lads in a Fifth Round FA Cup tie at Stoke in 1976. Now, fifty years later, Sunderland are contesting their first Fifth Round tie in a decade […]

5 days ago | 3 reads

Roefs Injury Opens Door: Ellborg’s Chance to Shine

When rumours of an injury to Robin Roefs began to gather pace, ahead of Tuesday’s match against Leeds, I could almost hear the cries of disappointment from Wearside in my adopted home in Yorkshire. The calm, phlegmatic young Dutchman is arguably competing with Granit Xhaka, Nordi Mukiele and Omar Alderete as the most influential of […]

5 days ago | 1 read

View From The Away End: 40 Points Secured By Sunderland!

Following a productive trip down to Bournemouth, we scarcely had time to catch our breath before it was time for another away trip, this time in the opposite direction from the capital to Leeds. Last season’s late defeat at Elland Road was definitely one of the more scarring in recent times; I can’t listen to […]

MLS

6 days ago | 5 reads

Talking Tactics: Sunderland Show Skill And Steel On The Road!

Sunderland travelled south for their final away double-header of the season, with trips to Bournemouth and Leeds in the space of seventy two hours. On paper it felt like an enormous task for Régis Le Bris to galvanise his players having not taken maximum points on the road since October, but the welcome return of […]

6 days ago | 3 reads

Sunderland Defied The Doubters Against Leeds!

When the teams were announced on Tuesday night and after reading the comments from some fans online, you would think Régis Le Bris had named a team made up of builders, plumbers and postmen. There was almost a definitive conclusion that Sunderland were going to lose comfortably and that the mighty Leeds — with their […]

6 days ago | 1 read

Will Sunderland Be Up For The Cup This Weekend?

Gav says… Frankly, I’d be annoyed if we don’t go as strong as we can. I know we’ve got loads of injuries right now but we’re well safe in the Premier League and should be thinking about the rest of the season as a giant opportunity. I’ve not seen Sunderland take the FA Cup seriously […]

6 days ago | 3 reads

Dan Ballard: Warrior, Leader, Modern-Day Sunderland Great

To witness Dan Ballard’s performance against Leeds United on Tuesday was to watch a defender who was fully in control, entirely aware of the scale of the task at hand, and utterly hellbent on guiding his team to victory. With a rookie goalkeeper to protect in Melker Ellborg and memories of last season’s late, heartbreaking […]

6 days ago | 5 reads

On This Day (6th March 1976): Crystal Palace Spring FA Cup Upset At Roker Park

With the Sunderland team on course for promotion to Division One in the league, FA Cup fever was building amongst fans as memories of 1973 were flooding back to them on the eve of reaching the quarter-final stage against Crystal Palace. Stokoe’s team had been somewhat fortunate with the draws they got up until this […]

6 days ago | 5 reads

Haway The Podcast | Q&A | O’Nien, Goalies & Who Would You Fight?!

SWe’re between a great win “UNDER THE LIGHTS!!” at Elland Road and a glamour FA Cup fifth round tie at Port Vale so a perfect time for a Q&A with the questions sent in by you lovely people! On today’s show: All this and more! Get subscribed to Haway The Podcast so you never miss […]

NHL

7 days ago | 1 read