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Sunderland will kick off their preseason fixtures with a trip to Heritage Park to play Darlington 1883 FC, the club have confirmed.
The game, which will kick of on Saturday 19th July and 3pm, is a 'special' show of support for our north east neighbours who have endured a terrible few years off the field and are in the process of rebuilding from the bottom up.
Gus Poyet said:
I am absolutely delighted to be opening our pre-season schedule against Darlington. It is a historic club, with a loyal and passionate fan base, who have sadly endured some difficult times.
For us and our fans to be able to support them as they work to regain their professional league status is something that I'm very pleased about.
I am sure our fans, as always, will turn out in numbers to give us their support but to also show solidarity to a local team that needs our help.
It's nice to be neighbourly, isn't it? With other friendlies confirmed at Carlisle and Hartlepool, fans will be able to keep a close eye on the club's preseason preparations.
Heritage Park only has a capacity of 2000 and most of it is standing, so tickets will be extremely limited. Full details about availability and prices can be found on safc.com.
