Fan Letters: More suggestions for a fan-led takeover of Sunderland - this time involving Quinny!

Dear Roker Report,

If it was drama you wanted, then the Sunderland Stadium of Light was certainly the place to be on Saturday, February 24^th, 2018. But drama aside, a rather harsh fact is that Sunderland dropped two much-needed points in a game which needed to be won, indeed, one which at one stage appeared there for the taking.

OK - credit to the side for showing spirit in twice coming form behind, the latter occasion right at the death when all seemed lost, but generally speaking it was the same old failures yet again which raises one or two rather fundamental questions, such as why did we put ourselves in such a position YET AGAIN, especially in regard to the questionable defending which led to all three of Boro’s goals? JUST WHEN will the penny finally drop?

Therefore, having failed quite spectacularly to find any sort of consistency all season (except when it comes to losing and poor performances) is it too much to expect it now, at this rather late stage of the season? Has the comeback/draw v Boro represented a genuine turning point, or in common with the Bristol City away game, has it merely “papered over the cracks”/been yet another false dawn?

Is it the case that Chris Coleman - in spite of all the tinkering and experimenting - that he’s done with his squad to date in an attempt to find a winning blend, has finally ran up a “dead end“, given what he has to work with?

Very much then a case of back to reality, for the harsh facts are are that in spite of ending a run of five successive defeats with the point v Boro, we’re still rock-bottom, with the gap between ourselves and safety slowly widening, and we have now just twelve games (or should that be cup finals?) in which to try and save our Championship status.

One has to ask therefore, is the side really capable of getting on board the requisite number of wins (say maybe five or six?)/putting a run of wins together, particularly in view of our form to date/the fact that we’ve yet to register back-to-back League wins all season, or has the club really more or less got one foot in League 1 even now?

As for the club being offered to any potential takers for free (albeit with a rather large debt), I guess this just compounds matters/shows how far we’ve gone back just how desperate things have become, and should the nightmare become actual reality, who knows, it may well only prove to be the tip of the iceberg.

So I just hope that we see a bit more drama similar to that of last Saturday during the remaining weeks of 2017/18, indeed, it does seem increasingly likely that an against-the-odds relegation escape similar to those of 2014/15 and 2015/16 may be needed, as if us long-suffering fans have not been put “through the wringer” enough already.

Oh well, such is the life of a Sunderland fan I guess.

Andrew Cockburn

Ed’s note: I share your concerns on whether or not this team is capable of producing when the pressure is well and truly on. Had we lost on Saturday the outlook and mood amongst the fans would have most certainly been far more negative, and you have to admit that our late leveller gives us a glimmer of hope going into the Millwall game.

I guess the proof will be in the pudding, as they say. If we play crap on Saturday and lose again, it’ll say everything about their mentality and ability to kick on from here.

Sunderland AFC via Getty Images

Dear Roker Report,

I was impressed by your 83 year old reader’s contribution to the subject of fan ownership.

As a 73 year old season card holder living near Harrogate I suggest your own organisation and all the other associated organisation like A Love Supreme get behind this movement and proactively stimulate developments and move away from letters and correspondence from the negative minority whingers we seem to have gathered over the last few years.

You should arrange a meeting with those interested and certainly invite Niall Quinn and Steve Cramm to front the exercise with men like Charlie Hurley (if he is fit) and Jimmy Montgomery.

We have to start somewhere, and whilst I am not in the rich category I would willingly contribute £1000 into a starting kitty.

We may well be relegated this season but surely we owe it to our predecessors - mine being my late father and grandfather who was present at Roker Park for the game v Derby County with the record crowd of over 70000.

I will continue to attend and support every game whatever happens and would add have never left the Stadium before the final whistle despite my long journey home.

Haway - let’s ensure the legacy of Raich Carter, Len Shackleton, Charley Hurley and Niall Quinn lives on.

When’s the meeting?

Colin Ions

Ed’s note: I can’t speak for anyone else really but from a Roker Report perspective, we’d happily help promote worthwhile causes and movements, and have done so - such as aiding the ‘Red and White Army’ group in highlighting events since it’s inception. Unfortunately, though, I wouldn’t know the first place to start with organising something of that scale. I’m just a writer, and a fan like you! But if someone wants to come forward with something worth getting behind, we’d certainly be happy to help promote and showcase it using our considerable social media and presence online.