FAN LETTERS: Sunderland fans unite! Ways of replacing the decrepit pink seats at the SoL

Dear Roker Report,

I’m not sure if this has been proposed before, but here goes.

I suggest that the seats in the stadium are in columns of red and white, say 10 seats wide, from top to bottom. This way when the red seats turn pink and need replacing it would mean only half of the stadium would need doing.

Replacing 24000 is better than 48000 surely. The cost must be massive.

By the way, this is way down my list of priorities for the new owners. Those pink seats need bums on them so hopefully people start coming back when the revolution on the pitch begins and the dead wood is shipped out. Just wondering what you boys think.

Christopher Hayes

Ed’s Note [JN]: I think this would look great, but the new seats don’t fade in the way these do. They’re a different type of polymer that doesn’t fade in the sunlight, or at least, doesn’t anywhere near as badly nor as quick. In the short-term, they’d have to rip up nearly half of the seats to carry this out, although it would look neat.

Dear Roker Report,

Like everyone I’ve spoken to, the new owners have really inspired me and put my faith back in my club. It’s clear they have done their homework and seem like clued up, switched on football people making the right decisions for the right reasons.

Their appointment of Jack Ross is something I’ve been asking for for years - a young up and coming coach being given a chance to run the football side of things and change the whole make up of the club; a chance to build a new, lean and hungry Sunderland from the ashes of the old.

It’s great to see all the change behind the scenes and whilst it’s never nice for people to lose their jobs - some who I shall not name... we all know who I’m talking about - have reaped what they have sown.

Having said all of that I have never heard from the owners what they intend to do about our god awful strip from last season. Please can this be changed immediately back to a plain red and white striped strip, with a twist. How about we play in white shorts next season as a one off until we gain promotion back to the championship. This could be a final incentive to show we should not be in this division and as such will not be wearing our true colours. It may be seen as arrogant but we should be, we are Sunderland and we should be letting everyone know this. It might just give us a small psychological edge over teams.

Finally on to everyone’s favourite topic - the pink seats.

I read some years ago when we replaced some seats that the colour red is one of the worst colours of not the worst for bleaching by the sun.

Why not replace the bottom tier with a section of red then a section of white seats all round the ground. It will mean in future only half of those seats will need replacing, the red ones, as the white will not be bleached.

Therefore inadvertently the club will also be saving on costs.

Just some thoughts that whilst may not be taken on board by the new owners, I know they would be at least listened to - what a wonderful change in my club!

Paul Eden

Ed’s Note [JN]: Donald actually joked with us in the Podcast studio that he would like to get us a proper strip, one that is more “Sunderland”. So rest assured, the pink carrier bag with a red back should be gone pretty sharpish. Personally, I’m not arsed as it is just a shirt I never buy anyway. But hit the nail on the head and it’ll be an instant classic that’ll sell out. They need to do this and take advantage of the current high spirits of all fans.

I think they’ll pretty much keep the current state of affairs with regard to the seats. We need to remember that the majority of the east stand has already been completed.