SUNDERLAND UPDATE: SoL naming rights, home friendly announcement & exile season cards discussed

Sunderland are still keen on having a home friendly before the League One season gets underway against Charlton Athletic on August 4.

The club had lined up a clash against Middlesbrough at the Stadium of Light, which would have generated the club a lot of money but it was cancelled by the council due to the fixture clashing with the Sunderland Air Show.

Despite the club being left disappointed over the Boro cancellation, they are still hoping to pencil in a friendly on that date - although they may have to settle for an away friendly for logistical reasons.

That won’t put Sunderland off from hosting a friendly at the Stadium of Light though, with the club still keen on having a home friendly at some point, even if that friendly is a frustratingly possible midweek game.

In other news, the new owners are also investigating the possibility of launching a scheme for Sunderland exiles, which would allow them to attend matches on a more flexible basis. Although the scheme is yet to be finalised, one idea being discussed is a membership scheme - rather than a season card - where exiles will be able to join for a small fee, with additional benefits.

Details are still being worked on, so it’s subject to change but expect an announcement from the club regarding this scheme in the near future.

We also understand that the club are also open to the possibility of selling the naming rights to the Stadium of Light, as well as renaming individual stands but have not had discussions towards actually doing so. Would selling the naming rights to the stadium be a benefit towards Sunderland or is that a step too far? Let us know in the comments.

Sunderland AFC