OPERATION ‘CHANGE SUNDERLAND’S PINK SEATS’ CONFIRMED: Now let’s do our part and help them out!

Sunderland AFC supporters have been invited to help out and replace the faded pink seats which have blighted us for many years - and can now register their intent to pop along and give the club a hand in changing them.

In a statement on SAFC.com it says that ‘the first phase of development will see 10,000 seats removed and replaced ahead of the start of the season, beginning with the completion of east stand with the addition of new red seats. The north east and south east corners will also be replaced with white seats.

On Wednesday 11 July work begins, and the first phase will be completed by Friday 20th July - well in advance of the opening home game of the new season against Charlton Athletic on the 4th of August.

One primary concern from those wondering how the operation would work was of health and safety, and the club confirmed that basic knowledge of the tasks would be needed in order for anyone to take part:

Naturally, the safety of supporters is always the utmost priority and to ensure that the necessary health and safety requirements are met, participants must be over 18 years of age and have a basic level of technical ability to do the job, which is demonstrated in this this short video below.

There will be three sessions each day - morning, afternoon and evening - and at the end of their shift, fans will be able to enjoy complimentary refreshments in Quinn’s Sports Bar, which is located in the West Stand.

Speaking about the initiative, Sunderland owner Stewart Donald said:

There is a huge amount of work to be done throughout the club. Replacing the seats, and making the Stadium of Light somewhere we can all be proud of again, is just part of our project to work to restore this great club to what it should be.

Encouraging fans to play their part in the seat replacement process is part of our policy of re-engaging with fans - these things may seem trivial to some, but as football fans ourselves Charlie and I know how important it is for supporters to have a sense of ownership of their club.