Youngster heads out on loan
National League North side Blyth Spartans have completed a season-long loan deal for Sunderland under-23 player Sam Brotherton.
Brotherton is a full New Zealand international - with 10 caps to his name - but with the central defender not yet in Sunderland’s first team plans, he has been sent out on loan to the Northumbrian side to gain experience.
The 21-year-old joined Sunderland from the University of Wisconsin’s team, the Wisconsin Badgers, eighteen months ago.
Blyth have also signed former Sunderland academy product Connor Oliver on a permanent deal. The former Blackpool, North Ferriby and Halifax midfielder has joined following a successful trial.
Blow for Charlton
Injury-hit Charlton Athletic seem to have suffered another blow ahead of tomorrow’s curtain raiser against Sunderland, with rumours surfacing that their influential midfielder Jake Forster-Caskey has ruptured his ACL in training.
Charlton were already missing the likes of Billy Clarke, Anfernee Dijksteel, Tariqe Fosu, Ben Reeves and Igor Vetokele and new signing Lyle Taylor is also a major doubt heading into the game.
If Forster-Caskey’s injury is confirmed it will be a major blow to a Charlton side who were already struggling to name a full compliment of eighteen players for the game at the Stadium of Light.
Bogdan pays tribute to Fulop
Hibernian qualified for the Europa League last night after they clinched a 4-3 aggregate win over Asteras Tripolis thanks to a 1-1 away draw in Greece.
Hibs earned the draw thanks to a fantastic display by their on-loan Liverpool goalkeeper Adam Bogdan. After the game, the emotional Bogdan paid tribute to his former Hungarian international team-mate and former Sunderland goalkeeper Marton Fulop, who ended his career at the Greek side and is honoured with a picture inside the tunnel:
I would like to dedicate it to Marton Fulop, who played here. I just saw his picture and it was very moving. I would like to dedicate my performance to his memory.
Fulop spent four years with Sunderland between 2006 and 2010 but sadly passed away from cancer in 2015.
Broadis hits milestone
Former Sunderland player Ivor Broadis hit a milestone today as he has now lived longer than any other England international in history.
Broadis is now 95 years and 228 days old, which takes him past former England goalkeeper Dick Pym who was one day younger when he died in 1988.
The former inside forward made history when he signed for Sunderland in 1949 for a fee of £18,000 from Carlisle United, as he was the then Carlisle manager and became the first manager to transfer himself to another club.