Fan Letters: “Sunderland fans are brilliant and can help push the team over the line today!”

Dear Roker Report,

The importance of the play offs cannot be argued. This is easily the most important game of our season, and fans need to realise this and get behind the team, regardless of their thoughts on the past 12 months. Imagine a roar so loud that John in Durham having a coffee can hear, or Vicky from Fulwell looking after her Grandkids is deafened by it!

But then again, is it really the fans responsibility to roar the players onto success? These are professionals who should be capable of giving their all no matter what the atmosphere.

Therefore get off the fans back. Stop telling them the importance of it, it’s nothing to do with other fans.

Get down to the stadium this Saturday and try and make it deafening for Vicky in Fulwell.

Ha’way the lads

Peter McLaughlin

Ed’s Note [Gav]: Speaking for myself, I feel like that the usual build towards the big games has been missing this week and that has matched the attitude of certain fans who aren’t perhaps enthused by the possibility of having to go up through the play-offs.

As such, it’s felt cathartic to just do my bit to help celebrate the importance of our fanbase in these situations. We’re brilliant, and we can really push the team over the line if we’re as up for it as the players are.

I’ve given this a fair bit of thought, and my only conclusion re: the relatively low ticket sales is that there’s a combination of things at play here - apathy at failing to get promoted automatically, the fact we’ve just had a season card payment come out, the fact its on live tv, the kick off time and the price of the tickets. £20 is fair enough, but if you’re a family of four it’s a little more taxing on the bank balance.

Ultimately, whoever is there tonight has already made a huge commitment by paying their money and turning up. Inside the ground I’m hoping it’s loud an boisterous, and I expect that it will be. Night games are great and when we played Pompey the other week it had a real “derby day” feel about it - here’s hoping for more of the same today.

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