Fan Letters: More conspiracy theories about Sunderland’s current owners...

Dear Roker Report,

Further to my rants about SD being a chancer and questioning the validity of the Campbell “take over” I have read today that Falkirk are not happy about the Campbell deal. They are investigating him as it appears he has NO money. Pretty similar to our takeover last year.

SD was supposedly negotiating with Campbell for many months and was on the verge of selling his shares/our club to this man. I am a business man and before entering into any real negotiations, the first thing you do is get proof of funds and do a thorough background check. Our saviour SD obviously did not think this was an issue, because like Campbell he talks in telephone numbers and bandies about “I am part of an international consortium of investors from the USA and Middle East”. This seems to fool most people and stop them questioning their real motives. Time will tell on both of them

In the name of transparency, it would be really good to see the last years “ins/out of all player movement, showing the transfer fees we have or will receive from players sold and the saving on wages. Then on players we have bought, the fee paid and the wages they will receive. We can then all see the real picture. We keep hearing about how we are having to keep to the fair play rules on expenditure , so this will show us

Sam Lucas

Ed’s Note [Damian]: Frankly Sam I think you’re demanding something you’ve no right to demand, on the assumption that the current owners have cunningly manipulated their way into the SoL and have burrowed themselves in, like ticks.

You imply that SD was wrong to discuss terms with Mark Campbell, but you don’t bother to mention that it was SD that decided Mark Campbell wasn’t the investor Sunderland need. Without discussing terms how could he have reached this conclusion? You say you’re a businessman and with that you’re suggesting that you know how to handle these situations, then implying that there’s some simple, instantaneous process to carrying out a “background check”. Did you consider that potential investors can’t be left waiting on red tape and so they enter negotiations whilst doing due diligence? The end result would suggest that’s the case.

I’m all for transparency, but asking for clarification on the state of the club’s progress and demanding financial accounts are two very different things. It gets right on my nerves when this comes up - as if the owners of a football club have either the desire or obligation to whip out their books whenever some random demands that they do so. Presumably, if I were a customer of whatever business you’re in Sam, then you wouldn’t have any objection to pulling up reams of accounts at my whim?

Of course you would. You’d find that to be a ludicrous request founded on absolutely nothing. But of course it isn’t truly in the name of transparency that you demand these things, that’s just the rod the owners fashioned for their own back when they bothered to engage too deeply with Sunderland fans. The simple fact is that they owe you no explanation and I imagine none will be forthcoming. If somehow we were promoted twice in quick succession and we had an investor wealthier than we’ve ever been privy to walk through the door, we’d still have people crying wolf and demanding access to things that they have no legitimate claim to. If they spent £40m in the first window there would still be a malign forum/social media post somewhere piping up from under a rock with “aye but what about the 19/20 wage bill”.

Personally, until hard evidence appears suggesting that Donald and Co. have been anything less than honest with us as fans, or that their intentions are any less than pure, I won’t hitch my wagon to these baseless conspiracy theories.

Sunderland AFC via Getty Images

Dear Roker Report,

I’m gutted George has gone, he wasn’t the greatest player but his commitment, work rate, and he was a Sunderland player who wears his heart on his sleeve,but our fans have go at a player who has a bad game or doesn’t play well and we drive good player away, Jordan Henderson is an example, and look where he is now, so becareful what we wish for,bear in mind this just my opinion,but looking at this team they don’t fill me with any confidence at the moment

Alan Fenwick

Ed’s Note [Damian]: I’m rather optimistic about the team as it stands Alan, but I have to say I was a bit gutted to see Honeyman leave, not least for the reasons you’ve mentioned.

The treatment that some players receive from sections of our support must be a big factor in the decisions they make when it comes to moving on. Imagine working your arse off for years and giving everything you have for the shirt, going on to score goals and captain the team you’ve loved since you bought your first pair of football boots, only to receive abuse in spite of physical and statistical evidence to the contrary?

If I were Honeyman I’d be consoling myself with the fact that although I may not be able to play for my boyhood club anymore, I’d be getting a chance to move on from all of that and concentrate on my football.