Dear Roker Report,
Really good article from Tom Fowdy, well done in summarising it in plain English. We have been and are in the process of being well and truly shafted by our owners. Doing nothing is not an option. The fans to a man need to accept what is happening to our great club. This is our life. The likes of Bury, Bolton, Coventry etc, left it too late to stop a similar Situation to what is happening to us. Now is the time to turn SD agenda on its head. A petition should be started—good title would be “We Want all our Parachute Money Back”. Something has to be done before it’s to late.
Sam Lucas
Ed’s Note [Tom]: Hi Sam, hope you’re safe and well - thanks for writing in. I think a lot of fans are deservedly confused, upset, and uncertain of the club’s future as the financial news leaking out of the club continues to paint a grim picture. At this level of the game fans are the chief investors, in theory, and whatever happens to the club we will remain. I’m not sure what the future bodes with the pandemic still impacting the leagues - fans, though, will be key to the club’s future and might need to act.
Dear Roker Report,
Hi hope you are all well.
It will be two years that I said the new owners were wide boys after a quick profit and at the expense of the fans. From day one the club was far too big for them, baffling decisions from the start.
Firstly appointing Ross as manager, who had no English league experience, was a big gamble it failed. His replacement Parkinson even worse. The academy is now in a worse position than it has ever been that’s what you get when you have owners who talk the talk but can’t walk the walk. Every ex manager has said there is something going at Sunderland behind the scenes - what? I would love to know.
The fans are so used to failure, surely I cannot understand how many bad decisions this club has made from top to bottom over the years it is baffling and heartbreaking. The foundations are there to make this club a Man City the ground and the fans it’s all here we just need the right people. The current owners are businessmen and businessmen are only interested in one thing: MONEY. They have laughed all the way to bank. At the first sign of criticism Mr. Methven was long gone - rats do desert a sinking ship so they say. And Juan who!?
Unfortunately for the fans the owners are bored with there plaything. Yet again we have been shafted and a black hole has appeared swallowing 21 million. Shocked? No. Heartbroken? Yes.
And what’s going on down the road? They could become the richest club in the Prem - that puts the icing on the cake. I am sick of all the bullshit I have heard, just sell it I don’t think he will because he will probably default on this loan who knows what will happen then. Mr Donald, you have outstayed your welcome and if you are true to your word you said you would leave the club in a better state than you found it.
The next few weeks will decide the future of this great club, hopefully it’s a bright one every one take care be safe.
Mark Wild
Ed’s Note [Tom]: Hi Mark, all the Lads are doing okay, thanks, hope you’re keeping well, too? There’s no doubt that the club’s situation is a worrying one at present. I think many fans feel awful because we placed a lot of faith in the ownership team, and day-by-day news emerges that suggests they haven’t been honest with us. I think this pandemic will change football in some way, and at the end of it the market will be a buyer’s one - but will Donald and co. be willing to sell? Take care, mate.
Dear Roker Report,
To finish or no to finish the season that is the question. I think it’s 50/50 at the moment.
Top end of the table looking for promotion will love it to end now if that means they go up. Bottom end of the table will be thinking no way, we can still fight it out. Same goes to those in play-off positions - no way will they be happy for the season to end as it is.
All the rest not bothered if not going down or up. However, the players are also 50/50, whether to play or not. Well, if they think about how other normal working people are getting on with life, why can’t they?
If they don’t want to play, drop them, get the reserves in or youth team who would play, and finish the season. All the club’s can have things in place by June 1st, for this to happen. If it doesn’t then I think this season should be abandoned completely no promotion no relegation. Tough I know, but in my opinion justified.
Paul the Pensioner
Ed’s Note [Tom]: Hi Paul, thanks for writing in - hope you’re safe and well! The whole situation is entirely confusing, I think, and I don’t know what the best course of action is. I guess it all hinges on the Premier League and its fortunes - if they decide clubs are to be relegated and others promoted, then that’ll likely cause a chain reaction. But how do you decide who goes up and down? There doesn’t seem to be a fair way, unfortunately, and that is going to keep team talking instead of acting. Stay safe, mate.