“SD said he came here for fun, but it is not fun anymore.”
These are the words lifted from the Red & White Army’s notes following their meeting with Stewart Donald et al, on the 16th July 2020.
The staggeringly amateur nature of this comment, alongside the implications for supporters, is completely embarrassing. It can be split into two areas from this quote alone: one displays the ineptness of those in charge, and what they thought they were getting into; the other shows the disregard for those who support the club, due to the glibness of the comment.
Starting with first, I’d have to pose the question to Stewart Donald and those who came with him - that’s you too, one-pound-Juan...
What did you actually think you were getting into?
Sunderland AFC is a club with proud history, and even prouder supporters. You came here to have fun? This is a big club, it has big expectations and those needed to be handled as such.
Your remit was not to come here for a jolly up. Did you just expect everyone to be best mates as everything magically came together in the end? You were expected to use your supposed business acumen to rebuild a club that has been decimated in recent years due to failing ownership, managers and players.
It certainly should not have been a light-hearted, throwaway venture - this was meant to be our salvation. It seems that your idea of that was firmly detached from ours, should your need to ‘have fun’ be believed.
This moves me on neatly to the second: the fans. We support Sunderland because we love the club. The majority of the city of Sunderland and its outlying regions (to say nothing of the many, many exiles) bleed red and white wanting little else than to see the club performing well and being successful. Certainly, we are here for fun. The fun of last-minute winners, devastating tackles and 30 yard face-melters, but everything is far deeper than that for us.
In recent times the fun has been far outweighed by misery. We have suffered back-to-back relegations, back-to-back lowest finish in our history, non-scoring strikers, disillusioned administrators, non-scoring strikers and uncaring defenders - just a few examples amongst other truly terrible times. We are at our lowest ebb, but I’m delighted that you came here for fun, whilst we are still entrenched in darkness.
I’m struggling to get over this statement. We have to deal with the low position we find ourselves in, and want answers from those in charge, yet we should be silent because it’s now not fun for you anymore. Are you naïve? Or just not cut out to run a club of this level? Frankly, I’d prefer an admittance of the latter as this charade has gone on long enough. The fact you thought you could come to this club - our club - to have a bit of fun just sauntering out of the division is deeply sickening.
So you wanted to have fun and now the party has ceased? What you should have realised is that managing a football club actually takes ability, finesse and a determination to be a real success. It’s not about sh*ts and giggles, it’s about hard work. Your attitude has shown your true colours – you are not able to lead this club nor are you fit to do so in any case.
Maybe think about asking for a few less pennies (Juan might have a pound spare) and you can go back to your fun life, Stewart. Maybe we will be able to have some fun of our own.