Fan Letters: “I got my tickets and cannot wait for it!”

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Dear Roker Report,

I got my tickets for the play-off game and cannot wait for it.

But I wonder... will these measures still be in place when the new season starts in the summer? It might be difficult to get fans in the ground if we’re going to have to continue with social distancing.

I also wonder if the Lincoln game actually ends up costing the club money... what with all the extra measures in place.

John Sloanes

Ed’s Note [Chris]: It’s going to be great to see people back in the stadium, even it is just 10,000, but anything is a step in the right direction. I doubt we can tell what the situation is going to be by the time the new season comes around, as we’ve seen over the past year or so anything can happen in the space of three months.

Currently the roadmap suggests we might be on course for more relaxed measures but let’s take it step by step and hope we’re in a good place for next season.

In terms of cost, I’m sure there will be a break-even number, but I doubt it will be a big figure if is costing the club money, and I’m sure after all we’ve been through it’s a cost the club wouldn’t mind too much to pay out for if that’s the case.

Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images

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Dear Roker Report,

So you all shared a brief piece of my story when ‘Sunderland Til I Die’ came out. But I am an American who in 2014 hated soccer and thought it was a dumb sport - mainly stemming from our high school soccer team being undefeated and making fun of our football team who won one game.

But during the World Cup my office got really into it and made a betting pool to pass the time on the summer. After it ended me and my boss started to really enjoy it and decided we were going to pick teams to follow. And what better way than to take an online quiz. I could just bring myself to be like every other person I knew and cheer for one of these big clubs like man city or Chelsea. I needed one that was different. One with soul.

Questions ranged from what colours do you like. Do you want an American on the team. What location do you want. And well that quiz did a fantastic job because it gave me Sunderland. It started with following the club's Twitter account and reading articles. Then came with playing FIFA 15 and learning the players since I worked the weekend I couldn’t watch the games usually. Then came listening to every podcast I could find to hear what happened during the game and what was happening with the club.

And as the club fell down the leagues my love grew more and more and now it is morning coffee and SAFSEE spending $10 a match watching them come up just short of automatic promotion and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Joe Braun

Ed’s Note [Chris]: Thanks for telling us about how you got into following the Lads’ Joe, we’ve heard from a lot of fans like yourself who have started supporting Sunderland from afar, and we never tire of hearing them.

For most of us it wasn’t a choice, it was a family thing that was passed down and we were supporting Sunderland and that was that, so it’s fascinating to hear how others from across the world fell in love with the club and how they keep up-to-date. Keep in touch and let us know if you ever get across for a game one day!

Photo by Mark Fletcher/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images

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Dear Roker Report,

Saw a rumour that we are supposed to be interested in signing a 27-year-old free agent from Rotherham, sorry, but where do these click-baiters get off?

There’s not a chance we’ll be signing shite from the likes of Rotherham with the backing we now have.

Maybe when Coton & the other clowns were here but not now!!

>> https://www.footballinsider247.com/sources-sunderland-plymouth-and-aberdeen-in-race-to-sign-robertson-on-free-transfer/

Craig Foreman

Ed’s Note [Chris]: It’s a minefield trying to sort the inside knowledge from the guff in terms of transfer gossip. I think the signs from how we conducted our business in January is that the recruitment team are much better in keeping their cards close to their chest, and we aren’t likely to hear anything until a deal is signed and sealed. Which means we could be in for a frustrating summer that is full of rumour.

Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images