Fan Letters: “Waiting for Sunderland to resume their league campaign is as dull as ditchwater!”

Dear Roker Report,

As football experts, can you explain something to me?

FIFA tell us to ‘concentrate on the sport’, so my question is purely regarding the sport itself.

Which specific law of football would wearing an armband break that would put it on par with an unfair or dangerous tackle?

It could mean an armband wearer who celebrates his goal by taking his shirt off is red-carded!

Andrew Bailey.

Ed’s Note [Phil]: Hi Andrew, thanks for your letter!

I suspect that there is no actual rule that would be broken by wearing an armband. This move by FIFA is clearly designed to stem any unrest from the host nation of the World Cup, and it’s been quite sad to see England cave in at the first sign of pressure.

I accept that they don’t want players running the risk of suspension, but some things are bigger than football, and FIFA needs to grow a spine and back down on their ridiculous threat.

Photo by VIRGINIE LEFOUR/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images

---

Dear Roker Report,

Waiting for Sunderland to resume their league campaign is as dull as ditchwater.

I’ve been watching the World Cup, but it’s not really the same as watching the Lads or even thinking about them.

I know they’re abroad on warm weather training, but I think some good social media content or some interviews would be helpful to alleviate the boredom!

John Fenwick.

Ed’s Note [Phil]: Hi, John. Thanks for getting in touch!

I agree that it’s turning into a very long wait as we look forward to the season restarting when we play Millwall. The timing of the World Cup break hasn’t been ideal, but at least we signed off with a win before things came to a halt.

In terms of social media content, I think there’ll be some updates from the club’s training camp in Dubai. I wouldn’t be surprised to see some videos of the likes of Ross Stewart being posted, and that’ll hopefully get everyone excited for the first game back!

Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images

---

Dear Roker Report,

Granted, it’s just someone’s opinion, but how is it that so many of our fans would be happy to see Ross Stewart leave?

He is central to our plans going forward, and although I know that all players have a shelf life and there’s a right time to sell, why would we even consider selling him unless the money was daft?

Sometimes you have to divert from the plan if it makes more sense, and I see no sense in letting Stewart leave.

I’d rather he went for free a year later than lose him in January or in the summer.

Jack Ward.

Ed’s Note [Phil]: Hi Jack, and thanks for your letter.

The future of Stewart is one of the big talking points of the moment, and there seems to be a consensus that he’s a player whose services should be retained.

However, if he were to leave in January, the real test would be who we brought in to replace him. We found an absolute diamond in Stewart, and although it might seem unlikely for many fans, who’s to say that we can’t find another striker with the potential to become as influential as he has?

It’ll be interesting to see how it pans out.

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