Fan Letters: Advice for Sunderland fans making the journey to Leicester

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Dear Roker Report,

This isn’t really a letter but information that you might deem useful for Sunderland fans travelling to Leicester.

Travelling from the North East, you could leave the M1 at Junction 22 or 21A. However, that’ll take you a little bit longer to get to the ground and if you get off at 21A, you’ll approach via Narborough Road, which is to be avoided.

Ideally, you’d leave the M1 at Junction 21, but be aware from about 4.30-6:00pm, this junction gets extremely busy, so be prepared to queue. I suspect this is the way the coaches will be brought in.

Follow the Soar Valley Way (A563, this will be slow and busy) and Fosse Park Shopping Centre will be on your left.

Crawl up the hill, staying in the left-hand lane. After about a mile, turn left at the lights onto A426 Lutterworth Road, and after a couple of miles this will bring you to the ground. Then start your hunt for parking!

Now for drinking, and one local pub is ‘The Counting House’ on Freemans Common Road.

It’s located just off the Aylestone Road, behind the Local Hero pub (home fans only) and next to Morrisons Supermarket.

It does exclude away supporters when the game is deemed to be ‘high profile’, and I’d avoid the city centre and definitely ‘The F Bar’.

Just keep your wits about you. Leicester is in the Midlands, so the people still have an attitude and in general they aren’t particularly friendly.

For those arriving by train, as you come out of the main entrance, turn left and cross to the other side and you’ll find ‘The Hind’, which is rather a basic pub but does have real ales.

A better bet may be the Wetherspoons pub called ‘The Last Plantagenet’.

If you turn right out of the station, cross the road and turn left into Granby Street, this pub is down on the left.

Alternatively, you can head to the ground and drink inside, and I believe it’s card payments only.

Above all, make lots of noise, sing your hearts out for the lads and let’s have three more points!

Paul Wood

Ed’s Note [Phil] Hi, Paul. Thanks for getting in touch and also for the advice for travelling supporters ahead of next Tuesday’s game!

It’s sure to be a big occasion as two heavyweights of the Championship go head to head, and hopefully the thousands of Lads fans who are making the trip to the East Midlands enjoy themselves and can experience a memorable night under the King Power floodlights.

Photo by Nigel French/PA Images via Getty Images

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Dear Roker Report,

Jack Clarke should stay at Sunderland until the end of the season, because I think that we would get a lot more money for him.

When you see some of the players going for £20 million, I think that Clarke is worth that, if not more.

Colin Lee Anderson

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

I fully agree with your stance on Clarke.

There’s been a lot of talk about him leaving in January, but I think that if he is to depart, and assuming we don’t get promoted, it’ll be next summer, and hopefully for as high a fee as we can command.

In today’s market, a player of his class is easily worth £30 million, and I really hope that if we do sell him, we stand firm and ensure the deal is right. It would be a hugely significant transfer if it happened and we’d have to ensure that we’re not sold short.

Photo by Nick Potts/PA Images via Getty Images

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Dear Roker Report,

I’m not sure I agree with England fans booing Jordan Henderson like they did when he came on the other day.

I know not everyone agrees with his decision to go to Saudi Arabia, but what does that have to do with whenever he pulls on an England shirt?

I don’t say this because I’m a Sunderland fan but because I think it’s stupid. What good do they think booing him will do? Will this continue in future games where we need him to perform?

If I was Gareth Southgate, I wouldn’t be picking him, but that’s not the point. He’s there and he’s our player, so support him.

Ian Hughes

Ed’s Note [Phil]: Hi, Ian. Thanks for your letter.

I think the booing of Henderson has as much to do with his decision to turn his back on the LGBT causes he claimed to support and to embrace a country where gay rights are filed under ‘modern fiction’ as it does with the fact that he’s no longer England class and clearly not being picked on form.

Personally, I feel that Gareth Southgate should’ve ended his international career as soon as Henderson penned the Saudi contract.

Instead, he seems to have been indecisive and unsure as to how to resolve it, and claiming not to understand why the fans booed Henderson was misguided at best and ignorant at worst.

He could make the big call, but is he afraid to do so? Only Southgate knows for sure, but it’s not a great look, to say the least.

Photo by Eddie Keogh - The FA/The FA via Getty Images

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