Sunderland AFC: A Club Brimming With Hope And Pride!

There was something broody and a sense of foreboding about the build-up to kick off on Saturday — this was the first home game I’ve been able to get to this season, and my first Premier League match at the Stadium of Light since April 2017.The rain battered the stadium and it has to be said that they were abysmal conditions for playing football. The new lettering across the East Stand is another small but significant touch, and seeing our club’s name up in lights whilst the heavens opened was a fairly powerful sight.

The foghorn and the lighthouse effect on the floodlights added to the atmosphere even more, and on my first visit to the stadium since April, it felt as though I’d never been away.

With the score at 0-2 to Bournemouth, this majestic feeling lost some of its charm but even at that point in time, everything seemed fine. We hadn’t played badly and for that reason, there wasn’t too much concern about us getting back into the game — and that’s exactly how it panned out.

The second half featured some of the best football I’ve seen us play this season but not because of skills; instead, it was the amount of fight we put in. Levelling things up within a minute of the half kicking off was a big help, and this doubtless knocked the stuffing out of Bournemouth — yet they still looked dangerous during the rest of the game.

After a slow start, we took the game by the scruff of its neck.

Sunderland sides in the Premier League in years gone by would’ve lost this one about 5-0, but as we’re discovering week in and week out, this squad has a level of mental and physical toughness the likes of which we’ve not seen on Wearside for some time.

The noise when Brian Brobbey headed in what turned out to be the winner was special, as was being part of a sea of pandemonium.The eleven lads on the pitch had given it their all to turn a crazy game on its head and back in our favour, but we still had the best part of thirty minutes to see out, and it was during this period that the crowd and team came together as one.

Every forward pass, every throw in won and every tackle was cheered on by 45,000 fans as full time edged closer. The bright lights of the scoreboard showed almost 101 minutes had been played by the time referee Tim Robinson gave one last blow on his whistle, signalling the start of pure elation.

As our players soaked up the plaudits on the pitch, fans in every corner of the stadium clapped them off and headed for the exits with beaming smiles. This team is so special and every time I watch them play, it’s hard not to get excited. We’re moving forward as one unit and to have twenty two points already this season is an incredible achievement.

Whilst there’s a lot of hard work still do, it’s important to enjoy every second of what we do as a club. We’ve been fearless this season and we’ve beaten some very good, established clubs for this level.

Long may this continue, because we’ll have some days like Fulham away, but we’ll also have days like Bournemouth at home. It’s all about the journey — and this is one I never want to end.