Sunderland Latest Football Team News for the 2017 – 2018 Season
- Thu, 23 May 2019 12:19:06 +0000: Michael Gray: 'All people want to hear about is that bloody penalty' - Sunderland | The Guardian
The former Sunderland player talks about play-offs heartbreak, the kindness of fans and having a giggle with Clive Mendonca
By Richard Foster, author of The Agony and the Ecstasy
When Doncaster Rovers captain Tommy Rowe sliced his kick wide of the goal in the penalty shootout at The Valley last Friday, Charlton fans invaded the pitch and gleefully celebrated with the players. They were going to Wembley for a play-offs final against Sunderland. The younger fans cavorting on the field will not remember the time the two clubs met at the old Wembley in 1998, but they will surely have heard stories from the older generation about what is perhaps the greatest play-offs final of them all.
That match 21 year ago also ended in a Charlton victory after a penalty shootout, with lifelong Sunderland fan Clive Mendonca the hero after scoring the first ever play-offs final hat-trick at Wembley in a pulsating 4-4 draw to deny his hometown club. Michael Gray was the man who missed his penalty in that shootout, feebly striking the ball into the waiting arms of Sasa Ilic after the previous 13 kicks had all been successful. He has never been allowed to forget that heartbreaking moment.
It’s happening again! pic.twitter.com/92FdFHAv4u
Related: Bouncebackability: a word coined for the play-offs that fits them perfectly
Related: The Joy of Six: Football League play-off finals | Barry Glendenning
Continue reading... - Thu, 16 May 2019 20:53:18 +0000: Sunderland book League One final spot after cagey draw with Portsmouth - Sunderland | The Guardian
After the darkness of the past three seasons perhaps there is finally light at the end of the tunnel for Sunderland’s long-suffering supporters.
Faced with a vociferous Portsmouth crowd baying for blood with one fan ejected after appearing to aim a kick and a punch at the defender Luke O’Nien when he fell into the crowd in the first half, Jack Ross’s side stood firm to seal their place in the League One play-off final against Charlton or Doncaster with a performance of real maturity.
Related: Charlton’s Lee Bowyer brings back a taste of happiness after bleak times
Related: Bolton will start next season in League One with a 12-point deduction
Continue reading... - Sat, 11 May 2019 21:27:44 +0000: Chris Maguire gives Sunderland narrow lead over Portsmouth in play-offs - Sunderland | The Guardian
Sunderland claimed a 1-0 win in their League One play-off semi-final first leg against Portsmouth.
Chris Maguire scored the only goal at the Stadium of Light with a 62nd-minute volley, and Sunderland then had to hold on to their lead for the last quarter of the match a man down.
Continue reading... - Wed, 08 May 2019 11:00:08 +0000: Relegation blues: how a football team's fortunes can affect a whole city - Sunderland | The Guardian
Sunderland fans could end this season celebrating promotion – but the team’s 2017 and 2018 relegations hurt more than local pride
When Sunderland AFC take on Portsmouth in the promotion playoff semi-finals this weekend, it won’t just be diehard fans cheering them on. Local businesses also have a vested interest in how the team fares. “When morale’s high, people spend – but when it’s low they don’t,” says Andy Bradley, director of the Bridges, a bright, mall-style shopping centre in the heart of Sunderland. “If the team does well, parents spend their money on treats for the kids.”
The success of a football club can have a material impact on a city’s economy. When Leicester became Premier League champions in 2016, takings at the city’s tills rose appreciably, with the economic forecasting group EY estimating that the title triumph contributed a fairly immediate £140m to the local economy.
Related: Sunderland: where the terraces are a refuge from the uncertainties of Brexit
Continue reading... - Sun, 31 Mar 2019 16:24:13 +0000: Portsmouth’s Oliver Hawkins sinks Sunderland to seal Checkatrade Trophy - Sunderland | The Guardian
• Portsmouth 2-2 Sunderland aet (Portsmouth win 5-4 on pens)
• Hawkins keeps cool from the spot after McGeady doubleAs if Portsmouth supporters had not suffered enough in recent years, they were put through the torment of a penalty shootout before being crowned Checkatrade Trophy champions, with Oliver Hawkins sweeping home the winning spot-kick in front of a baying sea of delirious fans. Sunderland may have painted Trafalgar Square red and white but Portsmouth left this stadium a shade of blue.
Sunderland ensured a seesawing game culminated in penalties after Aiden McGeady’s second goal wormed its way in with a minute of extra time to play, but Lee Cattermole’s failure from 12 yards – Craig MacGillivray diving low to his left to save – ultimately proved fatal. Portsmouth will hope this is just the start of a successful end to the season, while Sunderland’s primary aim remains an instant return to the Championship.
Related: Portsmouth’s Jamal Lowe: ‘I thought, is this worth it, shall I pack it in?’
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The News Archives have been added below:
- Wed, 28 Jun 2017 15:17:05 +0000: Sunderland's Borini set for AC Milan move - Latest Stories, Video, and Commentary about Sunderland | BBC
Sunderland striker Fabio Borini is set to join Italian giants AC Milan, according to BBC Newcastle. - Wed, 21 Jun 2017 14:30:52 +0000: Fans withdraw Sunderland takeover bid - Latest Stories, Video, and Commentary about Sunderland | BBC
A television production company fronted by Sunderland fans withdraws its bid to buy the club from American Ellis Short. - Wed, 21 Jun 2017 08:00:34 +0000: Championship fixtures in full - Latest Stories, Video, and Commentary about Sunderland | BBC
Find out your team's fixtures in the Championship during the 2017-18 season. - Tue, 20 Jun 2017 14:21:59 +0000: Two make Sunderland takeover bids - Latest Stories, Video, and Commentary about Sunderland | BBC
Sunderland owner Ellis Short is set to decide between two takeover bids for the Championship club. - Sat, 17 Jun 2017 12:44:11 +0000: Sunderland assistant Bracewell leaves - Latest Stories, Video, and Commentary about Sunderland | BBC
Sunderland assistant manager Paul Bracewell leaves the club as they prepare for life in the Championship.
