Welcome Sunderland

[UTS]

We have sold out nearly every game this season. If our Stadium had the capacity we'd have 50k home fans there on Saturday, such is the demand. Has Sunderland ever taken 70k away fans to Old Trafford?

You’ve averaged 700 more than Sunderland this season despite Wolves winning the league and Sunderland finishing bottom. I think that says it all.

 

[markwwfc1992]

You’ve averaged 700 more than Sunderland this season despite Wolves winning the league and Sunderland finishing bottom. I think that says it all.

It's quite hard to aerage more than your stadium capacity. Sunderland can sell 48000 when they're doing well, we can sell 28k when we're doing well. The demand has been much higher recently but we don't have the room.

 

[UTS]

It's quite hard to aerage more than your stadium capacity. Sunderland can sell 48000 when they're doing well, we can sell 28k when we're doing well. The demand has been much higher recently but we don't have the room.

All well and good saying your stadium is too small but it isn’t is it. You’ve not averaged over 30,000 for 48 years. Molineux I’m guessing was much bigger back then too with terracing.

 

[markwwfc1992]

All well and good saying your stadium is too small but it isn’t is it. You’ve not averaged over 30,000 for 48 years. Molineux I’m guessing was much bigger back then too with terracing.

We'll see in a few years. The plan is to build the stadium to around 48k-50k in the next few years. If Fosun's plan of European football becomes a reality then I see us being able to sell that out.

Going back 48 years we were as far down as the old 4th division. No team will sell 30k tickets in the 4th tier.

 

[bantamigo]

Sunderland are bigger than Wolves. Comparing a club doing really well with a club probably at their lowest ebb for decades, maybe ever, is a bizarre shout.

 

[UTS]

We'll see in a few years. The plan is to build the stadium to around 48k-50k in the next few years. If Fosun's plan of European football becomes a reality then I see us being able to sell that out.

Going back 48 years we were as far down as the old 4th division. No team will sell 30k tickets in the 4th tier.

No, 48 years ago, in 1970, you averaged 31,164 and finished 13th in the first tier.

It was in 1987 when you found yourself in the 4th tier, you averaged 5,754 that season.

All available here:

http://www.european-football-statistics.co.uk/attnclub/wolw.htm

http://european-football-statistics.co.uk/attnclub/sund.htm

 

[Kim Mitten]

Biggest budget of all time in the 3rd tier.

As things currently stand for them they may well have an average budget for this level next season, if they even have a budget to work from at all. If they start next season with their current setup I can see them being mid-table at best. An owner who is literally not putting a penny into the running of the club, a £140M+ debt which is only being paid off with player sales and any matchday profit.
If nothing changes over the summer and Chris Coleman or whoever can get them anywhere near the top of this division next season it will be a monumental achievement.
The flip side is if they are sold to someone willing to wipe out that debt and fund a complete overhaul, then, they should be winning this division next season.
Hope the away support is still as good. In 30 years of watching Southend, Sunderland have been the most impressive away support for noise and numbers I've seen at Roots Hall, only Leeds have come close.

 

[Caer]

As things currently stand for them they may well have an average budget for this level next season, if they even have a budget to work from at all. If they start next season with their current setup I can see them being mid-table at best. An owner who is literally not putting a penny into the running of the club, a £140M+ debt which is only being paid off with player sales and any matchday profit.
If nothing changes over the summer and Chris Coleman or whoever can get them anywhere near the top of this division next season it will be a monumental achievement.
The flip side is if they are sold to someone willing to wipe out that debt and fund a complete overhaul, then, they should be winning this division next season.
Hope the away support is still as good. In 30 years of watching Southend, Sunderland have been the most impressive away support for noise and numbers I've seen at Roots Hall, only Leeds have come close.

Yeah a lot is riding on us finding a new owner next season. After contracts run out and loan players return we have less than a starting XI of first team players with the 13th highest debt in European football and a current owner unwilling to spend on suitable replacements. Adding to that we have won 12 games in 2 seasons and the atmosphere at the club from top to bottom is toxic with nobody to fix it.

On paper it sadly has all the makings of another bad season. Although that can all change with the right owner, but that's true for many clubs in the football league.

 

[Indian Dan]

Wolves are famous for being the reason the Champions League/European Cup was created (a certain game vs Honved in 1954).

Remind what what are Sunderland famous for? Won a few trophies before WWII?

Nicking our spot in the top division after we beat them in the play off final under Ardiles. Bastards!

 

[PuB]

We relegated Sunderland once and replaced them in the league above.

True story.

 

[finley]

Wasn’t Sunderland once known as the Bank of England

 

[The Mustard Tiger]

C'mon everyone. The petty dick flapping over who supports a bigger club is boring and has been done to death. And good luck Sunderland. The fans deserve something to cheer after a few miserable years.

 

[Indian Dan]

Just goes to show. It matters not the size of the club, a shitty owner can fuck it up big time no matter which league you’re in.

 

[ThisTinpotLeague]

Wolves are famous for being the reason the Champions League/European Cup was created (a certain game vs Honved in 1954).

Can confirm that this is all anyone thinks of when you mention Wolves down here

 

[markwwfc1992]

Can confirm that this is all anyone thinks of when you mention Wolves down here

I should hope so, being mainly responsible for creating the Champions League is something we're proud of.

 

[Andrewboom]

We relegated Sunderland once and replaced them in the league above.

True story.

We lost the final so only the relegation part is true.

 

[Boletus Edulis]

Game changer today surely, if the new owners will indeed pay off the debt. If the case, am struggling to see how anyone can compete with Sunderland financially next year in this division.

 

[Hank]

According to reports Ellis Short has paid off the debt and the new owners will have a debt free club.

 

[villa loyal]

Bit of a shock to the system, but a lot of people predicted this. I'm sure they will bounce back.

 

[villa loyal]

You’ve averaged 700 more than Sunderland this season despite Wolves winning the league and Sunderland finishing bottom. I think that says it all.

Ignore Sunderlands average attendance, it's thousands off what it should be. They have probably averaged 24k being closer to the truth. The thousands of free tickets in the prem also made their home crowds look fantastic. Sunderland are a slightly bigger club than wolves though I'd say.

 

[Kenneth E End]

According to reports Ellis Short has paid off the debt and the new owners will have a debt free club.

Is this actually a payment, or was the person owed the money actually Ellis Short himself?

 

[Kenneth E End]

Game changer today surely, if the new owners will indeed pay off the debt. If the case, am struggling to see how anyone can compete with Sunderland financially next year in this division.

Of course they bloody can't!

£35m parachute, plus another £1m+ central funding and no doubt a few TV games too as the big fish in the cups.

 

[Hank]

Is this actually a payment, or was the person owed the money actually Ellis Short himself?

Both. £70 million owed to himself and about the same in loans.

 

[dedwardp]

I think Leeds & Saints both had 2 seasons down here, but only because of their massive points deductions.

Leeds took three seasons to go up from League One. Southampton started on -10 in their first season and took until the 11th game to get back to zero... then got 74 points from 36 games to only miss out on the play-offs by a point. Only came second to Brighton the year after though.

 

[Kim Mitten]

THE VISIONTM is coming to the North East, watch out Newcastle United, for in no more than 4 years they will be engulfed by the juggernaut of the new coming of Sunderland FC.
49,000 seats will no longer do at the Stadium of Light as everyone in the area, then England, then Europe, then the World will flock to see all Eastleigh FC could have been. Champions of England by 2021, rulers of Europe by 2022, they will not stop until every parent in China has named their newborns Richard Hill and laws are passed in South-East Asia making it illegal not to own a Sunderland FC replica kit.

 

[Luke Imp]

So Eastleigh's Chairman will own 10% of Oxford and how much of Sunderland? He's having to sell Eastleigh now, which isn't a bad thing for him because he ran that pretty badly bar a new stand and scoreboard.

 

[PuB]

Eastleigh are now royally fucked then.

 

[Marked Ox]

So Eastleigh's Chairman will own 10% of Oxford and how much of Sunderland? He's having to sell Eastleigh now, which isn't a bad thing for him because he ran that pretty badly bar a new stand and scoreboard.

I don't think he owns any Oxford shares anymore but could be wrong. He is co-opted on to our Supporters Trust Board though in relation to trying to get Community ownership/running of the stadium.

 

[SMH]

Always remember Sunderland fans took it particularly badly when we got to (and stayed in the Premier League). Apparently we had no right to be in the Premier League as we didn’t have enough fans. Have yourselves a nice dose of karma and enjoy Accrington Stanley in front of your legions of fans. Cheerio!

 

[Luke Imp]

Eastleigh are now royally fucked then.

Yep, well summed up by MTFC_07 here.

Over time, they are going to suffer from a huge double whammy. They have been giving out a combination of season tickets for adults priced at £120 and lots of games with free entry. They did this whilst they were being backed heavily and for some of this time, did well in the National League. They are now, without the backing, going to have to price their season tickets at around treble the previous amount, £300+, to remain sustainable, and there will be no free games. People will be effectively asked to pay 3x the money to watch a relegation battling team, who are poorer and less value for money entertainment wise than before. This, for me, is why small backed teams who offer out these cheap season tickets while the going is good, are not using good business models. Eastleigh are not alone in that strategy in the National League.

I don't think he owns any Oxford shares anymore but could be wrong. He is co-opted on to our Supporters Trust Board though in relation to trying to get Community ownership/running of the stadium.

Ah right, thought I read something from him last season about still having 10% of Oxford. Might have been when your new guy was coming on board and was asked about buying more shares.