The game this week is against the team that is likely to win the league. The Prem. Englands top league. The league SAFC has been in for the past 9 seasons. Probably in front of over 48k people and being shown worldwide. Champions elect v team fighting for their lives, but still that team contains international players from an assortment of countries. Defoe, Kone, Kirchoff, khazri etc. Now lets rewind several years to the same weekend back in darker days. Much darker. The year in question is 1987. SAFC were in division 2 and struggling and struggling badly. A high profile manager, one of the best (sopposedly) but an utter disaster. I give you Lawrie Mc. The visitors were Sheff Utd. A paltry 8544 made their way to Roker Park to see Eric Gates, Gordon Armstrong, Steve Doyle and co. (who the **** is steve doyle?). Anyhow the game was lost 1-2 and yep SAFC were relegated a few weeks later down to the abyss of division 3. This is Sunderland. These things cant happen but they did. The following season SAFC faced an away trip to the mighty Southend. To play in front of 8109 people. Armstrong and Gates again along with Gabbiancini. G force. Lawrie Mc gone. Dennis Smith in. 1-4 win and soon to be promoted as champions of division 3. Division 3 only 28 years ago. Up and down, manager merry go round and changes of owners since. So when watching this weekends sold out game against champions elect (who are living their fairytale) in Englands top league, in a great stadium, remember things can and have been a lot worse. A ****ing damn sight worse.
Remember those dark days well. Would rather not go back there, even dropping into the second tier would be a disaster now.
Charlton and Bolton. Both ex prem clubs look like dropping into the 3rd tier. Whatever happens some big clubs dropping from the prem this season. Were Leicester down there not so long back? Where you at songkran?
