Last night I posted my bedtime ramble and it seemed apt to start today with some morning glory, dread to think what morning glory stories that could spark. Those of you who know me will know that I have never seen the point in using two words when you can find twenty two, I tend to ramble so hope you stick with me. When I sit at my laptop talking on this forum to fellow members I find it very easy to just think of those IÃÆÃâÃââÃÆââââ¬à ¡ÃâìÃÆââââ¬à ¾Ãââm chatting to as Sunderland supporters sitting at home, sometimes at work but all sort of near because we all support Sunderland. Now I know through talking to lots of you that many are certainly not near but I just had a read through the welcome thread and it just hit home how far and wide we are spread. We start in Southwick and Fulwell, spread out throughout Tyne and Wear then down through Yorkshire, past the midlands and to Devon and Cornwall. Along the south coast, through London and back up the east coast, through Northumberland, dodging those black & whites, and up into Scotland, we then really take off. I have seen most of Europe, Africa and India. Australia, Japan, Thailand, Canada and the USA. Maybe its just me who finds it hard to get my head round it nut when I sit and think about it, really think about it, we have a football team, situated in the northeast in a City that with the greatest respect is just a City, run down in many areas through decades of neglect by all political parties, ravaged by the decline in shipbuilding, the massacre of the coal mining industry and the almost annihilation of heavy industry. This history I know has forced many away to seek a better future but still many remain to proudly battle on. What I find remarkable is how this city in the northeast with its football team still brings all these people back to support them in any way they can. Now I know why they do and why they join a forum like this to still be part of it all. I suppose my point in this ramble is just how people like me, who live near Sunderland, take our mates from afar for granted in their devotion. I think its also easy to take for granted how fortunate we are to be able to go and watch the lads play, the way I will be on Tuesday evening. I love hearing stories of why people support Sunderland, where they support them from and what keeps them supporting. If you have a story to share, feel free.
Morning Syd! Great post! the red and white following does stretch far and wide and i like to think ive done my bit in spreading the word of SAFC around the globe! As a younger man i spent 3 summers in the USA working on summer camps and my Sunderland shirt was with me on all three trips! not the same one mind you as i found that every summer i went over I ended up giving them away to the friends i made over there!!! Happy days!
another top post by our new mod congrats syd a while ago i posted the thread safcworldwide, which was warmly recieved by most (although it did cause the your not local/ no support disagreement) with the safc ex pats spreading the globe the name and progress of the club follows children are born, the club starts to play europeans football etc, people take notice. look at man u or liverpool, household names globally, through succes and exposure. i myself are carrying the cause forward as in four month their is going to be another safc supporter be it boy or girl, only with brown skin and eyes, and the name of safc will spread once more, and so it continues worldwide, but origins in that city in the north east of england
I hope you enjoyed your early morning ramble syd! It was a good posting. Many times I have read the articles here and on 606 and been amazed at some of the far flung areas of the world some of our supporters find themselves. Thank goodness that the internet has made it easier for them to find out what is happening, or with the recent attempts to bring new player, is not happening <s> in the day to day running of the club.
Congratulations mate, always great to hear of a new red & white coming into the world and if I may could I just use this to expand the debate, the brown skin. In life, sadly, racisim and indeed predudice of all sorts still continues. I'm sure we have members reading these posts who have a prediduce against something, we all have I suppose. What I really love about these forums is the fact you cant see who you are talking to and that stops you being able to show many predudices. You have no idea on colour, sexuality, religion and in most cases gender. I always like to see how we can get along with most people if we dont have the ability to judge on anything other than what they say and how they say it. Hope I'm not getting to deep or contriversial. Stil cant spell by the way.
Morning Syd, I live in Huddersfield now but was born in Red House....always supported the lads ever since my dad and grandad took me to my first game when i was 5 and sat me on the railings in the fulwell end.....i must say thought that since i left Sunderland about 5 years ago my passion for the lads has never diminished but if anything has grown stronger...i now find myself spending endless hours scanning football websites, watching sky sports news for any little bit of news about the lads...and i also own more sunderland memrobillia than i could list my house is covered in it (so the wife keeps telling me).... even though i have moved 200 miles away (not that for compared to some but far enough) i still feel just as attached and as passionate as i did when i was a young lad...and when i go to games i get a feeling deep deep down that i really have returned home...... On another little note...i work in a bar near Huddersfield Towns Stadium, Lee Clark came in over Christmas with Terry McDermott and backroom team, he reconised my accent and asked where i was from (sounding a little excited)...when i replied Sunderland he soon shut up and walked away to a table and never came near the bar again..it was a Golden Moment ! LOL Keep The Faith.....
Nice one Syd. I particularly agree with your point that this medium certainly acts as an interesting filter. Where because of our inability to immediately categorise folk because of their size, shape, looks, colour, sexuality, etc. etc. We are forced instead to listen to their views and respond accordingly something we should do more of in the real world perhaps? As for me I'm a local lad through and through; bred and born in the triangle betweeh Durham, Sunderland and that other place up the road, and still living in C-L-S to this day. My grandad was a Sunderland fan on my mothers side so they were always going to be my team. I have a place in northumberland too and see plenty of the tribe on my regular weekends up north. I travel extensively in the UK too for my work and am always pleased to see the red and white or the badge when on the road and to know a kindred spirit is not too far away. For me the tribal element of football is one of the most important and enduring elements of a rapidly changing game.
As my profile will tell you, I'm along way from my brick in the north stand....this week one of my mates visited from Blighty(dodging the ****e weather i think) and he bought with him a prezzie...a new polo with "Sunderland Euro Campaign 2011/12" on the front. I guess I will be the only one in this town with a shirt of this quality...may be in this whole continent. But getting back to your thoughts Cyprussdsafc, it never ceases to amaze where you find "the lads". I would bet most of you have no idea where Townsville is...but I could round up a couple of dozen lads with red and white eyes...the truth is out there! The truth is RED AND WHITE. Ha'way the lads and FTM.
Do you think I may have blown it by posting my pic. I have noticed how the comments from the fairer sex have dried up since I did it.
Good post. I’m very new to this, sorry if it is a bit long. Enjoyed reading all the posts on 606, then Not 606, but suddenly found I couldn’t read them, so joined up. Enough rambling:- After reading this post I remembered something from a few years ago, I live and work in Norway, and used to go to the pub on Saturday afternoon to watch a match, especially if Wonderland was on. During the Sunderland games, standing or sitting with a few other supporters, I noticed a young lad with a Sunderland top on, sitting on his own. After a few matches I went to him asked if he was Norwegian he replied that he was, so I asked why? Why he put himself through the pain and agony of supporting Sunderland, when most of his countrymen support Mancu, Arsenal, liverpool, etc. He said his father worked in Stoke for a while and followed Stoke city. When he was 10 his uncle, while on a visit to the UK decided to buy him a football strip for his birthday, but knowing nothing about football himself just bought what he thought was a Stoke City strip, But… it was a Sunderland strip, and he has supported Sunderland ever since. He also said “Once a Sunderland supporter always a Sunderland supporter” I was born and bred Sunderland AFC, my Aunt lived in a flat above the shop at the Fulwell end. But there must be many strange reasons why some folk ended up supporting Sunderland all over the world
I never lived in the North East. I used to be a chain smoking indie kid, but then 20 years ago gave it up to get fit, and started playing footie. Then I met a Sunderland girl, and I started going to games with her family. In the divorce, she took the kids, the money and the car, but she couldn't take away SAFC!
I support Sunderland A.F.C. 'cos I'm a Sanddancer and follow my local team - simple logic and anyone from South Shields who doesn't support Sunderland A.F.C. is a gloryhunter and a traitor I haven't got a 'supporting from afar' story but I thought I'd 'speak up' for the locals . . . . having said that, I go to nearly all of the away games, too, having only missed 'Villa this season ( and Chelski last season ) etcetera, so I suppose in a way I do support from afar
