Friendly match arranged

Safc.com

Sunderland AFC will face Al-Shabab Football Club in a friendly fixture during their upcoming trip to the United Arab Emirates.

Tony Mowbray’s side will travel to Dubai on Sunday for a week-long training camp ahead of a return to Sky Bet Championship action on 3 December when Millwall visit Wearside.

The fixture against Al-Shabab, who currently sit first in the SPL, will be played on Friday 25 November at 17:00 GST (13:00 GMT) at Jebel Ali Centre of Excellence.

 

Well that's gone down like a lead balloon.

 

Be nice to see the likes of Stewart get on the pitch.

It's also good to know the club can afford to organise this kind of trip ...

... not as skint as some insist on maintaining.

Not at all happy about the Saudi aspect though.

 

Opinions on this?
Personally, I think this is wrong.

 

Agree, it's a no from me.

 

Sunderland to face Saudi Arabian side Al-Shabab Football Club in Dubai during training camp next week, KO 1pm on Friday 25.

Cannot believe this has been arranged, pr own goal

 

Would love to know who organised this. Disagree with the Dubai trip to begin with but to then play a Saudi side is a disgrace. If we have to go to Dubai, Stoke are there at the same time as us, just play them?

 

Wonder if the RAWA or other branches get involved and disagree with it.

 

Surely they won't get sportswashed...

 

Not happy with playing there.

 

I think its great we are in Dubai

I think its great we have a friendly.

The fact the club thought playing a Saudi side was a good idea makes me really worry about how attached to reality they are. Incredibly tone death.

 

Stupid decision.

 

Really weird thing for the club to do. Anywhere but there.

 

I know its on over-reaction and not related but it just seems to be a completely un-thought through idea.

Whether fans should be annoyed or not is irrelevant. Doing something which is obviously going to cause such unrest is just mind-numbingly stupidly avoidable.

 

I just emailed Chris Waters asking him to pass along my objection as a fan on this one. Won't change anything, but there you go.

 

Meh. Can't say it bothers me at all. Just yet another stick for people to beat the club with

If we were touring Saudi, playing their teams on their patch and being entertained by a murderous regime then I could understand it. This is just 2 sets of lads playing a game of non-competitive football

 

Agree TC, if we were gaining financially from the Saudis I would think differently, but a training game during a mid season break is incidental and meaningless to me

 

Pathetic decision.

 

I have no issues. Kicking a ball round the training pitch wont do us much good. We can only keep improving as a team by playing proper games

 

Aye. It bothers me a tiny bit. But not much. What I'm really annoyed about is how stupid it is from a PR perspective. I mean literally the only worse thing from a PR perspective right now would be to play a friendly against Spartak Moscow.