Match Day Thread Gateshead FC v Sunderland AFC & South Shields FC v Sunderland AFC - Saturday 12th July 2025 - KO 12:

Sunderland travel to Gateshead and South Shields in a pre-season double header of friendly games.
Last time out Sunderland beat Sheffield United 2-1 at Wembley and were promoted to the Premier League. Gateshead beat Hebburn 4-0 in a pre-season friendly and South Shields lost 4-1 at Marine in the National League North.
Our pre-season friendly against Gateshead FC on Saturday will now be held at Hebburn Sports & Social Ground. As a result, our first team will face South Shields, while the development squad will play Gateshead at Hebburn Town.
Sunderland AFC’s summer preparations are in full swing with pre-season less than a week old, the Academy of Light has already been a hive of activity following a flurry of staffing and player additions.
Enzo Le Fée turned his loan move permanent on 1 July and was swiftly followed through the door by midfielders Habib Diarra, Noah Sadiki, and Chemsdine Talbi, along with experienced defender Reinildo Mandava. Three new coaches – Luciano Vulcano, IsidreRamónMadir, and Neil Cutler - have also joined the backroom team, while Florent Ghisolfi has been appointed as the Club’s Director of Football.
Sporting Director Kristjaan Speakman:
“There's always a special buzz when you come back for the first week of pre-season. For the Club to be back in the Premier League and for everyone to have that feeling that we are so close to Premier League games is really exciting for everybody.
“We want to be decisive (in the transfer market). We had a short space of time between the Play-Off final and the players returning, and now there’s a short space of time before the games start.
“To give ourselves the best chance of being really competitive, we wanted to try and get the group organised early, and we’re delighted to get the boys through the door in the first week.”
“We are scaling up in several areas across the Club. It is really important that we are Premier League ready and for us to have a sustainable model in the Premier League - the executive function is no different.
“I am excited for Flo to be coming on board. I think he enhances our capability to make good decisions in the transfer market and around performance - I am really looking forward to working with him.”
Regis le Bris:

Alun Armstrong:

Ian Watson:

Team Lineups:
Sunderland AFC Squad: Patterson, Moore, Noukeu, Seelt, Hjelde, Alese, Cirkin, Reinaldo, O’Nien, Ballard, Hume, Huggins, Johnson, Triantis, Neil, Browne, Jones, Sadiki, Le Fee, Aleksic, Roberts, Adingra, Rigg, Talbi, Mundle, Isidor, Mayenda, Abdullahi, Diarra, Bainbridge, Middlemas, Ogunsuyi.

Gateshead FC Squad: Brooks, Shelvey, Ferguson, Grayson, Richardson, Williams, Adom, Akinaola, Booty, Butterfield, Fenton, Johnson, Newton, Pani, Sheaf, Thompson, Malcom, Nouble.

South Shields FC Squad: Seymour, Sloan, Heaney, Carson, Ward, McGowan, Jenkins, Smith, Briggs, Savage, McGurk, Blackett, Crossley.

My two pence:
Here we are, back in pre-season already and looking forward to a big season back where we belong.
I’m looking forward to seeing how some of the new signings get on but this is likely to be very similar to last year's pre-season where we had 2 games on the same day, hopefully with a better mix of quality and youngsters.
Whatever happens – it’s all about fitness and getting up to speed
I’m going for a 2-0 Sunderland away win in both games

Live Stream:
To ensure as many fans as possible can watch this weekend’s first-team action, the South Shields fixture will also now be broadcast on SAFC Live free of charge. All streaming passes previously purchased for the Gateshead and South Shields fixtures, including the double match pass, will be refunded within the next 3-5 working days. Supporters based in the United Kingdom and United States who purchased a full pre-season streaming package will also receive a £9.99 refund, taking the package cost to £40.
https://www.safc.com/videos/subscriptions

Ha’way the Lads

 

Missed these! So good to have games back

 

I’m hoping we get a look at Triantis in the middle of the park

 

Triantis, Seelt and abdullahi I’m really keen to see from the off

 

Does the new home kit get an outing for these games?

 

Wahay!!!!! The match day thread is back

 

https://www.safc.com/videos/subscriptions

For those not gan

 

Good to see you....well done mate.Always looking forward to your posts.

 

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Great to have these back marra, looking forward to the Shields game with the lad. 4-0 to the lads....

Hhhaaa'wwwwaaaaayyyyyy the lads

 

Jameson could make his debut in goal for Gateshead. Sunderland lad

 

The away kit most likely

 

I’d be surprised if we weren’t in red and white at Shields.

 

Class that’s my Saturday sorted

 

Footy's back...is that the summer over?
I'm sure we're all full of optimism, nice to see you at it again RTB....bring it all on.HTL.

 

Think I’ll go now. Hebburn better than Gateshead - the worst ground in the country.

 

Just a development squad going vs Gateshead now mind mate

 

To ensure as many fans as possible can watch this weekend’s first-team action, the South Shields fixture will also now be broadcast on SAFC Live free of charge. All streaming passes previously purchased for the Gateshead and South Shields fixtures, including the double match pass, will be refunded within the next 3-5 working days. Supporters based in the United Kingdom and United States who purchased a full pre-season streaming package will also receive a £9.99 refund, taking the package cost to £40.

 

Aldi better stock up on their booze