Someone mentioned on here (not sure whether seriously or not) that SAFC should set up in London to counter the disadvantage we have in attracting the players who see London as the place they want to live. Team could fly to North East on Friday for weekend home games and Tuesday for Wednesday midweek games. So do we think an SAFC training camp on the outskirts of London is an idea to be looked at?
Great idea - let's set up a london based training camp. Bring the players over... Have them train there... Sign them up... Then piss them off by telling them we're based 300 miles further north!!
Your a harsh lot, it is obviously a problem attracting people up here as oppose the smoke, it's an hour in a plane, think it's far fetched but not as far fetched as your making it
I can see the arguments against it. Personally, it would not bother me where the players trained or lived. However, if it made a significant difference in recruiting better players, I certainly would look into the idea. Don't really think players would be in the slightest concerned about the geographical whereabouts of the club, and many away matches would actually be less distance to travel from southern base.
Tin hat at the ready! But I think to dismiss the idea without proper consideration would be very small minded. We already know that many players will not look at Sunderland, Newcastle etc. purely because they would prefer to live in or near to London. So why not remove that obstacle and create a more level playing field when it comes to recruitment?
If players would rather play for a team based in London purely for geographical reasons, then surely we don't want them. Their decision on who to play for surely has to be based on football reasons and not where the brights lights and shops are located.
Appreciate the sentiment, but in the real world we are losing out in the transfer market. Not talking about relocating the club here, just a training camp.
To be fair, a lot of the Premier League's elite players live outside of London in a little place called Cheshire. You just need to build a nice park, some big houses, some shopping boutiques where you couldn't get anything for less than ten grand, then have a Range Rover and Bentley dealership and Roberto's your papa's fratello.
Oh we already have all that up here too. But try telling that to many who don't even know where the North East is never mind Sunderland.
why not get the right shops located in a new shopping centre between seaham & ryhope. This could be built by Ellis to put John Halls effort in the shade. And make Sunderland the must be place for every wag. eazy.
Do you really have all that stuff? I was in Newcastle last year and they didn't even have a Selfridges or a Harvey Nichols up there.
Yes plus the waiting around in the airport before and getting through customs after and the cost on the club as the player will certainly not travel in the seats the rest of us sit in. Michael Owen used to bring his own helicopter to training at Newcastle apparently. He did well! You need players focussed and wherever they're meant to be on time with the rest of the squad.
I think it's a great idea, but maybe not London like.. How about we move them to Mauritius or the Seychelles. Then they can all go Marlin fishing together, have a kick about on a nice beach. Maybe even fly a load of hooter birds in to be their maids.
Hey we have Debenhams............. FWIW I wouldn't swap up here for London even if I became a multi millionaire by winning the lottery. I love the north east. But I'm not into my shopping and stuff. I like walking with the dogs along the river and stuff like that and getting out into the countryside with the family. No good from the big smoke. Cheshire is a lovely place mind
Why the **** would anybody with a sane mind want to live in London? Maybe like enjoy being run over & have their heads chopped off.
