I don't know, I wasn't there, but Charlie Methven has mentioned on local radio about Sunderland fans being "quiet" at Wembley... Does he have a point. Even if he did, should he really be saying this given all the s4ite we have had to put up with over the last few years... As I say, I wasn't there, so I don't know
We were outsung by the Charlton fans. They had a drum going the entire game and, apart from when our goal was scored, they were noisier than us. That was in vast contrast to the approaches to the ground where our fans were much noisier and much more noticeable.
Isn't it the case Charlie that if your team gives you something to shout about them you'll certainly hear lots of noise. I wasn't there either but it's a bit churlish to come out and say that after all the support the fans have backed the team with all season, especially away from home and generally at quite some expense.
Maybe, despite being given the headiest of starts after 5 minutes, they knew that Sunderland, as a club, no matter who the owners, managers and players are, or whatever league we are in, will always be capable of letting down the supporters by either bad luck, shoot oneself in the footism, or generally by playing badly (often all 3 at once) when the chips are down. If the shoe was on the other foot and we went behind under those circumstances Charlton would have been all over us like a rash, Sunderland would have collapsed like some sort of huge collapsey thing and we would have found ourselves 3-0 down by half time. (I mean, could you honestly imagine Sunderland going on to winning that match if we had suffered that sort of set back? Can you fairycakes!) To not capitalise on probably the biggest gift ever given at Wembley (excluding a present from a certain generous Russian linesman) was nothing short of scandalous. I think Sunderland fans just had that gnawing feeling that things were about to go wrong again in typical Sunderland fashion. Nerves, whilst contemplating the inevitability of things going tits up will turn a party atmosphere into utter silence very easily. Now if we had done what most other normal teams would have done and kicked Charlton whilst they were down and getting the second goal the supporters would probably had lifted the roof off!
The buzz wasn’t there. It wasn’t impacted by the lads on the pitch, it wasn’t there in the build up, it just wasn’t right. People weren’t as excited for this match as they were for the Checkatrade, there was a shift after that game and it was noticeable. Hard as you try a failure, even in a tinpot trophy, is a kick in the bollocks, and it felt as if some, many, had lost the wind from their sales at that point. The crowd was smaller for the home Pompey game, but more boisterous and supportive. I think they may well be the crowds we see next year, 22-26k, of folk who will go regardless. A lot of people ‘thought we could win’, I didn’t speak to anyone fully confident that we would. It’s all been a bit weird since March, this wasn’t just on the day, and it certainly isn’t something Charlie should be alluding to. Blind faith simply doesn’t exist in football anymore.
He's on the cusp of a P R disaster , thought he'd have more sense really. Charlton gave their supporters something to cheer about. We were woeful.
I always remember Tom Cowie comparing unfavourably Sunderland fans to Newcastle fans....He never recovered from that
It reminded me a little bit of the tense atmosphere of previous seasons. But maybe just more deadened than brittle. I think players do spark off the crowd and expecting them to lift the crowd isn't always right. So many people talk of the 'Twelfth Man'. I don't think we always supply that and I don't think Charlie is wrong to say that.
We definitely don’t mate, I agree. Some kid in Trafalgar Square burning a Toon top and that as well. Why? We are here for SAFC like.
Think you’re right there... Also think, if we are sitting top of the league and winning regularly it’ll fill up. We were definitely quiet at Wembley. I missed the checkatrade final which I was gutted about and my parents said the atmosphere was immense that day but none of that was there on Sunday. Charlton had that but they’d come from nowhere to finish 3rd. We’d gone from a “win them and you’re up” to finishing 5th! Wind from sails and a limited expectation of win! I honestly think it’d have been better if their keeper had controlled that ball and not given us something to try to hang on to. Think the fans would’ve backed the team more. Our fans are very quick to get on players backs if something they try doesn’t come off. There’s no “hard lines keep trying” it’s just ‘oh that’s ****” from most sadly.
We definitely tailed off end of season like and it took the enthusiasm out of the fans. I think it was a combination of running out of legs and our key players simply not being fit. Mcgeady not fit. Maguire not fit. Grigg clearly not fit. Wyke even has been out for a long time. We still had graft from our grafters but no sparkle to liven a game up. The checkatrade final although to most it held absolutely no significance felt like a massive body blow. It just seemed to suck all life out of the club. Although after that game we were in pole position for automatic promotion we just lost our way and stumbled our way to another wembley defeat. Hopefully next season starts with a bit of a bang. Get the likes of Gooch Mumba and Kimpioka running around giving the crowd a lift with their youthful exuberance and sprinkle in a bit of quality from Mcgeady Maguire and hopefully Grigg and the fans enthusiasm will come back. Last season gave us our identity back to some degree. Fantastic support for a team of in general honest grafters with limited ability. We need to continue on this path keep the fans onside and we can continue to revive our club. It may take a while but the foundations are now set in place to do it. If we fail this summer we will dwindle into obscurity for a long time. Crowds will fall by the thousands and we will be simply a once famous club with a massive stadium and nothing else. We have to kick start this summer in a positive manner or all of last season's hard work behind the scenes will be for nothing. I guess ultimately what I'm saying is stop slagging the fans Charlie they have been fantastic with you and get down to some hard work. I'm not saying spend loads of money as it's not what's needed but we need to bring in the right kind of young hungry and physical players to get out of this league and start to rebuild this club. You done the easy bit last season now the chips are down you've simply got to succeed both for this club and for your financial investment.
He's not wrong but he should be careful not to criticise much because with the disappointment of losing both finals people aren't going to take well to it.
I agree there. It is a reciprocal thing though. Give us something to cheer and we'll cheer it but we have to not get on their backs as soon as the first bad pass goes astray. I didn't hear anyone actually getting on anyone's back at Wembley, it was just flat, but Twitter is full of people saying sack Jack Ross and equally stupid ****e.
I thought that shirt burning carrying on made us look a bit daft. When the Trafalgar Square gathering was boisterous but good tempered it made us look like loveable rogues. The atmosphere seemed good there before the Checkatrade but I wasn't there before the playoff final so I'm not really sure how it all went down. Burning shirts and stuff is what I'd expect from the Mags though.
A few of our fans near the halfway line said you guys were louder on occasions, but Charlton were more consistant. As if it really matters. We outsung Doncaster for much of the second leg semi, and most of the match they outplayed us. Your crowds are consistently high. The guy should go on porn hub if he's bored - two days after losing a play off final isn't really best timing for criticising fans who travelled from one end of the country to the other to support their team.
I wasn't sat far from Charlie Methven and I thought your lot were louder so I can see why he's reached that conclusion. And that bloody drum....
They should have built the new Wembley near Derby in the first place in the middle of England and maybe our luck might have changed, but your mp's/London based people etc could not be bothered to travel north of London, i remember 6am start from roker park for the 1985 final getting back about 11pm by coach. lets either scrap the play offs or get them back to home and away legs. And the Europa league final should have been switched to Wembley because it's Arsenal vs Chelsea, and they could have compensated the hosts. Also i stayed there for 4 days a few years back and the traffic is chaotic so getting to wembley with 80-90,000 supporters must be tricky, but i will say their transport system is the best anyhere, straight on a bus, a few minutes wait for a tube train and on to Oxford street in about 20 mins total. I went to Earls court with my 2 brothers and their mate and we kipped in the car down there in 1975 !
It’s not a North/South thing, as folk try to make it. It’s a capital city thing. Unless the FA can move ****ing London of course.
