Editorial: Fighting for our club and city in the new era

Newcastle United’s victory over Liverpool in winning the Carabao cup has sent shockwaves through our fanbase, ending their 70 year trophyless run. Like it or not, the development represents a fact that makes us uncomfortable, NUFC, backed by their multi-billion Saudi ownership, are now pulling away from Sunderland after a 14 year stint or so of relatively equal stature (2007-2021) and are leaving us behind.

Although we survived the 1990s under the Keegan years, we held solace in the fact that they ultimately failed to win anything and spectacularly blown it numerous times when they were on the verge of doing so. This time it feels different, primarily because of their financial muscle in an era where big money has poisoned the soul of the sport, and some of course worry that they could end up becoming “the next Man City.”

While football is football, and it is only a game after all as they say, the fundamental anxiety Sunderland feels is that NUFC’s resurgent success comes with the growing “Geordification” of the North East. Beginning with that era in the 1990s, the concept of regional belonging has been increasingly fused with Newcastle United in a way which fundamentally alienates and marginalises Sunderland, with the name “Geordie” once having been a neutral term before the Keegan-Hall era. I can only note for one how excluding the obvious Sunderland Echo, every single regional media organisation (even the Northern Echo!) came out of the woodwork all guns blazing for Newcastle United. Likewise, whether it be the Angel of the North, in Gateshead, County Durham, being draped in black and white colours, or LNER openly backing the “toon”, it feels like we are the isolated streak of a NUFC dominated region.

Because of this phenomenon, for many Sunderland fans, it is more than just a game, it is a matter of who we are. Sunderland A.F.C is the club of our heritage, the club of our fathers and grandfathers, the club that represented the working endeavour and industrial past of our city. We are the descendants of miners and shipbuilders, and the Stadium of Light was designed to pay homage to that legacy. Be it the Davy lamp outside the ground, or the colliery wheel embedded on our crest, our club has become a symbol of the perseverance of this mighty city and its struggles in the 20th century. Sunderland A.F.C is a beacon, a hope and a belonging for ourselves pitted against the world.

Therefore, to see our identity increasingly encroached upon and threatened by a rival that treats us and our city with contempt is problematic for most of us, because it constitutes a denial of who we are and what is important to us. The same trend plays out in global politics, Russia denies the Ukrainian identity, certain peoples in the Middle East deny each others, and so on. The force of belonging is a powerful one, and thankfully as noted it is only a sport and we have moved beyond violence, yet it matters so dearly many to us.

It is no good of course dwelling on this with bitter, anger and resentment, rather, we must channel our passion and belief in this city into positive energy and actions. We must be prepared to act, but in an honourable and constructive way in order to defend our heritage and homeland, and to stand up for our voice. We must support our club, and support our city no matter what, but supporting is also not believing, it is also about doing. We should be prepared to put our money where our mouth is, show that we are willing to give something beyond mere words, stop moaning, and literally fight constructively for every single inch.

First of all, get behind the club. Some of us are not happy at the status quo as a good season is turning increasingly lacklustre, but I don’t see any constructive ends in turning against the management and ownership now, it’s no good just complaining. Get yourself to games and beyond what happens on the pitch, support the magnificent charity causes our club runs, such as the Foundation of Light and back their initiatives and programs for the local community. Second, support grassroots football in Sunderland. Back the smaller teams, help them acquire resources, awareness, cultivate talent and achieve local successes.

Third, support our youth. Tying into the above, we must do everything we can to support the youth of Sunderland. We must support and promote positive initiatives that encourage them to do constructive things and aim high, rather than engaging in mindless anti-social behaviour and fecklessness. We must seek to cultivate a new generation of football talent who is ambitious, determined and passionate. SAFC as it is has produced some outstanding players in recent years, from Pickford to Henderson and more. The talent is there, but we need to cement the significance of fighting for the homeland than jumping ship at the first sign of a better opportunity (which is understandable, but disappointing).

Fourth, we need to back our city. Now this is of course the most controversial topic, because there is a constituency of people who have made it their day job to deride Sunderland city centre and blame the council for pretty much everything, which by extension has been unfairly blamed on SGM, with efforts to photograph and support things in the city even being falsely condemned as “clickbait” because of the negativity induced. However, it is now time to draw a line on this issue for once and for all:

1. Supporting Sunderland as a city has nothing to do with party politics and must not be made into a partisan issue.
2. We must see the bigger picture, stop this political football and unite against the common “enemy.”
3. Sunderland is our home and heritage, and complaining about/hating on things endlessly on the internet achieves NOTHING

Hopefully, that is made clear. We support Sunderland as a city because we love Sunderland, not because we should vote XYZ. Yes that might be your opinion, and you have a right to be critical of things, but the bigger question is, what are you doing about it? What actions are you taking to make Sunderland a better place? We don’t want moaners. If Sunderland is to progress on every front we have put an end to the moaning, the apathy, cynicism, defeatism and be prepared to act. You should love and fight for Sunderland regardless of who is in charge and champion progress where it is due. We are one people, one city, one tribe, that is all that matters.

Fifth, back every community organisation and local business. We should champion every single community cause, charity and local business in Sunderland and ensure they are able to achieve all of their goals and implement their respective vision for the area. This is the foundation of local pride and belonging. If we cannot come together, we cannot help each other, support each other and uplift each other, we will continue to be divided and weak. What is Sunderland, if it is not for its people? Are we mere individuals, or are we a community?

Sixth, we must support local culture. We must support the culture of our city, be it in the form of art, books, music, film, poetry, food, and every single creative means and expression that defines who we are. We must be prepared to roll our creative sleaves up, to write, to paint, to sing, to express ourselves and project Mackem “soft power” to the world. We have already had some outstanding progress in this area in the form of texts such as “The Mackem Cewkbewk” we need to build on this. We are to reject the “Geordification” of the North East not through bitterness or negativity, but through the cultivation of successful talent.

In conclusion, we are now embroiled in a fight for our city’s future. This is of course is not a violent fight, it’s a metaphorical fight in the form of a struggle. It’s an honourable struggle, a virtuous struggle, whereby we must come together as Mackems and rise up against the harsh circumstances that has beset our city for decades now. It is not a fight against Newcastle, as per, but a fight to revive and secure Sunderland’s future, whereby we focus not on them, but ourselves.