Sunderland need to start putting their fans first — through deeds and not words (2024)

When a genuine red and white icon arrived as chairman on a tidal wave of renewed hope, goodwill and excitement at what the future held for a club he loved, it felt like a new dawn had broken on Wearside following the pain of Premier League relegation in 2005/2006.

It’s true that Niall Quinn was faced with a monumental to-do list when he and the Drumaville Consortium took over at the Stadium of Light in 2006, but just as he’d done when he represented our club as a player, Quinn stood tall, embraced the challenge, and began the hard work of rebuilding the connection between Sunderland AFC and its fans- a connection which had been damaged during the trauma of the final season of Bob Murray’s ownership.

Quinn did what’s so important when trying to win round disaffected football supporters and his approach was simple: he listened, he showed empathy, and he did it with charm, warmth and charisma.

He made a point of getting out into the community, meeting with the fans, engaging with them, and ensuring their concerns were taken onboard.

It gave everyone hope- and it certainly did for me when I wrote a letter to the club and received an extremely encouraging reply in return- and even if the journey ahead might’ve been bumpy, we knew that it would be overseen by a man who had the club’s best interests at heart.

Fast forward eighteen years, and Sunderland are in better (if by no means impressive) shape on the field than we were back then, but in terms of fan unrest, concerns about the future, and supporters feeling as though they’re being taken for granted?

The similarities are there, and now it’s the turn of David Bruce to pick up the baton that Quinn once carried with such distinction.

During his recent interview, Bruce spoke impressively and calmly, like a man who understands the scale of the task he faces at Sunderland and is determined to tackle the issues that have shadowed the club for a long time. He acknowledged that mistakes have been made and the mood often misjudged, and expressed his desire to see this change.

However, without downplaying the authority with which he spoke and the good intentions that doubtless form the basis of his approach, this is nothing new.

Recorded interviews with club figures are a favoured method of communication nowadays, but there comes a time when set phrases and carefully-worded answers need to be replaced by action of substance and meaningful impact.

Bruce’s background in the glitzy world of Major League Soccer ought to give him the kind of grounding needed to make an impact at the Stadium of Light, and it’s fair that he’s judged on what he actually accomplishes for Sunderland, instead of what he says he’d like to achieve.

Suffice it to say, there’s much to ponder.

At the moment, the primary elephant in the room when it comes to fan communication and engagement is the frankly ludicrous wait for details of Sunderland’s pre-season trip to Alicante- with the prolonged search for our next head coach interrupted by a statement from Kyril Louis-Dreyfus that was published on Friday, a statement whose words will hopefully carry weight when the announcement is made.

Given that there’s just over a month before the plane takes off, the fact that no information about locations, potential opponents and so on has been released is simply not good enough, and it’s leading to accusations of the club either being asleep at the wheel, simply not caring about its fans, or that the entire trip is in danger of not going ahead at all.

Whenever the radio silence from the club has been interrupted recently, it’s generally been to promote things such as the summer concert series at the Stadium of Light or to wish a former player ‘happy birthday’.

Had this been done while simultaneously informing the fans of exactly how they can follow the Lads to Spain this summer, that would be fine.

Instead, it gives off the impression- and not for the first time- that they’re woefully out of touch with the fans and seemingly in no rush to rebuild the ‘connection’ which was spoken about during Bruce’s first interview.

At Roker Report, we regularly receive emails and tweets from fans who are fed up of feeling as though they don’t matter beyond putting money into the club’s coffers.

Although the discussions can often be somewhat fierce and views expressed without a filter, we’re extremely proud to be able to offer the fans a platform and it’s essential that the views of everyone are heard and respected.

Photo by Richard Sellers/PA Images via Getty Images

Is it wrong for the supporters to feel so hacked off? Is it right that lifelong fans who’ve followed the team far and wide are left feeling cut adrift because of the club’s inability to treat them with due respect? No. It absolutely isn’t.

After all, no club can hope to succeed without everyone pulling in the same direction and standing shoulder-to-shoulder behind a common cause. Unfortunately, that’s certainly not the case at Sunderland, and it’s for those in the boardroom to take steps to remedy it.

If Bruce’s vision is to be realised, optimistic soundbites alone won't cut it, and as encouraged as we might’ve been by his first interview, it’s time for words to be replaced by deeds, because that’s the only way for trust to be rebuilt.

If Quinn was willing to put in the legwork in order to get this club on its feet and pointing in the right direction again, there are no reasons for the current regime not to do so in 2024. Let’s hope they don’t shirk the task.