A Sunderland supporter living in Australia has described the joys and pains of following the club from more than 16,000 kilometres away, as the team prepares for its return to the Premier League. The fan, who was introduced to the club through her English partner, says the early-morning kick-offs have been a challenge, but the promise of top-flight football this season makes it worthwhile.
The supporter recalls asking her partner which Premier League team he supported, expecting a London club or a glamour side. Instead, he said Sunderland, explaining that it is not a team you choose but one that chooses you. 'My dad was born near Roker Park … it’s in the blood,' he told her. She likened the connection to her own family’s ties with Norwood Football Club in Adelaide.
Following Sunderland from Australia has meant setting alarms for 5am to watch matches, often witnessing defeats. The club’s decline has been dramatic: finishing bottom of the Premier League in 2017, then bottom of the Championship in 2018, followed by three seasons in League One. Yet attendances remained high, with Sunderland recording the highest average gates in League One and the Championship during those years.
The fan describes the 2018 Netflix documentary 'Sunderland ‘Til I Die' as capturing the club’s importance to the city, which has faced economic hardship since the decline of shipbuilding and coal mining. The club’s success and failure are felt deeply by all, she says, adding that it is 'in the blood'.
In May, Sunderland won the Championship playoff final against Sheffield United with a last-minute goal, securing promotion back to the Premier League after eight years. The fan says the victory felt like a fairytale ending, erasing a decade of pain. Now, with the Premier League beckoning, she checks the summer transfer market while making her son’s lunch, noting the arrival of former Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka and several young additions.
