It’s one area among many others in which those tasked with overseeing Sunderland’s social media output have made enormous strides forward in recent times.
In the past few months, impactful taglines have become their stock-in-trade and although the use of ‘Til the End as a playoff rallying cry wasn’t new, it arguably served its most powerful purpose during our eventual run to promotion, encapsulating the never-say-die spirit demonstrated by the Lads against Coventry City and Sheffield United.
Ever since promotion was confirmed and amid the reopening of the season ticket purchase window, a different phrase has taken centre stage and on Thursday, when the news broke that 38,000 season tickets for 2025/2026 had been snapped up and that there’s now a waiting list in place, it felt like the club had nailed it from a marketing perspective yet again.
Supporters can now sign up to be notified about news around 2025-26 season tickets, including when the waiting list goes live ✍️⤵️
— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) June 21, 2025
If anything was guaranteed to ramp up expectations for our return to the Premier League even further than is currently the case — some encouraging transfer business aside — it’s the premise of our home ground once again being packed to the rafters next season.
The areas around the stadium will be humming in the hours before kick off, the walk from the car parks and bus stops via the new Keel Crossing will be done with a spring in our step, and the prospect of welcoming the best footballers in the land to Wearside is sure to keep us going during the long summer weeks without football.
Just like they did at home and away last season and during the playoffs, when the rallying cry was issued, Sunderland’s supporters responded emphatically. They filled the stadium, they followed the Lads to Wembley and they’ve now shown incredible levels of trust in our future direction of travel.
What’s more, they’ve done so in great numbers, parting with significant sums of money and placing a lot of faith in the club’s decision-makers and entrusting them with the task of building a team who can give us a chance of survival.
Times remain tough for many but our exploits last season have given everyone something to believe in once again. No longer is Sunderland AFC the punchline of jokes about ‘banter clubs’ or the subject of case studies in how to mismanage a club into the abyss — a huge relief in itself.
Sheffield United v Sunderland - Sky Bet Championship - Play Off - Final - Wembley Stadium Photo by John Walton/PA Images via Getty Images
During last season’s home draw with Leeds, which took place in a white hot atmosphere, I remember thinking midway through the first half “This should really be a Premier League clash” as two sets of passionate supporters roared their teams on, with twenty two players giving their all in pursuit of victory.
If all goes to plan, some of the games we’ll witness during 2025/2026 will make that feel like a pre-season friendly by comparison, and as we saw during the relative glory years of seventh-place finishes under Peter Reid and our maiden top flight campaign under Roy Keane, the power of the Stadium of Light at full capacity isn’t mythical: it’s certainly real and it can play a massive role in the Lads’ fortunes, but it has to be unlocked.
With that in mind, it’s now down to those in charge to do everything in their power to ensure that the faith shown by the fans isn’t misplaced.
For a long time, I was desperate to see the connection between the club and its supporters re-established after some damaging times post-2016, and it’s fair to say that we’re very much on the right track in that sense, but goodwill isn’t something to be toyed with or taken lightly — something that David Bruce in particular will know all too well.
We have the nucleus of a promising squad, albeit one that needs plenty of fettling and reinforcements ahead of the August kick off.
Sheffield United v Sunderland - Sky Bet Championship Play-Off Final Photo by Michael Driver | MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
We have a head coach who’s won a place in the affections of the fans and a hierarchy who hopefully have a clear vision for Sunderland AFC, one that should be centered around establishing ourselves as a top flight team.
The potential is enormous; the season ticket numbers speak for themselves, and just like in 2006, I really hope those in the boardroom maximise the wonderful opportunity with which they’ve been provided.
Of course, success is never guaranteed but maximum effort to provide it should be. That’s the least we should expect.