Red Card recognition
There was some positive news for Sunderland at the start of the month, when the club was recognised for its commitment to community engagement and its strong anti-racism stance at a Show Racism the Red Card Hall of Fame event at Downing Street.
Given a Club Award for its active role in supporting the campaign, SAFC’s work tackling discrimination through workshops and initiatives was hailed by Chief Executive of the group Ged Grebby and Honorary President Shaka Hislop, and it is truly heartening to see Sunderland remaining committed to building a club and community “where everyone feels welcome”.
It was an honour to represent Sunderland AFC as the club was inducted into the Show Racism the Red Card Hall of Fame at 10 Downing Street this week.
We’re proud to support the vital work of @SRTRC_England in our local community across the North East. pic.twitter.com/6lrHhL7Cin
— Sunderland AFC SLO - Chris Waters (@CWaters_SAFC) June 6, 2025
Coach Weal’s away
Temporary First-Team Goalkeeping Coach Tom Weal, who was brought in earlier in the year to enable Alessandro Barcherini to provide cover when Mike Dodds moved on, has now left the club as expected and has taken up a position at MK Dons. Head of Coaching Stuart English praised the role Weal had during the promotion run in and publicly thanked him for his dedication and hard work whilst on Wearside.
Just the ticket
Sunderland’s much-anticipated multi-year partnership with SeatGeek has now gone live and supporters are reminded to activate their new account by logging in with their existing customer number and resetting the password. Friend and Family Networks may also need to be recreated, although the club have set up relationships for supporters that purchased 2025-26 season tickets in the same transaction.
Black Cat Points from 2021-22 meanwhile have been removed as per the 3-year rolling policy already in place.
For information and help using the new ticketing website, click here.
Solid Foundations
In March, Sir Gareth Southgate presented a talk for the BBC’s annual Richard Dimbleby Lecture during which he pointed out the lack of positive role models for young men in society and warned of the dangers facing them currently, such as addiction, isolation and a reluctance to talk about their emotions.
During his speech he referenced a report from the Centre for Social Justice that stated boys and young men are seeing a “staggering” increase in numbers for those not in education or employment, and the Foundation of Light has now launched a new campaign aiming to showcase the work already being done to try and tackle some of the issues being raised.
Targeted programmes use sport and football to mentor young males, and provide education and skills training, mental health workshops and other vital pathways. The new ‘We are Role Models’ message seeks to highlight the work being carried out by Foundation staff and encourage other members of the community to acknowledge the influence they can have.
The Foundation hopes that Sunderland’s return to the Premier League will help increase awareness too; should you wish to donate or volunteer, or to learn more about the support the charity can offer, visit Foundation steps up for young men across North East
Seeing Stars
In June, Sunderland launched their hummel 2025-26 training and travel wear ranges with a photoshoot at The Alexandra Steakhouse Stadium, home of Northern League Division Two side Seaham Red Star – presumably in recognition of the town’s deep-rooted support of the club over the generations. Different items from the collection feature either the current crest or the popular ‘ship badge’ from the Roker Park days, whilst hummel’s ‘iconic chevrons’ are also used on the navy, blue and white pieces.
Young guns to be tested
As Graeme Murty’s U21s start to look ahead to 2025-26 it has been confirmed they will again be taking part in both the National League Cup and the Premier League International Cup.
Sunderland took part in the inaugural National League Cup last season, with the competition being created to try and ‘bridge the gap between youth football and the senior men’s game…pitting Under-21 sides against senior National League opposition’. Their most notable Group C performance was a 5-1 victory over Tamworth a couple of months before The Lambs took on Tottenham in the FA Cup, but it was not enough to secure passage into the knockout stages.
A 13th place finish in Premier League 2 did though earn them a spot in the International Cup, where Sunderland will once again line up against other top ranked European Academy sides. Murty oversaw some strong performances in the tournament, including victories against Benfica and eventually finalists Lyon, and the squad were unfortunate not to progress from Group B having finished just one point short of the two qualifying sides.
Pastures new
Ben Crompton (Ross County) and Caden Kelly (South Shields) have both lined up new deals since their release from Sunderland, whilst The Lasses’ retained list has also now been submitted – with Megan Borthwick, Jenna Dear, Grace Ede, Amy Goddard and Mary McAteer all due to move on.
As expected, Megan Beer and Grace McCatty have both retired, whilst loanees Jessie Stapleton and Keira Flannery will return to their parent club West Ham United for the time being. Meanwhile, Eleanor Dale, Katie Kitching, Libbi McInnes, Katy Watson and Ellen Jones have all agreed new contracts.
Sunderland v Sheffield United - Barclays Women’s Championship Eleanor Dale will be back for 2025-26
Photo by Ed Sykes - The FA/The FA via Getty Images