Sunderland supporters have had their say on whether the Black Cats should be handed the 2014 League Cup
The debate over Sunderland’s 2014 League Cup final has resurfaced following the latest developments in Manchester City’s long-running financial case.
Sunderland lost 3-1 at Wembley after taking an early lead through Fabio Borini, with Yaya Touré, Samir Nasri and Jesús Navas scoring for City in the second half. The question now being asked by some supporters is whether Sunderland should ever be retrospectively awarded the trophy if City are ultimately found guilty and stripped of honours from the period.
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Opinions are understandably divided. Some supporters believe changing the result more than a decade later would be meaningless, while others say Sunderland should accept another major honour if the opportunity ever arose. Here is what three prominent Sunderland supporters had to say.
Gavin Henderson – Roker Report managing editor and podcaster
“I know we've all probably said something about Sunderland being the newly crowned 2014 League Cup winners, but it's all just a bit of a laugh really – I don't actually think we should be retrospectively awarded the trophy.
“Despite all the controversy of what Manchester City have done, at the end of the day we weren't good enough to win the game, and that was that. Twelve years have since passed; we've all moved on, so to then circle back around to it and claim we're now the 2014 League Cup champions is a little bit silly.
“What City have done deserves appropriate punishment – and how soon they'll actually receive that remains to be seen – but that's for them to deal with. If the authorities then start retrospectively changing the outcomes of leagues and cup competitions, it'll get even messier than it already is, and we'll probably still be sat here in 20 years awaiting the fallout from it all.”
Connor Bromley – Sunderland YouTuber, podcaster and author
“In a word, no. I don't think I care about Sunderland being awarded the League Cup 12 years after the event. I just think it's a bit of a nonsense. I also think you're opening up a can of worms with this. Would the team that Manchester City beat in the semi-final then say, ‘Well, we would have beaten Sunderland in the final’? Where does it end?
“So no, I don't believe in retrospectively taking trophies off the players. I also think those players did win those trophies. The only thing I would say is that if I was a Sunderland player at that time, or part of the coaching staff, I can understand them feeling cheated and feeling like they probably deserve to get something for it.
“But I just don't think giving a team a trophy 12 years after the event makes much sense at all, and I don't think it really does much for someone's history. I think it does put an asterisk on everything Manchester City have done, but I don't think we should be getting retrospectively awarded the League Cup.”
Adam Reek – Sunderland fan working in data analysis
“Yeah, I’d like to be awarded the cup. I wouldn’t be bothered at all if we were never given it and it wouldn’t make me suddenly start celebrating, but if there’s a chance to have another major honour on our trophy list, then why would I be against it? It would also make for a very funny encounter with the Mags. ‘You won the League Cup, did you? Well done, we won it 10 years ago.’
“It would slightly hamper their achievement and their ability to brag about it to us. I think City should be demoted out of the Premier League. Whether the EFL accepts them, that’s up to them. They should also be given a transfer ban, although I’m not sure what use that is after the last couple of seasons they’ve had spending big on young players. There needs to be a way of reducing what their squad is allowed to be worth, like the rest of us.”
Michael Bowers – Sunderland YouTuber and content creator
“Manchester City are found guilty of 114 out of the 115 charges, then. I suppose their success is up in the air in terms of trophies now, which includes their 2014 League Cup win over Sunderland.
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“While I feel 53 years is far too long for a club of Sunderland’s size to go without silverware, the idea of being retroactively awarded a trophy just wouldn’t feel right to me. I want success like the next fan does, but I’d personally want it to be on merit and on the pitch itself. But I’m curious to know what other fans think!”
Taff – Sunderland YouTuber and tactics enthusiast
“For all the what-if justification, do we instead beat West Ham or Leicester in the final (teams City beat in the quarters and semis)? I think we do. Going into the final, Sunderland were soaring: seven wins and a draw from 13 games in all competitions. Truthfully though… I don’t really care to be awarded it now. Looking back, it would have mattered little in the grand scheme of things.
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“A year later we were again mired in the relegation zone, Poyet left, and Dick Advocaat came in to save us. You hope for more sustained success when you win a cup; this would not have heralded much change for us, sadly and I long for more than an anomaly in the record books. Strike it from the record or award it to us, I don’t much care about it these days.”