Sunderland's Away Day Delight: A Winning Weekend for Wearsiders
After a long, drawn-out summer break punctuated by a manager hunt and the distractions of the Euros and Olympics, "proper football" was back with a bang as Sunderland made the trip to the Welsh capital. As is customary, pre-season optimism flooded the hearts of supporters, even if the logic behind it was as clear as a foggy Tyne. A sentiment which, I must admit, I heartily endorse, but I digress.
It's difficult to remember the last time Sunderland entered a season as an unknown entity. Typically, we've got a good sense of whether we'll be battling it out near the top or scraping the bottom, but pre-season performances and results offered no definitive answers. Our new Head Coach boasts a mixed bag of success and failure on his recent CV, and the squad remained largely unchanged from the one that delivered both exhilarating highs and soul-crushing lows in the previous season.
Despite the uncertainty, an away fixture at Cardiff was an exciting way to kick off the season. The early kick-off time normally provided the perfect opportunity for a weekend jaunt, but a Billy Joel concert at the Millenium Stadium on Friday night had inflated hotel prices to astronomical levels, putting a dent in even Chelsea's ninth-choice goalkeeper's weekly wages. We settled for a day trip, with the more resilient members of the branch braving the 7am Megabus. Having served my time with the blue and yellow wonder as a student, I opted for a more comfortable journey by train from Paddington. The carriages were packed to the brim with red and white shirts, with even more joining the throng at Reading and Bristol. Who could blame them for wanting to show off those beautiful Hummel stripes?
Cardiff, as we know, is one of those away days where you can enjoy the day out no matter the result. While the Bluebirds boast passionate supporters, the city centre lacks the hostile atmosphere of some more partisan away destinations (I'm looking at you, Stoke). After a catch-up with friends at the Wellington, we headed to our usual pre-match haunt, the Queens Vaults. My most vivid memory of this establishment was from our previous trip, when I was chastised for using a piece of pool chalk which, apparently, belonged to an angry-looking woman perched across the bar (nowhere near the pool table, I might add). Not wanting to repeat the faux pas, I politely asked permission this time. Adaptation, it seems, is key.
As luck would have it, just like our previous trip in April, the heavens opened up shortly before kick-off, but thankfully, we made it to the ground in good time. The game itself was a closely contested affair, with Sunderland exhibiting a level of resilience sorely lacking for much of 2024. Patterson's goal felt secure throughout the match, and earning a clean sheet without Ballard made the performance even more impressive. OâNien capped off a solid display with a header that sent the travelling fans into raptures. Clarkeâs late goal to seal the victory served as a reminder of how fortunate we are to have him in our ranks. Let's hope Ian Harte's attempts to engineer a lucrative move for him are futile.
We celebrated our victory at the aptly named Welsh House, relishing a rare positive start to the season. The weekend continued in a triumphant vein on Sunday, with the London Branch making the journey to Canterbury to witness Durham claim a narrow win over Kent in the One Day Group. A truly fantastic sporting weekend all round for those of a Wearside persuasion, and hopefully the first of many to come this season.
