Roker Rapport

Aye, it’s all kicked off again. After a few weeks of elation, the minority shareholders at the club have decided to accept a bid from a crypto group by the name of TFT, and chaos/panic/rage has once again gripped Sunlun social media. So Rich sat down with our friend and fellow supporter Tom White - who broke the news on Twitter about the deal - to get his thoughts on it all... particularly the difficulties surrounding releasing information to his fellow fans without us suffering a collective nervous breakdown. What’s the crack? Well that’s the crack there. Not Charlie washing up his stash of Columbia’s finest... but instead himself and Stewart Donald have apparently accepted a bid for their 39% stake in Sunderland AFC from a group heavily involved in cryptocurrency. Aye. How did Tom come by the news, and what does he know about the deal as it stands?  What do we make of the statement released by Kyril Louis-Dreyfus about the news?  Is it possible to disclose information *as a journalist* with

Away from what will be an endless avalanche of breaking news and updates on the SAFC ownership saga for the next month or so - Our Gav Henderson and Chris Wynn sat down to try work out what our EFL League One best XI actually is - drawn from the past four years in the division - using the glorious benefit of hindsight! What's the crack? Exactly what it says on the tin lads and lasses - I encourage all of you, after listening in, to head to the RR social media feeds and tell them where you think they went wrong... or agree. The former is always so much more amusing.Enjoy the trip down memory lane!#SAFC #EFL #Championship #LeagueOneXI See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Our Gav is here with a very quick breakdown of some breaking news surrounding the Sunderland ownership situation as revealed today by SSN's MLF - Tom White!We'll update as more information becomes available lads and lasses! #SAFC #KLD #EFL #Championship See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Rich, Gav and Chris sat down to finish the promotion Pod trilogy with a discussion surrounding the Sunderland management saga this year - looking at the rise and fall of Lee Johnson, the rise and rise of Alex Neil, the decision making of Kristjaan Speakman and the recruitment team. As well as a quick look over the players let go by the club, and the contract negotiations currently underway! What's the crack? How happy are the lads that - despite the chaos of that transition from one manager to another - we have Alex Neil at the helm now?How much credit does the gaffer get for his handling of everything since his arrival, and what did they make of his approach to the final against Wycombe?What do they think are the main differences between the two men who took charge of our campaign this season - it appears both did exactly what we were told they were brought in to do doesn't it?Kristjaan Speakman - all things considered, has he done enough to convince fans he's the man for the job? Has the appointment of Alex

Part two of what is turning into a series of podcasts surrounding Sunderland’s promotion over the weekend - in this episode Rich, Phil and Bomber reflect on their own experiences and discuss the match itself - with a tablespoon of tactical analysis and a sprinkling of hero worship... What’s the crack? How is everyone feeling a few days after the event?  What were the lad’s experiences in the stands - and at home - at key moments during the game?  Which players stood out for Sunderland, and who do the lads think flew under the radar a bit?  Alex Neil’s tactical nous shone through on Saturday - what did everyone make of the way he approached the game?  Why did Phil not give everyone a 10/10 in the RR player ratings? What does he have to say for himself?  Luke O’Nien is nominated for man of the year/future PM...  How proud are we of the players and the fans?  All this and more to come - as the lads milk this winning feeling for as long as possible!  As Sacko says -

WE DID IT LADS AND LASSES - Sunderland AFC are back in the EFL Championship after four long years in League One! We're a bit knackered now mind...What's the crack? Gav, Craig and Chris try to remember everywhere they went this weekend...Aye, that's literally the crack. Enjoy!HAWAAAAAAAAAAAY#SAFC #TilTheEnd #EFLPlayoffs #Wembley See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Seriously now, don’t take our advice on travel, won’t be held responsible... but aye lads and lasses it’s here! Some of us are already in London but our Rich, Gav and Ant recorded before the journey - giving their thoughts on the 24 hours or so to come, and the match itself! HAWAY! What's the crack? Gav was bricking it - he’s currently in Millers down London if you want to track him down and report back on his progress...How are the lads feeling about everything? Confident?Which of the squad now fully/partially fit would the lads bring in for the final?Rich gives us a rough guide of London travel and the underground system - Gav points out Google maps is your friend;More crack about feelings, big flag displays from Spirit of 37, Wembley seats with shite views, arguing with the bank about how much money you've spent - the usual;Just a quick one lads and lasses! Enjoy yourselves, safe travels to all!HAWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYAAAAAAAAAAAAAYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA#SAFC #EFLPlayoffs #LeagueOne #Wembley See acast.com/privacy

After a busy season himself, winning the League One title with Wigan Athletic, we had the pleasure of sitting down with former Sunderland Captain and all round lovely lad - Max Power - ahead of Sunderland's trip to Wembley this Saturday! What's the crack?Max Power is one of only three men in our history to lead Sunderland to victory at Wembley - how does he feel knowing that? Things have gone well at Wigan for our former Captain - is he enjoying his time off before next year's Championship campaign? How is former SAFC Striker 'Big F**k' Charlie Wyke doing now, and how difficult was it for Max watching that unfold? Is Charlie in good spirits? Max gives us his view as he looks back over his time at the Stadium of Light - does he have any regrets? What does he think went wrong for the club in his first season here in particular? What has he made of our 21/22 season? How close does he think it got in the end? Max gives his thoughts on Sunderland's coming League One Play-off Final this Saturday - does he thi

Not long to go now - our Chris Wynn was joined over the weekend by our old friend - ITV's Simon O'Rourke - as he rounds off his 21/22 RR trilogy by looking over the job Alex Neil has done to get us to Wembley, ahead to the party before the final at Trafalgar, and gives his opinion on our chances of promotion from League One on Saturday!What's the crack?Been a crazy season at the Stadium of Light hasn't it? How is Simon feeling ahead of a busy week?What has he made of Alex Neil's efforts to get the lads focused on the task at hand - promotion from this division;#TilTheEnd - Has Alex Neil given the lads some much needed steel since arrival? They don't give up easy do they...How vital is it for everyone - including Kyril Louis-Dreyfus - that we get out of this league now?Which players have stood out over the past few months, and particularly over the two legs against Sheffield Wednesday;What does Simon make of Wycombe - including his take on their Chairman's interesting efforts to sell tickets via weird cringey

Gav, Chris and Phil got together yesterday after a night of celebration (followed by a day of trying to sort tickets) to react to Sunderland's victory in the dying minutes of the second leg of the League One Play-off Semis down Hillsborough! Aye. What's the crack?  The lads try and work out how they feel after the late drama of Monday night;  How do they rate that performance from the Lads? How proud are they of the players?  'Alex Neil has balls of steel' - he stuck with his selection when most wouldn't have done, and it paid off...  The rush for tickets for the final is always a laugh - had any random DMs lately? How confident do we feel ahead of Wembley (we'll go into this in further detail over the coming days) but does this feel like it's time to finally leave League One? Does Alex Neil look like the man who can get the job done? Warrior spirit - It's all we ever want isn't it? Players battered and bruised, covered in mud and blood... Do we now

A very rough and hungover Gav was joined the morning/night after the night/morning before by our ‘man down under’ Martin Wanless and our Phil West, to break down an atmospheric and compelling night at the Stadium of Light - as Sunderland took the lead in our home leg of the Play-off Semi Finals against Sheffield Wednesday - and to look ahead to the away fixture at Hillsborough Monday night! What's the crack? Now that was some atmosphere lads and lasses - an incredible performance from the 44,742 mackems in attendance (and with a few up from South Yorkshire) - so how did it all feel last night? Can the lads remember the last time they felt like that? ROSSCO STRIKES AGAIN; The Loch Ness Drogba drove his way through to take a one goal lead into the second leg on Monday - which row did our Gavin end up in? What did the lads make of Alex Neil’s team selection - do they think he got the balance right? So many good performances it’s difficult to pick out a particular player deserving of al the praise - but

Our Chris Wynn was joined by the wonderful Rob Staton - from BBC Radio Sheffield - to get an idea of where our opponents in the semi-finals are currently, what's been going on down Hillsborough of late, and more importantly preview the upcoming matches/ordeal. What's the crack? No surprises here - It's about Sunderland v Sheffield Wednesday in the semi-finals of the play-offs. What's the situation with the fitness of key Wednesday players ahead of the match on Friday? Who else does Alex Neil need to keep an eye on? How has Darren Moore performed this season? Is he looking and sounding confident at the moment? Do we need to forget about our previous meetings and just go for it? How does Rob think it'll play out on the pitch - are Wednesday still as vulnerable as the last time they visited? The lads take a quick look at the madness up and down the EFL pyramid; Is anyone brave enough for a prediction then? All this and much more! We're almost there lads and lasses! Ha'waaaay the Lads! #SAFC #TilTheEnd #SW

Gav was joined last night by our Chris Wynn and Phil West as they reacted to the end of the EFL League One 21/22 season, and what it all means for Sunderland as we face Sheffield Wednesday in the Play-Off Semi Finals! What's the crack? So here we are lads and lasses - Sunderland are going to face Sheffield Wednesday over two legs, to see who can get to Wembley to face either Milton Keynes or Wycombe Wanderers. How are the lads feeling about Alex Neil’s more.. methodical.. approach to matches - particularly the match everyone watched on Saturday? Will this ‘by any means necessary’ attitude serve us well in the coming matches? BROADY LAD - He’s there again but it looks like he’s taken a knock, and as of recording we have no idea as to whether he’ll be fit or not this Friday so... what exactly do we do without him if this is the case? Ross Stewart took a knock on Saturday also, although that looked marginally less worrying than Broadhead’s - does nothing for the nerves does it? Which players stand out as

Gav was joined once again yesterday by our Martin Wanless and Phil West, as they looked back in greater detail over our victory on Saturday afternoon, and ahead to Tuesday night's ridiculously important game against Rotherham! What's the crack?We really needed that ahead of our final two regular games of the 21/22 League One season - what did the lads make of the overall performance?Some game from a certain Lynden Gooch - it's a great time to hit form for the lad isn't it?Speaking of form, Alex Neil has Sunderland firing on all cylinders at just the right time - how key is his experience of the play-off pressures going to be?We surely can't not make the play-offs at this stage can we? We are Sunlun of course but still...The lads take a look at the rest of League One and who our rivals are playing this week - some sides are in a far more desperate position than ourselves as they look to stay up; Ahead to Rotherham; how do the lads think we'll set up against them? We owe them a battering for the humil

Our Ant Waterson was joined immediately after the game - at the packed (and loud) Hilton bar - by our Sam Blakey to react quickly to a very comfortable win against Cambridge Utd at the Stadium of Light! What’s the crack? That was nice wasn’t it? Some lovely goals to try chip away at our GD - how do the lads feel after that?EMBO - Brilliance from the lad yet again!THE LOCH NESS DROGBA IS BACK! Haway the Rossco! Another goal for Broadhead, and a return to action for Pritch!A great game from Gooch today - was that his best performance this year?Was that a red? Definitely a penna but a red?One game down, two to go!#SAFC #EFL #LeagueOne See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Well Lads and Lasses… what started out life as a mere Sunderland AFC v Cambridge Utd preview became something else entirely, as our Chris Wynn was joined for a couple of hours on Thursday night by a legend of broadcasting - Mark Saggers - to go over not only his love for Cambridge Utd, but his surprising family ties to Sunderland AFC - as well as his 40 years in the business of sports broadcasting and journalism… It's an epic! What's the crack? Where do we begin? Saggers let's us in on his family history and his links to Sunderland as a club and a city, including his first visit to Roker Park in the 1960's!  Chris gets his deep-dive fix as Mark details his amazing journey through the ever changing world of broadcasting… from Muhammad Ali to Jimmy Carter, from Terry Wogan to Stan Collymore, from covering the Olympic games to the World Cup (and the occasional horse race) Saggers has seen a lot. What moments stand out so far in his long career?  His love of sport in general - particularl

Gav was joined by fellow RR editorial team members Phil West and Chris Wynn to run right through all of the action over Easter - discussing whether four points across the two games vs Shrewsbury and Plymouth are good enough as we approach the final three games of the 21/22 season! What's the crack? The lads delve deep into both of the games over Easter and ponder what this all means for the rest of Sunderland's season... Shrewsbury were almost a banana skin for Sunderland - what did we make of the performance? Alex Neil's interactions with the media are earning him praise - is his approach more of what fans and players like to see and hear? Did the win on Friday impact on how the gaffer approached Monday's game? Sunderland shaded the statistics at Home Park - but is it a good point? Our defensive players shone, but our attackers struggled... Do some of our big-hitters look jaded by the busy schedule? What does this all mean ahead of next weekend's round of fixtures? This and much more - tune in! #S

Gav was joined this week by the lovely Simeon Gholam - Sky Sports EFL Editor - for a bit of a chat about the massive weekend of League One football to come, as Sunderland face Shrewsbury on Friday and Plymouth on Monday to try keep our resurrected Play-Off hopes alive! What’s the crack?How has Simeon been since last we spoke? That Manager of the Month award kiss-of-death still working it seems? The insanity of Easter Weekend in the EFL - It’s always a crazy few days for the leagues isn’t it? How do we see this weekend playing out? Do we have the pick of the fixtures (particularly against Shrews on Good Friday) or is there a chance we could slip if we don’t remain absolutely focused on one game at a time? The lads look at the fixtures for the sides around us in the race for promotion - There’s a few sides starting to really wobble now and some look to be falling away, so of those sides who would be preferable from an SAFC point of view to be drawn against in a play-off scenario? Does Simeon think Sunderla

Gav was joined last night by our Chris Wynn and Phil West to break down Sunderland’s massive victory over promotion rivals Oxford Utd on Saturday, and look ahead to an absolutely mental looking Easter Weekend in League One! What’s the crack? We needed that - how do the lads feel following another last minute winner for Alex Neil’s side?The gaffer was frustrated with the Lads losing the midfield battle in the first half so made changes that - once again - came good; but should he be in that position to begin with?Just how important was that win for our play-off hopes, as the sides around us were held to draws - this goes some way to alleviating some pressure doesn’t it?EMBOOOOO - The lad comes good again, what does he have to do to get a start? Is he better as an impact sub?PATTOOOO - Another young lad who has been quietly going about his business looking pretty confident of late... How good a job has he done to grab the Hoff’s starting place and keep hold of it?Shades of the Keano season... this an actual thi

Bit of a last minute change of circumstances, so this morning our Rich Speight was joined by notorious Oxford fan - Wor Gavin - to preview SAFC’s visit to the Kassam tomorrow! What’s the crack?How are the lads feeling ahead of the match? Has Oxford’s loss to Morecambe on Tuesday night gone some way to alleviating any anxiety over the fixture, or has it made it somehow worse? We chat about the player of the year awards - Was Ross Stewart a worthy winner for the Lads? George Forster is always a worthy winner of course... How do we think Alex Neil will set up tomorrow? Is he likely to be a little more cautious? The lads take a look at Oxfords recent form (honest) and just how badly they need the 3 points - It’s do or die for Karl Robinson here isn’t it? Besides maximum points, what do the lads want from this fixture? Will this - like every match at this stage - define our season? All this and more! Listen in! #SAFC #EFL #OUFC #LeagueOne See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.