VIDEO: Enormous queues form at Stadium of Light to meet Sunderland players

Sunderland is very much a club reconnected with its supporters, and the evidence is wonderful to see.

Sunderland got a taste of just how much fine work they have done to reconnect with supporters by enormous queues forming to meet the players.

Members of the first team squad were doing a signing session at the Academy of Light club shop on Thursday.

Dan Ballard, Edouard Michut, Alex Pritchard, Abdoullah Ba and Anthony Patterson were available to meet from the men’s first-team squad, while Keira Ramshaw and Neve Herron were representing SAFC Women.

Queues stretched form the club shop all the way around the north and east stands and towards the Bob Stokoe statue as fans turned up in their droves to meet the players.

Queue for the #SAFC signing today is massive!

Starts at the club shop (Obviously) and bends round past the aquatic centre and goes past the Bob Stokoe statue!

Reminds me of when we ran buses to Wembley in May. Good times. pic.twitter.com/9bcW9nxtcy

— A LOVE SUPREME (@ALS_Fanzine) February 23, 2023

It’s another reminder of just how spectacularly the club and supporters have been reconnected in the last 18 months after dark chapter in Sunderland’s history.

Back-to-back relegations preceded four dismal years of exile in League One, during which ownership issues, asset stripping and failure to get out of the third tier left fans feeling understandably alienated from the club.

Things improved 18 months ago when Alex Neil arrived and led Sunderland to promotion in the League One play-offs, a day which allowed many fans to finally see the Black Cats win at Wembley in person.

This season things have just gone from strength to strength as an exciting young team under Tony Mowbray have continued to impress, and clearly the fans are embracing every moment of it. 

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