Roker Rover

Little known fact but my own teams stadium of light is excavated down below ground, so you enter at ground level but are already at the concourse level above half the lower bowl. It means wheelchair users can come in on the same level yet still have an elevated view. Obviously also means the stadium appears much smaller than its 48,000 capacity from outside. It actually makes construction cheaper as well provided the ground conditions are favourable. The SOL is built on the old Wearmouth coalmine so excavation was not an issue although capping some old shafts was. This is unique in England as far as I know and certainly different from all the other new build bowl type stadiums such as Middlesbrough, Derby, Southampton, Hull, Leicester and Stoke which are all fully above ground level. Its an also an excuse to post a favourite photo which shows both Roker Park and the SOL. Sunderland are also one of the very few clubs to build a new Stadium in England nearer to the city centre than the ground it replaced, which makes for easier access on a matchday and better access to the city's pubs etc than was ever the case at Roker Park. You can see here during construction that the steelwork stops at ground level and there is earth banking on the bottom half of the lower tier. This was simply covered with concrete and no steelwork was required.

Great thread this lads, just spotted it. As many on here will know my sole reason for being on this board is my quest to visit every ground in Scotland and I still have 8 to do. Was planning to do Dunfermline v Brechin yesterday till I saw the weather forecast and heard about the bridge closure, so it was a day without footy (which is very unusual for me on a Saturday having done at least 100 matches per season for the last 6 seasons). I did get to Sunderland under 21's v Reading under 21's at Eppleton Colliery Welfare today though which is pretty random. I am particularly interested in the foreign trips some of you have been on as now that my kids are adults, the wife and I can take our holidays outwith the school ones and this has enabled me to tot up a few random grounds over the last few years. I have done Ergotelis and Zakynthos in Greece, plus Slavia Prague, Viktoria Zizkov (twice), Lokomotiv Vltavin and Viktoria Plzen v Dinamo Minsk in the UEFA Cup all in the last 16 months. My mates and I are looking at a European trip for my 50th which is next September and at the moment we are looking at either, Valencia to visit the Mestalla before they knock it down, Rotterdam weekend including a Feyenoord Match (Feyenoord and Sunderland fans have a weird non official link up and loads of them come to our games), or a Germany trip based in the Dusseldorf/Cologne area. The Dutch and German options are probably favourite as we ideally want to see two or three games and the scheduling in those countries over the weekend and the ease of getting from one town/city to another ticks the boxes. Looking at the fixtures for some weeks, it is easily possible to do a Friday night match, 2 on a Saturday and a Sunday game. That Zakynthos game I went to is easily the most bad tempered violent, nasty game of 'football' I have ever seen. Bumped into a Berwick Rangers fan there and he was gobsmacked by it as well. The away team had a man sent off for jumping off a stretcher and attacking the linesman and they then refused to come back out for the second half until being talked round by the ref. The half time interval lasted 35 minutes. My wife decided to stay round the pool and she was gutted she missed it when I told her later what went one.

I just estimate it based on the number of seasons. I went to Roker Park between the mid 70's (the odd game) and started going to every game in about 1982-83, so about 13 full seasons at an average of 25 games a season including cup ties is about 325 games, plus reserve matches and the odd games before 1982 I would estimate that at 360-370. Since we moved to the Stadium of Light, there have been 19 full seasons at about 23 games a season (more PL seasons with less home games), so roughly 440 plus reserve games (less now played at the SOL than at Roker as most are played at Hetton) and the 8 or 9 so far this season will put me on about 480. Weird to think I have now seen more games at our 'New' ground than the old one. With away games and other reserve matches etc at other venues, I must have seen well over 1,200 Sunderland games now. There's 1,800 hours or 75 days or nearly 2 and a half months of my life I won't get back!! I have spent more than 1% of my entire time on the planet watching Sunderland play football. Next up for me in terms of new grounds is Dunfermline next Saturday followed by Greenock Morton the Friday before Christmas and Dundee on the Saturday. Will also be keeping an eye out for the FA Cup 3rd round draw next week in the hope of Sunderland getting drawn away at one of the places I ain't been yet. I never miss a Sunderland away game now if its a ground I have not previously visited. PS - I missed Farsely Celtic from my original list as well

Great little ground is Zizkov. I have been twice and even dragged my wife along the first time and to my amazement, she loved it. Home games kick off at 10:15 on a Sunday morning which is great if you over there on a long weekend as it does not dominate your entire day. The match is done and dusted by midday and you are free to do other stuff, like drink their superb beer!! The berbequed bratwurst at about a quid a go were very good and a beer in the ground was 90p when I was there last season for a mates stag trip. We also paid £2.25 to get in and that included a programme. What's not to like?

Scotland Premiership - 11 Visited Celtic Motherwell Dundee United St Johnstone Kilmarnock Aberdeen Inverness Caledonian Thistle Hamilton Academicals Ross County Partick Thistle Heart of Midlothian Championship - 9 Visited Falkirk Livingston Raith Rovers Rangers Dumbarton Queen of the South Alloa Athletic Hibernian St Mirren League One - 5 Visited Stenhousemuir Forfar Stranraer Cowdenbeath Albion Rovers League Two - 9 Visited East Fife Queens Park Elgin City Annan Athletic Berwick Rangers Clyde East Stirlingshire Arbroath Stirling Albion Scottish Lowland League - 7 Visited Threave Rovers Gretna Vale of Leithen Selkirk Gala Fairydean Dalbeattie Star East Kilbride England Premier League - Visited all 20 Arsenal Aston Villa Chelsea Everton Liverpool Manchester City Manchester United Newcastle United Stoke City Sunderland Tottenham Hotspurs West Bromwich Albion Swansea City Southampton West Ham United Crystal Palace Leicester City AFC Bournemouth Norwich City Watford Championship - 20 Visited Derby County Ipswich Town Leeds United Middlesbrough Nottingham Forest Birmingham City Charlton Athletic Blackburn Rovers Sheffield Wednesday Bolton Wanderers Reading Fulham Cardiff City Wolverhampton Wanderers Brentford Hull City Queens Park Rangers Burnley MK Dons Preston North End League One - Visted 13 Sheffield United Swindon Town Peterborough United Bradford City Doncaster Rovers Barnsley Scunthorpe United Fleetwood Town Blackpool Millwall Wigan Athletic Southend United Bury League Two - Visited 8 Northampton Town York City Hartlepool United Portsmouth Carlisle United Luton Town Leyton Orient Notts County National League - Visited 5 Gateshead Grimsby Town Guiseley Tranmere Rovers Barrow Other Top end Non League Hayes and Yeading Darlington Blyth Spartans Workington Town Kendal Town Lancaster City Harrogate Town Spennymoor Town Tadcaster Albion Uxbridge Ruislip Manor Northern League - Visited all 44 clubs over two divisions Northern Alliance - Visted 44 clubs out of 48 over three divisions Wearside League - Visited all 20 Clubs Durham Alliance - Visited 16 out of 19 clubs Old Grounds that no longer exist (plus one new one that's no longer in use) Arsenal - Highbury Manchester City - Maine Road Sunderland - Roker Park Cardiff City - Ninian Park Coventry City - Highfield Road Doncaster Rovers - Bell Vue Hull City - Boothferry Park Leicester City - Filbert Street Middlesbrough - Ayresome Park Millwall - The Den Reading - Elm Park Southampton - The Dell Rotherham - Millmoor Darlington - Feethams Darlington - Dalrington Arena Southall Wales The New Saints Foreign Grounds Dublin - Lansdowne Road Barcelona - Mini Camp Slavia Prague Viktoria Zizkov Lokmotov Vltavin Viktoria Plzen Zakynthos (Zante) Ergotelis (Heraklion) I have also been to the old and new Wembley and I make that 269 different grounds. Done a lot of the English league grounds numerous times such as West Brom 8 times. At least another 50 or 60 local non league sides that no longer exist as well, plus other local grounds watching Sunderland under 21's, the youth side, the ladies side and Gateshead reserves. I use the odd blank Saturday and midweek at the start and end of the season to do the local non league matches, the line ups in these leagues change every season so there is always another ground and team to see. My 'local' area covers the area from Berwick in the North to North Yorkshire in the South and the whole of Cumbria as well. Plan to finish the remaining 8 Scottish ones this season and next and going on the Lowland league hop again in March which will pretty much finish that off as well, then I am going to actively target my remaining football league ones in England. Long term would also like to do more National League grounds and perhaps some of the main juniors and the East of Scotland League as its pretty close to me.

They are in the conference North with teams who get gates of 300-600. They get considerably more than that and their gates could sustain Conference national football easily and probably League Two. Terracing is allowed upto League One in England, so they would need to win 4 further promotions before that's an issue to them and won't be happening anytime soon given that it's taken them three years or so to get out of the Northern Premier League (tier 7 of the English system).

As many of you know I love my Scottish Football and going to games over the last few seasons has given me a new perspective on the game up there and the old firm in particular. I hear fans down here saying things like 'its a disaster for the Scottish game that Rangers are in the lower leagues' or 'Its a disaster for the Scottish game that Celtic did not get to the Champions League group stages' and 'its a disaster for Scottish football that Hearts and Hibs got relegated'. What I see is St Johnstone fans celebrating a Scottish Cup, Aberdeen fans celebrating a Scottish League Cup, Raith beating Rangers in a cup final. Inverness top of the Premier League. Dundee and Hamilton playing in the big league. Queen of the South getting their hands on some silverware and giving three of the so called big boys a run for their money in the league at the start of the season. Am I right in thinking that its really just a 'disaster' for the old firm (and their Edinburgh cousins) and the rest of you are loving every bloody minute of it? I know I am. Scottish Football has rarely been this interesting. Glad you have finally opened the trap door and got some sort of pyramid organised as well. That has been great for the lower leagues in England and will do the same in Scotland if you have the balls to stick with it. Football should always be a meritocracy not a closed shop.

Three of us Sunderland fans were at the game on Friday as part of a three game mini tour of Scotland over the weekend and I would just like to post our thanks for the hospitality we received both at the ground and in the pubs of Falkirk on the night. Its nothing less than we have come to expect in Scotland mind but thanks to all who crossed our paths. Regarding the game I also thought Rotherham's tactics were a little bit basic, but they are actually a good side and probably should have won comfortably in all honesty (see the earlier post re the comical open goal miss) although Falkirk played some good stuff and the first goal in particular was excellent. Its difficult to assess sides at this stage of pre season mind especially with mass substitutions etc and the two championships are at very different standards. For what its worth I think Rotherham will have their work cut out to compete this season as its a league I know very well and its ultra competitive and I don't think they have the quality that will be required but that's just my opinion. No doubt your lot will enjoy the season with the 'big three' being in there and it should be a very exciting division and I wish you well. I saw Hibs today at Stirling Albion and I don't think you have too much to fear there. What really struck me though was the pitch. I am a traditionalist and I am not a fan of plastic pitches and I had heard stories of how much better the one at Falkirk was and was skeptical. Not any more. Its by far and away the best artificial surface I have seen a game on and I have seen a few going back to the notorious 'car park' at QPR in the 80'S. My biggest issue with other ones I have seen is that the ball runs away if a pass is not precise to feet. The one at Falkirk however behaves more like grass and the ball will slow down and players can run on and pick up a miss placed pass like they do on grass. Anyway, thanks for being the first part of an excellent three part mini tour and all the best for the coming season. PS - My fellow Roker Rovers were also seriously impressed by the aesthetic qualities of the three barmaids in the lounge on the third floor and I also have to admit they were top notch (don't tell the wife). Congratulations to whoever is in charge of recruitment in the bar.

Thanks for the info mate, we are looking forward to it.

The Roker Rovers are doing a pre season mini tour of Scotland this weekend starting with your match v Rotherham on Friday night. We are a small group of Sunderland season ticket holders who enjoy the occasional trip north of the border with the ultimate aim of visiting all the 42 senior grounds in Scotland. We have had some great days up there over the past few seasons. This weekends jaunt will see three of us visit your place on the Friday followed by trips to St Johnstone on the Saturday and Stirling Albion on the Sunday. We normally wear our Sunderland colours which might seem a bit odd, but we have found this to be a good way of meeting people as they tend to come up and ask why the hell we have turned up at the game wearing the colours of a team that's not even playing and its becoming a theme now, so if you see us come and introduce yourself. I have done a little bit of research re Falkirk and I know there are not many pubs near the ground (the pubs are a major attraction to us, and in fact could be the main purpose of the visit). As two of us are working till mid afternoon our arrival at Falkirk could be as late as 6pm and our hotel is on the M9 junction a mile or so from the ground. Where should we go for a pre match pint? Is there a bar at the ground that will let all comers in or are we better off getting a taxi into town pre game? Will we have an issue getting served in Falkirk town centre on a Friday night wearing red and white striped shirts? Any info gratefully accepted.

Can someone please confirm the admission prices for the Rotherham game please?

The Troggs - Wild Thing

Believe me, the pleasure was all ours. Everybody we met all day was top class and a credit to both your club and the area. Having been to Scotland before, I should not be surprised by that though. It was a top day out.

We are planning to wear t-shirts underneath and will have a bag to put the tops in if its a problem later.

Cheers. We are just being selfish and hoping to get a wave from magic during the lap of honour Really looking forward to the day out to be honest.

Its a bit strange that both of the managers of the teams you are discussing are among my favourite all time Sunderland players. Gordon Chisholm played for us in the early 80's and we were the only English side he played for. He will be remembered by many of us for deflecting the winning goal for Norwich past Chris Turner in the 1985 league cup final, but that's unfair as he had a very good stint with us over 7 or 8 seasons and rarely let us down. As for Mr Jonhston, well he was just magic. Some great memories on the link below including the last ever competitive goal at Roker Park. As I have said, 4 of us coming over on Saturday to be 'glory hunters' at your party . We were thinking of donning our red and white stripes in honour of the great man. Do you think this will be taken in the manner it is intended by your lot? and will we be ok getting in the pubs before and after the game or would we need a change of shirt? We have had issues in the past in places such as Manchester, where they are happy to let you in the pubs pre game with colours on and then get very choosy after the match, We don't want to have our night spoiled by not getting into the pubs.

Cheers SD. As I said we are all looking forward to this. I know Dumfries is a nice town, although I was about 15 last time I was there, so well over 30 years now, so I am looking forward to a good day out and to see a couple of trophy presentations is a nice bonus. Also glad we are getting to see a game on grass at Palmerston as I am not a fan of these artificial surfaces personally. Two of us went to a game at Annan earlier in the season and the plan is to do a couple of Scottish games at a new ground every season when Sunderland are not playing or at an away game we are not attending.

Ok lads, firstly congratulations on your 'double'. Myself and three fellow Sunderland fans are coming up a week on Saturday to see the game v East Fife. We are booked into the travel lodge a mile or so out of town and are going to sample your real ale and your football and we are all looking forward to it. Question is this, we will be arriving into town fairly early and hope to drop the car off and walk into town from there. Would we better off going straight to the ground and getting some match tickets sorted before we drop the car off? and if so what time will the ticket office be open? or is it just easier to pay on the gate?

Does not sound like a real ale bar!! We went to Annan v Stirling Albion earlier in the season and the hospitality there was first rate. Fans of both sides were superb and its left us looking to go to a lot more Scottish games. I have been up to Dumfries and Galloway in the past and I know its a lovely part of the world (I even had 2 holidays up there in my teens), so I am really looking forward to another visit.

Cheers mate, sounds good. Spoons is always a good start, we will be there early so will probably head there for breakfast and take it from there. Any further info from the good people of Dumfries will be gratefully accepted.

Hello Doonhamers. Myself and three fellow Sunderland fans are looking at making one of our occasional raids into enemy territory for your home game v East Fife on Saturday 27th April. Sunderland are away to Aston Villa that day which is not one of our favourite away days. Plan will be to book into the travel lodge and head up there by car early morning and spend the whole day in Dumfries and take in the game. I have a few questions. I don't suppose there is any chance of the game getting moved from that date ,TV or cup ties etc? plus we like a pint of real ale or ten and I noticed online that there is (Or was) a Dumfries real ale trail with about 12 pubs. Any advice on where to drink before and after the game would be welcome, plus what's the town like for a Saturday night out? We are not fussy, I used to drink on Gateshead high street, so my standards are not high!!, just wondered if there will be anywhere with a bit of atmosphere where 4 forty something real ale drinking footy fans would fit in, or maybe somewhere with live music? Cheers in advance and all the best for the rest of the season, not that it looks like you need any luck mind judging by the league table. The ground looks class by the way, love proper old fashioned grounds with proper floodlights. Will make a nice change from the soulless identikit all seater stadiums we are served up with in the hugely over hyped premier league.

Not disappointed as much as you appear to be delighted with it, which is just a tad sad don't you think? Anyway, this thread is not the place, so we will leave it there and agree to differ eh?

The apparent apathy to Olympic football, is only really apparent within these isles. The rest of the world take it very seriously indeed and to compare it to Tennis which was parachuted into the games very recently, is unfair, as Football has been an Olympic fixture for a very long time and pre-dates even the world cup as a worldwide football tournament. The fact that we appear to have picked a team more to suit ticket sales (see your point re Giggs), is just another indication of how we treat what the rest of the world take very seriously. I don't see how the SFA would be jeopardising their standing either, given that FIFA are on record as saying the independence of the 4 home nations is unaffected by any Olympic team. I believe one of the top womens players in Britain is Scottish and I wonder how she feels being denied the opportunity of a lifetime to represent her country at the highest level? I also think its ironic to talk about the SFA's 'standing in world football' given recent events!! I suppose it does allow the Scots to have their usual tournament experience of supporting whoever play us, as opposed to actually taking part.

Excuse me, but Team GB represent at least 2 willing parts of the United Kingdom and those of us down here in England (and I presume Wales) are willing to support them as we recognise that they represent us. They do not represent any of the bigoted bile that your average ORC spouts or believes in and for making that assumption I have given you a nice big red one. If you and your fellow Scottish fans are happy to go along with the stance that all those clever logical and morally superior administrators at the SFA have decided for you then that's fine, after all these people are beyond reproach and have shown themselves to be so over a long period of time and clearly have their finger on the pulse of Scottish football and the wishes of its fans, but don't try and politicise what is effectively now a joint English and Welsh side for your own ends.

They seem to think they have choice and control over everything from decisions at the SFA to NATO and the UN. In reality they can't control their bodily functions. Their arrogance is out stripped only by their stupidity.