ALS: SAFC Fanzine

15/10/2025

SAFC FYI…

15/10/2025

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14/10/2025

INTERNATIONAL BREAKS
BY BEN THIRKELL

With Noah Sadiki returning from DR Congo duty early with an injury, Omar Alderete also limped off in a friendly against Japan for Paraguay with a “muscle injury” which is as yet unknown. Of course, there’s a chance that this was just cramp but it highlights the fact that the current international break is not fully functional. Something needs to be done but what could the possible solutions be?

I will openly admit that I am not a big lover of international football outside of major tournaments. I could not tell you the last England game I sat down and watched but would have a guess that, bar maybe catching bits of the odd qualifier, it was the Euro 2024 Final. There is no jeopardy, England absolutely will qualify and due to that there is no excitement from it. I have found watching both Northern Ireland games during this break, in which was mainly out of pure hope that Ballard didn’t get his traditional international duty injury, to be so much more entertaining.

A nation that has to fight for qualification makes every game feel so important. Their win on Friday night against Slovakia not only had a great atmosphere but it was a great game too. Compare that to England, where all you can hear is what sounds like a marching band in the stands and watch Harry Kane break another goalscoring record against an obscure nation.

It has been mentioned that UEFA could potentially follow the new Champions League format, replacing the group stage with a league phase. Let’s say you play six games, two of the ten best ranked nations in Europe make up one section of your games, then two against teams ranked eleven to 30 then the final two against the lowest-ranked nations. Obviously, you may have to open it up a bit more than that, but you get the general idea.

Those six games could, for example, be played in two international breaks: one across late September/early October with the second taking place around February/March. Less international breaks, more consecutive games actually watching your club without all this stop-starting and also giving us the possibility of England having to beat teams like France and Spain to get to a World Cup.

Alderete has not even been playing qualifiers. With the South American nation having already booked their spot at the World Cup in the summer, they instead had two pointless friendlies and unfortunately, having played 90 minutes in every game from the Burnley game onwards, it is no surprise he has sustained an injury.

Although it is finally back to club football on Saturday, Sunderland have lost two of their biggest standout performers so far with struggling Wolves up next.

One thing that is for sure is that there is certainly no need to get too worried about these injuries though. Our squad has good depth, with an opportunity now for Dan Ballard to reinstate himself into the back four and a chance for Dan Neil or Chris Rigg to get a go from the start.

The next international break is only in four weeks’ time, then we’ll have a proper run of games heading into what will be a busy Christmas period, but then you remember we have AFCON to worry about…

14/10/2025

We’ve announced the winner of our latest competition on Twitter/X. Click the tagged product to buy some socks if you missed out…

14/10/2025

🤕 Noah Sadiki sprained his ankle on international duty and returned to Sunderland for treatment. He’s expected to miss Saturday’s game against Wolves, how will deal with his absence? 🤔

14/10/2025

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13/10/2025

GUIU OPENS UP

Marc Guiu joined Sunderland in the summer on a season long loan from Chelsea, aiming to get more experience and minutes in the top flight. Whilst he was only here for 26 days a lot of things were happing behind the scenes that ultimately led to him being recalled in the same transfer window from which he came. Now he's back at Chelsea Marc has discussed all the different factors that led to his short Sunderland stint.

For context, whilst Marc was integrating himself into his new surroundings at Sunderland, Chelsea's new striker, Liam Delap, suffered a major injury that would see him sidelined for a long period of time. During this time Chelsea had already agreed to loan out another striker, Nicolas Jackson, to Bayern Munich. With Jackson having more experience than Guiu, Chelsea tried to bring him back but the Senegalese international refused, forcing their hand to bring Guiu back to London.

EXCITED ABOUT SAFC MOVE
“We initially decided to go to Sunderland with great enthusiasm and excitement to get some minutes in the top flight and get some experience. In the end, there was an injury [to Delap], and I had to return to Chelsea, now with great enthusiasm and training hard every day."

WANTS SUCCESS AT CHELSEA
“When Nico said no [to returning to Chelsea from Bayern], they called me, we talked about it, and it was quick. In the end, I want to succeed at Chelsea. And that's how it was. It was all a bit chaotic, but in the end, I'm a person who faces everything with the utmost positivity, and that's how I faced it, now enjoying every moment, because a footballer's career is short."

ALL FOCUS ON CHELSEA
“And that's what I'm doing, enjoying every moment that life gives me. [There was] never disappointment [at leaving Sunderland]. I believe that every action I take in my career is because I want to. And that's it, I'm going to fight in every training session, in every game, every minute I have to play as many minutes as possible. Now I'm at Chelsea, and that's where I am. I'm from Chelsea, the best club in the world for me right now.”

13/10/2025

George was given an early edition of the Crossword book for his birthday by author, Connor Bromley!

You can get your copy here: https://a-love-supreme.com/product-page/sunderland-crossword-book

Happy 99th birthday to legendary fan and former Chairman of the SAFCSA, George Forster! 🎂 ❤️🤍

13/10/2025

OTD: WES BROWN BORN
On this day in 1979, Wes Brown was born in Manchester. The defender made 87 appearances in his five seasons on Wearside, helping to get us to the League Cup final in 2014.

Brown had a unique path into football. Whilst some players begin playing at a very young age, the defender was more focused on karate! He failed at his black belt twice aged nine and told his dad he didn’t want to do it anymore. Then at 11 years old he joined his first Sunday league team and was picked up by Manchester United.

He made his debut under Sir Alex Ferguson aged just 18, coming on as a substitute in a 3-0 win over Leeds United. One of his first actions in the match was winning a race with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink to win the ball and the legendary striker jokingly telling him to slow down afterwards!

The following season, Brown had an excellent breakthrough at Old Trafford. He became a regular in the side. His versatility was a big part of this, playing at right back as well as his more natural position of centre half. It was a perfect season for United, who managed to win the treble: the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League.

However, a string of big injuries kept Brown out of the side for a whole season in 1999/2000, when the Red Devils won the Premier League for the sixth time in eight years. Brown made a comeback from injury the following season though and received high praise from everyone at United. He was always solid and reliable but injuries prevented him from having any real consistency in the first team. The defender’s first goal for Man United came in a 2-1 win over Newcastle United in 2005, leaping like a salmon from a corner to give MUFC the three points.

After 15 successful years at Old Trafford, Brown joined Sunderland along with his fellow teammate John O’Shea. When the signing was announced, Sir Alex Ferguson said: "Wes has been a great asset to the club during the most successful period in its history. He was a product of the youth system and marked himself out from an early age as one of his generation's most natural defenders. In his time with us, he certainly became a favourite with the fans for his no-nonsense approach to the game and his infectious personality. It's always the hardest of decisions to let loyal servants go. But life moves on and, unquestionably, Wes will get the chance to make a real contribution to Steve Bruce's Sunderland, and I'm delighted to be passing him into such good hands."

He made his debut in a 1-1 draw with Liverpool, and was actually given Man of the Match for an impressive performance. His first goal in red and white came in December 2011, scoring a late header in a 3-2 win after the lads had given up a 2-0 advantage versus Queens Park Rangers.

After an impressive first half of the season, Brown’s season was ended in January 2012 after picking up an injury against Middlesbrough in the FA Cup. He then suffered more major setbacks which kept him out until November 2013, when he made his return against Hull City.

As the 2013/14 season dragged on, the injuries and recovery had clearly taken their toll on Brown, who looked severely off the pace. He was sent off a remarkable three times that season, despite only beginning to play in November!

In 2015, one of Brown’s most memorable moments came in a Sunderland shirt, for the wrong reasons. He was inexplicably sent off for bringing United striker Radamel Falcao down in the box, despite it being John O’Shea who actually committed the foul! Referee Roger East was insistent that he’d sent the right player off but the red card was quickly rescinded in the following days.

In June 2015, when it looked like Brown was on his way out of the club, Dick Advocaat renewed the veteran defender’s contract for an additional year. However, he made just six league appearances in his final year at the club, with neither Advocaat or later Sam Allardyce fancying the 36-year-old at the time.

After leaving Wearside, Wes had a brief spell at Blackburn Rovers before joining Indian side Kerala Blasters and eventually retiring in 2018. On the international stage, he earned 23 caps for England and was part of the squad for the 2002 World Cup.

13/10/2025

OTD: BOBBY GURNEY BORN
On this day in 1907, Sunderland's all time top goal scorer, Bobby Gurney was born in Silksworth. The striker scored 228 goals in 390 games for the Lads between 1925 and 1950.

Gurney first signed for Sunderland in 1924 as a youth player from Bishop Auckland after catching the eye of another Sunderland legend of the day, Charlie Buchan. Local lad Bobby would establish himself in the Sunderland professional squad towards the back end of the 1920s, playing all three of the forward positions, although his natural place was in the centre. As the Sunderland team of the 1930s begun to take shape, the Son Of Silksworth became the centre forward with Raich Carter and Patsy Gallacher becoming the inside men.

Gurney is Sunderland's all time top scorer but it could have been so different, he broke both of his legs over the course of his career, one as a 19-year-old amateur whilst at Wokingham Town and the other towards the twilight of his career, nevertheless, it didn't seem to affect his ability to find the back of the opposition net!

Incredibly, Gurney claimed the accolade of top scorer for seven consecutive seasons during the 1930s which saw a First Division title in 1936 and an FA Cup win in 1937, he notched 228 goals in 390 games for the Lads. He was joint-top scorer with Carter as Sunderland lifted the First Division for the sixth (and to date last) time in 1936 and would score a last gasp equaliser against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the 1937 FA Cup run before scoring Sunderland's first ever goal at Wembley, against Preston North End in the FA Cup final.

Gurney’s final game in red and white was in the League War Cup against Hartlepool at Roker Park. It wasn’t a serious game and Sunderland’s team was mostly made up of guest players from other clubs. This meant that his last game’s attendance was low and took place in an unimportant match.

Perhaps the greatest injustice is that Bobby Gurney only ever won one England senior cap, although he did represent his country unofficially in a few friendlies against Scotland in the mid 1930s.

Bobby will live on forever in Sunderland’s history books, and remains one of Sunderland’s greatest ever players.

12/10/2025

OTD: JACKIE ASHURST BORN

On this day in 1954, Jackie Ashurst was born in Renton. The defender played for Sunderland between 1972 and 1979, making 166 appearances in total.

The presence of Pitt and Watson meant that he didn’t feature in our FA Cup campaign of 1972/73, with John Tones and David Young being the preferred replacements when either of our first choice pair were unavailable. The following season brought 21 appearances, including four from the bench, and his first goal – on the last day, in a 4-3 win at Luton Town.

There were only four games, and no goals, in ’74-75, as the arrival of Jeff Clarke in place of Watson also kept Jackie out of the starting XI for a couple of years, and he asked for a transfer before an injury to Jeff gave him the break he’d been looking for. He’d played earlier in that promotion-winning season of ’75-’76, notably in our first away game when deployed at right back at Ashton Gate. A shambolic 3-0 defeat proved that, while a perfectly capable defender, Jackie was no full-back, but once he was in for the promotion run-in he kept his place. For the next two seasons, he was a regular alongside Moncur or Clarke – and occasionally both, as part of a three-man central defence. The next two seasons brought 76 appearances and two goals, including a penalty in a 1-1 draw at Leyton Orient when partnering Colin Waldron in central defence in August ’77. The performances of Chisholm, Clarke, and Elliot in ’78-’79 restricted Jackie to just 16 appearances – and featured his final goal, a screamer in the 2-1 defeat to Cardiff City into the Roker End goal, and his solitary red card, in the League Cup defeat at Stoke City, who featured Denis Smith.

He played five times in early ’79-‘80, if you include the Anglo Scottish Cup (ask yer dad) before Blackpool, managed by former Lad Stan Ternent (see previous comment), made him their record signing at £110,000 or £132,400, depending on who you believe. He stayed by the sea for a couple of years before moving up the M6 to Carlisle United, where he made around 200 appearances over five seasons before a couple of years at Leeds United. At the age of 33 he moved to Doncaster Rovers and managed another 139 league games, with a loan spell out of the league at Bridlington Town. There was a league swansong with a trial with Rochdale in August ’92, which produced a goal a game– mind, he only played the once, before joining Frickley Athletic.

An elegant rather than blood and thunder central defender whose ability to carry the ball out of defence saw him occasionally deployed in a defensive midfield role, Jackie was popular with the fans and made 166 appearances for the Lads, scoring four times, in a lengthy career that featured a total of 616 league appearances.

11/10/2025

OTD: NYRON NOSWORTHY BORN
Born on this day is Sunderland cult hero Nyron Nosworthy. The defender spent seven years on Wearside, racking up over 100 appearances.

Nyron began his career at Gillingham, where he was known for running to training every day as a warmup! In typical Nosworthy fashion, he was brought on as a first-half substitute for his debut in 1998 but was then subbed back off in the second half...

He became a regular in the Gills’ side, playing at right back but was occasionally used as an emergency striker. He famously scored twice against Crystal Palace, in the 3rd and 5th minutes. When Gillingham were relegated to League One, Nyron chose not to renew his contract due to interest higher up the football pyramid.

Mick McCarthy, in a transfer window with extremely limited funds, brought in Nosworthy on a free. He was initially signed as a backup to right back Stephen Wright, but an injury to Wright meant Nosworthy was thrown into the deep end.

His first game in red and white came against Charlton Athletic and it didn’t exactly go to plan. Nosworthy’s first action was to let the ball roll under his foot and out for a throw in. After a series of errors in the first games of the season, it seemed that we’d signed a player who, despite giving 110%, shouldn’t have been anywhere near the Premier League.

However, McCarthy was sacked during the infamous 15-point season and Roy Keane arrived in 2006. He moved Nosworthy to centre half, which allowed the defender to play to his physical strengths. He formed a great partnership with Jonny Evans as we stormed the Championship and won the league. Despite fierce competition, Nyron won Sunderland’s Player of the Season due to the incredible improvements made in his game. His contract was also extended until 2010.

It was during that Championship season that the chant of “They tried to get the ball past Nyron, he said no no no” first broke out. In the Premier League, Nyron started 29 games as the team successfully stayed up. It was an amazing recovery from the disaster of his first season on Wearside.

Nosworthy remained at Sunderland through our relegation and subsequent promotion but fell out of favour following the arrival of Steve Bruce. As his game time became more limited, the defender was loaned to Sheffield United where he played consistently until the end of the season. Nosworthy played 19 games for the Blades, filling in at both centre half and right back. He was then loaned back to Sheffield United the following season and was a big part of their team. Despite his best efforts though, United were in freefall and relegation was inevitable. He was sent back to Wearside early in April 2011 after making 32 appearances across the season.

The defender was sent to Watford on loan, and signed for the Hornets permanently when his contract expired. After brief stints in the lower leagues with Blackpool, Portsmouth and Dagenham and Redbridge, he announced his retirement from the game in 2016.