Page 18 - 364645 LP243221 A Love Supreme 48pp A5 Aug22

GOOD TO BE BACK
Pre-season can often be a strange time of year. In theory it should be a time of excitement, new beginnings and a sense that anything is possible. But as a Sunderland fan in recent years, the prospect of a new campaign has been somewhat more sobering.
By the time our fourth season in League One rolled around the mere sight of the fixture list was enough to make you break out in cold sweats. Seeing the lads paired with the likes of Accrington Stanley, Fleetwood and Burton Albion again got more and more depressing and the prospect of ticking off new grounds lost its appeal.
Even some of our pre-season friendlies during our League One days were a real reminder of how far we had fallen from grace. Our opening warm up game in preparation for the 2019/20 season was against South Shields, and although the Mariners had enjoyed an impressive surge up the pyramid following significant investment in 2015, to see our first team entertain the South Tyneside outfit was something of an indignity.
This was also set against a backdrop of concerns
over ownership, uninspiring signings and a general directionless that engulfed the club. Fortunately, this year feels different, when the fixtures were announced it felt good to look forward to Sunderland playing against more traditionally well-suited opponents.
After enduring trips to the likes of The Wham Stadium and The Crown Oil Arena, the prospect of Bramwell Lane and Turf Moor suddenly felt like being hosted at The Ritz, free of charge. It was on the back of such optimism that I made the slightly insane decision to travel to Dundee on a baking hot July day.
Unfortunately. I did not have the funds to fly out to Portugal to take in any of the matches out there
and I didn’t want the journeys to Accrington and Hartlepool to be my only two games of the summer, before the real serious business of the new season got underway. Dundee is far enough away if you are travelling from Sunderland, but due to a change in circumstances I temporarily found myself back living with my parents throughout the month of July.
Unfortunately... and believe me I mean unfortunately, my mam and dad reside in Tow Law, a small village in rural northwest Durham where people from far flung places like Bishop Auckland are treated with suspicion and trepidation. Therefore, before I even boarded
the ALS coach to Dundee, I faced a 30-mile drive to the Stadium of Light and a 6am alarm call, all for the pleasure of seeing a pre-season friendly.
Going into the game, enthusiasm levels were high
on Wearside, the day before the lads announced the signing of Aj Alese from West Ham and had already secured the services of highly rated centre half, Dan Ballard from Arsenal as well as adding Jack Clarke on a permanent basis.
This coupled with new contracts for Bailey Wright, Lynden Gooch, Patrick Roberts and Anthony Patterson demonstrated a level of competence that
18
ALOVESUPREME
ISSUE259