Gary Rowell: Job losses at Sunderland devastating for those affected

With a massive debt of around £140million, nobody doubts that Sunderland have serious financial problems which just means so many people have failed to do their job properly for so long, but it is heartbreaking that the people at the club, who are completely blameless, could be made redundant.

I have so many friends who work at the Stadium of Light on matchdays in loads of different roles and all of them are totally devoted to the club that means so much to them and I feel gutted that they could pay the price for the failure of others over the course of many years.

A football club is far more than just the players and staff, it is about the tea ladies who have been there more than 30 years, the guys on the door, the security and everybody who makes a matchday go smoothly and are proud to contribute to the club they love.

These people are part of the fabric of the football club, they are not there as a stepping stone to bigger things or would leave at the drop of a hat if more money comes in because Sunderland matters to them and I just hope the job cuts are not as severe as has been reported.