‘It’s not just a game’ - How Sunderland AFC fans and nearby businesses are struggling in a city without matches

If you had told any Sunderland fans following a 2-2 draw with Gillingham on March 7 that it would be the last time they’d be able to attend a match at the Stadium of Light for a while, they probably would have laughed at you.

However, that swiftly became reality as the Covid-19 outbreak became ever more serious, resulting in Sunderland’s season being cut short.

There was a slight glimmer of hope, as the club hoped to hold a trial run of allowing fans back into the ground when they welcomed Peterborough at the end of September, but Government measures prevented it.

Station Taxis driver Peter Farrer, one of the standout stars of Neflix’s Sunderland Til’ I Die series, told the Echo that it’s not just about the match itself for fans like him.

The dad-of-two from Hendon said: “It’s not just about missing live football, it’s also the social side of what going to the match brings.

"It's not just a game and Saturday’s aren’t the same anymore. Me and my pals, we have a Whatsapp group going to keep in touch the best we can.

“We even have Marco, Sebastian and Nicholas in it over from Argentina – they are absolutely Sunderland fanatics.”

It’s not just fans who are feeling the impact of a lack of live matches, businesses in the shadow of the stadium including The Roker End cafe are also beginning to feel the pressure.

The co-owner, Liam Burnham, has revealed that the cafe is adapting their online presence to drive more revenue.

The 28-year-old commented: "We’ve been steady but it’s never going to be like getting 40,000 fans inside the stadium so we’re trying to grow a bigger online audience.

"We’ve managed to put ourselves on Just Eat so if the Government says we have to close, we can still operate a takeaway service and people will be able to order using the hatch on the side of the cafe.”

The Roker End isn’t the only business feeling the pressure, the Fans Museum relies on matchday footfall and is instead selling signed memorabilia online in an effort to build revenue.

Founder Michael Ganley said: “All our funding comes from match day experiences, live talks and events but since the outbreak, we’ve lost them all.

"Aside from matches we host events. We originally had 125 people booked in for a wedding anniversary this weekend but that’s now gone, we’ve lost around 61 events this year.

"So we’re trying to evolve with online sales to get some support to help us pay the bills, it’s not a simple process but it is helping the team morale and is keeping them focused.”

But for Michael, the loss of football is more than just a business concern, as a fan he, like thousands of others, is at a loss without the game.

He added: “There’s nothing like the social side of football. It’s the excitement beforehand, the expectation, the smiling faces when we score. It’s heartbreaking to have to live in such uncertain times.”

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