Historic Sunderland AFC flag stolen from Fans Museum as it was flown at half-mast to honour those who have died of coronavirus

A Sunderland AFC flag was stolen from the museum after it was flying at half-mast to honour those who have died fighting coronavirus.

The football museum, based on Northern Gateway in Sunderland, launched an appeal on Facebook to retrieve the treasured item. The flag, which once flew at Roker Park, was loaned to the museum and features the old Sunderland AFC badge used between 1972 and 1997 in front of a red background.

“No matter what we do for the community, and bare in mind, we are not funded, not that should matter, someone as been and stole the flag from the Musuem,” the Museum’s Facebook post read.

“We have video footage, we know the time, and the police are working with Sunderland [City Council] to get access to all of the cameras around the area.

“A reward is on offer, we do what we do as fans, unpaid and bringing something unique to Sunderland in doing so. Please help us get it back, we know whoever as this as an opportunity to return this, and that’s it finished.”

Sunderland club chaplain Fr Marc Lyden-Smith took to Twitter to express his sadness at the news.

“I’m very sad to hear that the flag from @FansMuseum has been #STOLEN in #Sunderland,” he tweeted.

“The flag was flying half-mast in respect to those who have died due to #Covid19. The guys there do great work for our community, and need the flag back!”