Sunderland political rivals united in joy after League One play-off final win

Alex Neil's team brought an end to four years in the third flight of English football with a 2-0 win over Wycombe Wanderers at Wembley on Saturday.

More than 40,000 fans made the pilgrimage to the National Stadium while thousands more packed into pubs, clubs and bars across Wearside.

MP Julie Elliott, whose Sunderland Central constituency covers the Stadium of Light, was delighted with the result.

“It is so great that the hard work has paid off, and Sunderland are going up,” she said.

“I hope everyone had a really good weekend, whether you stayed in the city to watch it, or if you were lucky enough to get a ticket and go down to Wembley.

“I am really looking forward to next year. It is a new challenge, but it is one the club has worked hard for.

“Congratulations again to the team, the manager, the backroom staff and the fans.”

Conservative councillor Michael Dixon is a lifelong Sunderland supporter and was at the game: “It was great to be at Wembley for the match and without doubt the atmosphere created by the Sunderland supporters made Wycombe’s task even harder,” he said.

"The old cliché of playing against an extra opponent was never more true.

It is a long time ago and the 1973 Cup Final Day was special, but for me the whole experience for this match was up there with it and I cannot speak higher than that.

"This time it was joy matched with much relief. Because of our recent demise and mismanagement, instead of being a club that was either pitied and or even mocked, we are now on our way back, and this reflects on the city too.

“Our manager Alex Neil has taken us on from being a team where you had no real idea what to expect for the next game, to a consistent, hardworking and very organised unit of players.

"He deserves massive credit and the ownership must now move fast to ensure he is totally comfortable with the way the playing side of the Club will be run.”