Haway the pets! Animals who have been right behind the Lads - from a horse to a dog and a smuggled Wembley cat
The Black Cats will be hoping for glory in this weekend’s derby fixture at the Stadium of Light.
But we wonder how many of these Sunderland-supporting super pets you remember from the past.
This might well have been the biggest animal fan of SAFC that the Black Cats have ever had - unless you know different.
‘Rosey really kicks her heels when the match comes on’
One of Sunderland’s keenest supporters was Rosey the carthorse who was Sunderland daft in the 1970s.
Saved from the slaughter house
She was saved from the slaughter house and became a Sunderland fan like her owner, Susan Jolly, of South Hylton.
She even drew cheers when she toured the streets after the 1973 FA Cup Final.
Her enthusiasm knew no bounds. Every home match, you would see Rosey, a Welsh cob, wearing Sunderland’s colours of a red and white hat, scarf and rosette.
Rosey also tuned in to the game on a transistor radio which Susan left in her stable while she went to Roker Park.
“She loves getting dressed up and listening to the pop music, but she really kicks her heels when the match comes on, ” said Susan at the time.
Another furry fan pictured in 1973 was this pooch who watched the homecoming parade.
Tell us if you recognise the canine supporter and the people with it on the streets of Sunderland.
Smuggled into Wembley on the day Sunderland won the FA Cup
Another huge moment in Sunderland history happened in 1937. Sunderland won the FA Cup that year against Preston North End.
A 12-year-old Wearsider Billy Morris was one of the fans at Wembley and he smuggled a black cat into the stadium inside his jacket.
Sunderland went on to win the match 3-1.
If you have a pet who loves to support the Black Cats, tell us more by emailing [email protected]