Inside the Stadium of Light as Sunderland take another significant step towards the beginnings of something special happening on Wearside

Maybe it’s the excuse to see friends and have a few pints on a Tuesday (always naughty but fun) despite having work and responsibilities the next day.

It could be the dark nights drawing in, coupled with that lovely sense of anticipation in the air.

Perhaps it’s the smell of Bovril tinged with excitement wafting over a chatting crowd.

Whatever it is, midweek football breaks the weariness of the weekly rat race… a little treat before returning to the daily grind.

Significant it was, then, to be amongst Sunderland fans returning to the Stadium of Light for a Tuesday game for the first time since February 2020.

Noticeable, too, were the differences from the 1-1 draw with Fleetwood Town 581 days before.

Max Power scored a last-minute equaliser to spare Phil Parkinson’s blushes and send Joey Barton into one of his trademark rants.

The crowd that day felt flat. The football was dire. The club was in a mess. The feeling on Wearside was one of apathy.

The result saw Sunderland move up to the dizzying heights of seventh position in League One with 23 points gained from 13 matches.

Fast forward 19 months and Sunderland are sitting on top of the pile following the 5-0 thrashing of Cheltenham Town and have managed 22 points from nine matches.

And trust is beginning to build between Lee Johnson, his players, the fans in the stand, and the owners. The sort of trust Phil Parkinson and Stewart Donald could only have dreamt of in 2020.

Sunderland, it seems, are trying to play football within a clear structure that is being implemented, improved and upgraded. Just look at the appointment of Mike Dodds this week.

There’s a plan both off the pitch and on it and fans can sense it.

It must be said that Cheltenham were poor, extremely poor. But how often have we seen below-par sides arrive at the Stadium of Light and dig in for a result over the years?

Given Sunderland’s flaky form in these types of fixtures, Tuesday night felt like another significant step towards the beginnings of something special happening on Wearside.

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