James Copley: Sunderland fans must ignore tone-deaf insults of celebration police after Dan Ballard moment

Dan Ballard’s towering header in the dying seconds of extra time against Coventry City wasn’t just a goal — it was a release. A cathartic, spine-tingling, era-defining moment under the Stadium of Light’s floodlights that sent Sunderland to Wembley. It was a scene of bedlam, disbelief, and sheer unfiltered joy.

And yet, in the hours and days that followed, some voices, some from within the game and even from Sunderland’s own past, suggested that fans and players had over-celebrated. That emotions spilled too far. That somehow, we all forgot there’s still one more game to go.

Let’s be absolutely clear: that argument is ridiculous. This wasn’t a routine win in October. This was the final act of a gruelling play-off semi-final, a goal in the 122nd minute — the literal last kick before penalties — that sealed Sunderland’s place at Wembley. If we can’t celebrate moments like that, then what exactly are we doing here?

In my 30 years as a Sunderland fan, I’ve seen more heartbreak than glory. I’ve watched this club tumble from the Premier League to League One in back-to-back seasons. I’ve witnessed us stagnate in the third tier for four long, painful years. I’ve seen Ellis Short pull the plug, only to be replaced by Stewart Donald and Charlie Methven. I’ve watched Asamoah Gyan and Darren Bent walk away. I’ve seen Jack Rodwell and Didier Ndong show utter disregard for the shirt.

I’ve seen a play-off final lost with the last kick of the game, despite leading. I’ve endured 15 and 19-point seasons and watched a promotion campaign get expunged by the authorities during COVID. I’ve cringed through the Black Cats Bar farce and sat through the reigns of Simon Grayson, Michael Beale, Chris Coleman, David Moyes, Howard Wilkinson, and Phil Parkinson. I’ve seen a former player send Sunderland down and celebrate unchallenged in front of the same fans who once sang his name. I’ve watched Jon Stead score against us. I’ve seen Chris Maguire hit a hat-trick for Lincoln City at the Stadium of Light and celebrate in front of our manager.

We’ve lived through humiliation. Through farce. Through managers who didn’t care and owners who didn’t understand. Through broken promises and apathy. So when a centre-half throws his head at the ball in the 122nd minute to keep the dream alive, don’t tell us to calm down. Because, for all the years of hurt, this is why we keep coming back.

Football is becoming too sanitised. Passion is policed. VAR delays joy, and now even full-time celebrations are analysed and criticised. We are told to be measured, to be professional, and to act differently in case we lose our next game. But the chaos after Ballard’s goal? That was football at its finest. The limbs. The disbelief. The sea of red and white surging in euphoria. It was everything this sport should be. It was real.

To suggest Sunderland “over-celebrated” is not only tone-deaf, it’s insulting. Especially when it comes from people who should know better — people who’ve worn the shirt, felt the weight of it, and heard the roar of that stadium when it truly matters. This club, this city, these fans — we’ve suffered. We’ve waited. We’ve endured. So don’t tell us to dial it down when we finally get a moment to remember.

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Of course, there’s still work to do. Of course, the final awaits. But this isn’t complacency — it’s belief. It’s pride. It’s years of pain given meaning in one glorious, unforgettable moment. If you can’t celebrate that, then maybe you’ve forgotten what football is really about.

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