James Copley’s Sunderland notebook: Major behind-the-scenes changes, Matt Craddock impressions and Harrison Jones
In this week’s Sunderland notebook, James Copley looks at major behind-the-scenes changes and early impressions of Matt Craddock
There is rarely a quiet week around Sunderland, and there has been plenty happening away from the pitch as the club continues to adjust to life back in the Premier League.
In this week’s notebook, there are a number of changes behind the scenes at the Stadium of Light, some thoughts on new under-21s boss Matt Craddock and why being back at Eppleton reminded me again how much I love covering academy football.
There was also a moment to enjoy elsewhere in the week, with former Sunderland youngster Harrison Jones scoring his first senior goal for Peterborough United.
Changes afoot behind the scenes at Sunderland
There are changes afoot at Sunderland under Tom Burwell, although they are not limited to his immediate remit. The club appointed Dale Gregory from Coventry City as their new groundsman around three months ago, but The Echo understands he has already left Sunderland after a short spell on Wearside.
The Echo has also learned that Paul Kingsmore, Sunderland’s Chief Operating Officer since 2024, is set to leave the club. These are two separate developments but, taken alongside several other recent staffing changes, there has certainly been plenty of movement behind the scenes.
There have been changes within Sunderland’s media department too. Oscar Chamberlain has left to join Sheffield Wednesday, where he has linked up again with former Sunderland executive David Bruce, while long-serving media man Matty Jones is also leaving the club.
Ian Taylor is currently leading the department on an interim basis, while Joe Smith, formerly of Newcastle United, has been added to the team as Sunderland look to bolster their media operation. It is another area of the club which is evolving as Sunderland attempt to keep pace with the demands that come with operating in the Premier League.
As I have covered extensively in previous notebooks, Sunderland have also strengthened their analysis department ahead of the current season. That was an area which was understaffed last campaign and, to their credit, those already working within it managed to punch well above their weight.
Premier League football brings bigger squads, more data, more opposition analysis and, this season, the added complication of European football. Sunderland have recognised that the infrastructure around the first team has to grow alongside the quality being added to the playing squad.
A really positive first impression of Matt Craddock
I have now covered a couple of games involving Matt Craddock’s Under-21 side and have really enjoyed dealing with him. I was a massive fan of Graeme Murty, who was always excellent with me, and Craddock has continued in that spirit since taking charge of the group.
His answers have been detailed, enthusiastic and honest. Sometimes the last thing anybody wants to do at the end of a long evening’s work is stand around talking to a reporter, but if Craddock ever feels that way, he certainly does not give off that impression.
It is also already clear how deeply he cares about the job and the players he is working with. There was a small moment after Sunderland’s excellent 5-1 Premier League 2 victory over Nottingham Forest at Eppleton on Monday which I thought said quite a lot about him.
We had finished our interview, and I was making my way back across the pitch when Craddock shouted over to me. He wanted to point out that Charlie Scorer was actually 15, rather than 16 as we at The Echo had reported during the previous week. It was not done in a confrontational way at all. Quite the opposite. It struck me as a coach wanting to make absolutely clear just how extraordinary it is that one of his players is already competing so far above his natural age group.
That might seem like a tiny detail, but academy football is about development and context as much as results. One year is significant at that age, and Craddock clearly wanted Scorer to receive the proper recognition for what he is doing, and rightly so.
Why I love evenings at Eppleton
On that note, it was genuinely lovely to be back at Eppleton. I have said this plenty of times before, but covering Sunderland’s academy is probably my favourite part of the job because there are stories everywhere and you never quite know which player you are watching at the beginning of something much bigger.
It is where I watched the likes of Dan Neil, Anthony Patterson and Tommy Watson come through, develop their games and eventually make the jump into Sunderland’s first team. You remember seeing them at that stage when they are still learning, making mistakes and trying to force somebody further up the building to notice them.
Monday evening brought another collection of young players worth keeping an eye on. Trey Ogunsuyi produced a masterclass and scored a hat-trick, while 17-year-old goalkeeper Joe Cowan made several excellent saves and again looked remarkably assured for his age.
Tom Proctor ran the show and demonstrated the sort of mentality which makes him such an interesting player to watch, while 16-year-old midfielder Kay Munyakazi produced another hugely impressive performance. Then there was Scorer, still only 15, coming off the bench and collecting more minutes at under-21 level.
There will be plenty written about all of them over the coming years, and not every pathway will be straightforward. Sunderland are now a Premier League club with international players and multi-million-pound signings blocking the route to the first team, so making that final jump has arguably never been harder.
Sometimes, though, it is nice not to overcomplicate it. You can sit at Eppleton on an evening, watch young footballers play, improve and develop in front of you and remember that this is a huge part of what football is supposed to be about.
Delighted for Harrison Jones
I was also really pleased to see Harrison Jones score his first senior goal for Peterborough United this week. The former Sunderland academy midfielder came off the bench and scored Peterborough’s fifth in an excellent 5-1 away win against Watford in the Carabao Cup.
I covered most of Harrison’s games for Sunderland’s U21s and interviewed him plenty of times over the years. I am rooting for him because he is a brilliant lad, somebody who genuinely loves Sunderland and a player who worked incredibly hard during his time at the club.
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It has been good to see him getting minutes in League One and the cup since moving to Peterborough. Personally, I do not think it will be too long before he begins making a regular impact there because there has always been plenty to like about his game.
In my opinion, he has the ability to play in the Championship and potentially beyond that one day if his development continues. Sunderland ultimately decided his pathway needed to continue elsewhere, but academy success should never only be judged by the players who eventually run out at the Stadium of Light.
Producing young footballers capable of building good careers in the professional game matters too. Harrison has started another chapter of his career and, knowing the amount of work he has put in to reach this point, I genuinely wish him nothing but the best.