From sports stars to TV personalities and musicians to local heroes, the Black Cats have a number of famous fans – including some surprising and international names. Over the years, we have seen many celebrities come out and publicly announce their support of the Wearside club. Here, we take a look at the famous faces who support Sunderland:
1. Billy Hardy
Sunderland-born Billy Hardy is a former bantamweight and featherweight boxing champion. Unfortunately, Hardy never captured a world title but did fight all-time great Prince Naseem Hamed in a high-profile bout. Photo: Mark Thompson
2. Paul Collingwood
The England cricket star-turned-coach was born in County Durham and has been a long-standing supporter of the Black Cats. Photo: Gareth Copley
3. Tom A Smith
The young up-and-coming musician recently played on the pitch at the Stadium of Light at half-time and is receiving rave reviews for his music, regularly appearing on the BBC. His music is available on YouTube, Apple Music and Spotify. Photo: YouTube
4. Steve Cram
Known as the 'Jarrow Arrow', Cram is an avid Sunderland fan - and regularly supports the club's charity arm, the Foundation of Light. Photo: Ian Walton