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:
5. Leatherface
Popular Sunderland band Leatherface made massive waves in the music scene in the 1980s and 1990s with one of their famous album covers drawing inspiration from the club's old crest. The Guardian once dubbed them "the greatest British punk band of the modern era". Photo: YouTube
6. 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
7. George Clarke
The television presenter is a big Sunderland fan and has posted several times about the club on his Instagram. Photo: YouTube
8. 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