As Sunderland bid farewell to Roker Park Tom Lynn explains how their move to a new site came about
“We meet this day to bring Martin Thwaites to his final resting place, a place he loved to come to for many years, to watch the team he loved and the game he loved . . .” Roker Park, 18th March 1994.
When Roker Park gets pulled down to make way for housing in 1997, the scattering in the Roker End goal mouth of the ashes of a good friend who died two years ago will be one of the host of memories I’ll have of supporting Sunderland AFC in their old home.
It is not just a football ground, it has been a major focal point for the city since the lads beat Liverpool in September, 1898 in front of 30,000 (the ground will be formally closed with a friendly against the same opponents next May); many, like my mate Martin, have adored the place so much that this is where they have been laid to rest.
However, the Taylor Report left Sunderland with little alternative but to move. The board lacked the financial means to make the necessary changes to Roker, years of neglect having left the ground stuck in the 1950s. It became apparent the best option was to move to a site eligible for healthy grant aid.
Initially, five years ago, a retail site next to the Nissan car manufacturing plant four miles from Roker on the A19 dual carriageway was the board’s prime choice. Some fans liked the idea, many said it was in a soulless nonentity of an area too far away from the heart of the city.
Nissan, whom the City Council had fought vigorously to bring to Wearside and who, together with associated businesses, employed more people than the last shipyards did when they closed down in the mid ’80s, were unhappy. The close proximity of the ground could affect their daily business operations on match or pop concert days as well as hampering future expansion plans.
Sadly, the city’s two biggest institutions engaged in unbecoming public arguments in the press before the car giants won the day.
Three years ago a former pit site on the banks of the Wear became an option, and with time running short to comply with the necessities of the Taylor Report, the Sunderland board grabbed it. With help from the EC and the local Tyne and Wear Development Corporation amongst others, the stadium (capacity 41,600, ultimately 63,000 if needed), is currently ahead of schedule and will open in July, 1997 with a friendly, allegedly against Real Madrid, AC Milan or Juventus (Hartlepool are already booked up).
Because of the archaic state of Roker Park, most fans have come to accept that there is a need to move, not only for reasons of comfort and increased capacity (record crowd 75,118; current capacity 22,700) but also for the fact that the clubs projected revenue increase in the first season alone will see turnover rocket from around £7 million to £20-30 million (think of all the Brancos we could buy); the ground is also popular with the supporters because of its dramatic location high on the banks of the River Wear close to the city centre.
Having had plenty of time to learn from the mistakes made elsewhere since the start of the stadium construction boom, Sunderland really have little excuse for not getting it right. Supporters’ groups have been encouraged to contribute ideas from the outset in all aspects of the ground’s construction, with the design – an enclosed bowl, with a sunken pitch and a designated ‘singing’ end – tailored to encouraged the best possible atmosphere.
Fans are also being offered the chance to pay £25 to have their name inscribed on a brick that will go into the stadium wall or the walkway approach. 15,000 are available, the radio adverts informing us of this being accompanied by a rendition of . . . Pink Floyd’s ‘Another brick in the wall’. Where would we be without modern marketing ideas?
The marketing people could yet learn something from our distant past. A month before Roker Park was officially opened in September, 1898, the club held an ‘Olympic games and band contest’ which involved supporters taking part in sprinting, pole vaulting and wrestling contests. There’s an idea to get ourWearmouth-Woolworths-McDonalds-Fuji-Philips-Calvin Klein-Coca Cola Dome up and running. I’m ordering the leotard today.
From WSC 119 January 1997. What was happening this month