Roker Rapport Podcast

Gav was joined by Ross to chat about his time at SAFC during the glorious 2006/07 title winning season under manager and former teammate Roy Keane and more. You can listen for FREE on Acast, iTunes, Spotify, & YouTube - get stuck in!

What are we talking about?

• What was it like moving from Celtic to Sunderland, and how much convincing did Ross need to make the move?

• How was playing under notorious mackem lover - Mr Joey Barton - at Fleetwood?

• The Keano era; What did Roy bring to the role of Manager, and does Ross think he should still be in the game?

• Topless pics; Just how fond of wearing a top is Ross, and how did Roy react to the trouble he'd get in just celebrating a winner?

• What were his favourite memories of his time at Sunderland, how did he feel about leaving the club and how close did he come to signing for us under Jack Ross?

• What are his plans for the future, does he still feel the buzz back home in Scotland, and how fit is he feeling at the moment?

Stories from behind the scenes, Keano's sense of humour, laughing at the lads stuck behind the bus, the incredible bond the squad had, the feeling of playing and scoring in front of the Sunderland fans and much, much more!

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Gav was joined last week in his studio/kitchen for a chat/drink with Tom Atkinson, Neil Graney (and a bottle of rum) over the state of affairs at SAFC currently.

What are we talking about?

Gav starts drinking...

• The mystery of Sunderland finances, and the spectre of Charlie Methven and Co;

• Fan engagement; The lads wax lyrical about the performance in that area, particularly since the pandemic began and the disillusionment fans feel regarding all things Sunderland.

• The club sales pitch and specifically marketing policies; Do they have any, and if so... what are they exactly?

Gav continues drinking...

• What do those in charge of the club expect from the fans, and should they be offering more in return than mere soundbites and endless statements apologising for not understanding our point the first few dozen times?

• What should the club be looking at in order to win fans back, regardless of who the owners are;

• How does everyone feel about the season to come, how much pressure should be put on people like Dave Jones and Tom Sloanes, and just how much can the fanbase be put through before they disengage completely;

Gav realises just how much he's drunk - Podcast ends.

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Ruben joined our Gav for a chat about his experiences as a young player trying to break through at Sunderland and remaining positive in the increasingly unpredictable footballing world. You can listen for FREE on Acast, iTunes, Spotify, & YouTube - get stuck in!

What are we talking about?

• Spending a year at the Academy of Light after signing from Chelsea under Jack Ross, how does Ruben feel about his time at Sunderland?

• As an Academy, with his experience coming up as a Chelsea youth player, is there that much difference between methods at Sunderland in League One compared to Chelsea in the Premier League?

• What were his plans upon joining Sunderland in 2019, what are his thoughts on the situation the older youth sides found themselves in this past season, and how seriously do the U23 players take the leagues and games they perform in?

• Which players in the U23s stand out from some others and look to have a bright future in football?

• Maintaining discipline and drive regardless of knock backs and defeats, and why younger players should be experiencing first team football - wherever that may be - from as early an age as possible;

• Ruben’s thoughts on his own departure from the club, and navigating the current footballing landscape and the uncertainty Covid-19 has caused for players futures;

• His shock at the departure of teammate Bali Mumba, and his experiences dealing with former Academy Manager Paul Reid (and how he plans to turn a negative into a positive;

An interesting chat with a lovely young lad and professional who unfortunately didn’t get the chance or time to prove himself at the club, we’d all like to thank Ruben for taking the time to speak to us and wish him all the best for his future career!

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A tale of two podcasts...

We've been joined a couple of times down the line by Chris and unfortunately for all parties both attempts at recording encountered some significant "Pod killing" problems. After numerous attempts to fix the unfixable, we've decided to only fix what we can, any way we can.

The first ten minutes from our original conversation smoothly (ahem) transitions into the last thirty minutes or so of our last, covering his time at the helm of Sunderland during the fateful relegation season, his lack of contact with any Sunderland owners..ever.. and his opinion on the situation and where it all went wrong, as well as talk about his playing career, Eric Cantona's attempt at Kung Fu, the sad loss of a great man and friend of Chris' in Gary Speed, how difficult it was to take his dream job under those circumstances, and where he goes from here.

Sorry for the long wait since announcing the pod and as always, thanks for listening Lads and Lasses.

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Charlie Methven said Charlie Methven things on the record (again) in an interview which emerged yesterday. Craig was joined by Rich and Chris to react to the Sunderland AFC shareholder's witty opinions, while trying not to call Charlie a ____ every ____ing five ____ing minutes. Actually succeeded... On the record anyway.

What are we talking about?

• Charles Methven; What's the point?

• Other bits and pieces about the club... Aye.

Enjoy?

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Chris Wynn had the opportunity to speak with lifelong MLF and former Sunderland Chief Executive Officer and Vice Chairman Mr John Fickling about his 62 years actively following the Lads and his time at the club from 1995 to 2006! You can listen for FREE on Acast, iTunes, Spotify, & YouTube - get stuck in!

What are we talking about?

• What are John’s first memories of Roker Park and following the Lads?

• How has Sunderland evolved as a club since the late 1950s both on and off the pitch?

• Who were the best players John’s ever seen in the red and white stripes, and what are his standout moments of the last sixty-plus years?

• How did John come to meet Sir Bob Murray, and what were his initial thoughts on the planned move from Roker to the banks of the Wear?

• The epic story of the race to build the Stadium of Light and the Academy, the lengths they went to in order to get it done in time, and the inspiration they sought from across the continent;

• The golden years of Reidy and the unfortunate appointment of.. er.. Howard Wilkinson; How crazy was that era in club history?

• When the decision was made to leave the club, how difficult a decision was it for a local lad to make?

There is simply too much to put down here lads and lasses, a story of a local lad who happened to find himself in the right place at the right time, and one of the men who helped build the facilities we have today - talking about as well as anything else - his sadness at watching recent years events unfold and his continuing hope that he'll see his boyhood club get back to where it belongs.

An all around lovely man. Enjoy.

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Pod manager Craig was joined by Niall and Roker Report managing editor Gav to quickly discuss the recent departures from the club, as well as those Rodwell statements, the ST renewal debacle and where we find ourselves as the rest of the footballing world takes it's first steps back into the light. You can listen for FREE on Acast, iTunes, Spotify, & YouTube - get stuck in!

(SPOILER ALERT)

It's all a bit dark for (most of) us still.

What are we talking about?

• The departure of Joel Lynch, Jack Baldwin, Alim Ozturk, Duncan Watmore and Ethan Robson; How do we feel about their time at the club?

• Contracts offered to McLaughlin, Maguire and Flanagan; A good idea?

• The ongoing anger surrounding the issue with renewals; A bit of a debate in the group...
• 
  
• Jim Rodwell; Is he any good at any of this? Answers on a postcard.

• How we’re looking moving forward; With the future uncertain and players leaving en masse, how worried are the lads about investment in the squad and that wage cap coming in;

• Craig briefly reacts to today’s statement regarding payments coming out of fans accounts despite being cancelled, and gives his opinion on what Jim should do to remedy the situation. Aye.

All this and much more!

Please... Release us.... Let us goooooooo...

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Our Martin Wanless had the opportunity to chat with one of his favourite SAFC cult heroes - Mr Reuben Agboola - to go over his career in football and his memories of his time falling and rising again at Roker Park and beyond! You can listen for FREE on iTunes, Acast, Spotify and YouTube!

What are we talking about?

• Reuben's beginnings in Highbury, his move to Southampton as a schoolboy and his early experiences with one Lawrie McMenemy;

• His surprise debut at Old Trafford, his time on the books with the Saints, and his experiences of playing alongside some of the biggest names in football at the time;

• How did his move to Sunderland come about under former manager Len Ashurst, and does he know to this day exactly how much the move was worth?

• His surprise at the ocean view, the difficulty with managing to navigate the country back in the days of no GPS, and the drinking capabilities of his new teammates;

• The fall of the club through the divisions while he himself was sidelined, the shock arrival of his former boss and the problems that followed the "Mackemenemy"

• Stories from the welcome arrival of Denis Smith and the great rebirth of the club, accidentally offering his services to Brian Clough after a knock to the head and the much needed grit and no nonsense (football anyway) from players like Billy Whitehurst;

• His memories of the 1990 Playoff Semis against the mags, the importance of a squad that worked for each other and his dogged determination to get Sunderland back up the divisions no matter what;

• Smashing ribs and playing on, his thoughts on his style of play and how he slotted into as many roles as he was asked to perform in, his surprise call up to the Nigerian International Squad, trying to work out if Port Vale existed, the difference in hunger between the older generation and the younger, and his love of a good Sunderland pub or two;

All this and much, much more from a man who never shirked his responsibilities for us on or off the pitch, a cult hero for all the right reasons and an all round great lad who we quite simply... Adore. Listen in!

REUBEN REUBEN REUBEN

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Well... That's that for this season Lads and Lasses. Joining us to celebrate the end of Sunderland's disastrous second consecutive season in the third tier and looking forward to our consecutive third in the 9th circle of football hell is Dave Rose from the Red and White Army and Phil Smith from the Sunderland Echo!

What are we talking about?

• Hahahahahaha.. Ah man.. Guess.

• What went wrong, what went even more wrong, what we need to make it right and who is to blame for the absolute mess we find ourselves still in.

• Thoughts on the EFL voting system and how we'd have liked the decision to be made;

• Recruitment for next season; With the Pandemic creating a chaotic draft like scenario across the divisions, how do we think we'll do getting the players in we need and holding on to the players we have?

• The occasional joke about how mint everything is...

Enjoy?

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After a temporary break (sorry about that Lads and Lasses) we're back with a story from a passionate Sunderland fan who just so happened to be good enough to play for his beloved club, Chris Wynn had the chance to catch up with former Sunderland forward - and the last man to score a hat trick at Roker Park - Mr Craig Russell!

What are we talking about?

• Joining Sunderland as a schoolboy and his rise from the training pitch to the dugout;

• Craig's memories of those early years under Denis Smith and the coaches that brought him up;

• The joy and yet pressure of playing for your club, as well as his experiences on the terraces, his trips to the derbies and Wembley as a fan;

• Breaking into the first team and running to catch the bus home to tell his family he'd been picked;

• His favourite players and managers over his long association with the club, including the last decade as part of the backroom staff;

• The best goals, matches and seasons that he thinks defined his career;

• The pain of knowing Reid wasn't going to let him stay that he still feels to this day;

• How things have been since his return to the club in his new role;

All this and so, so much more! A fascinating look back at another era in Sunderland's history (with a graphic story or two thrown in) with yet another hero of many of our younger years, and another local lad who left his heart in Roker Park...

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