There was a piece in yesterday's English Times about how Niall Quinn is "Reaching out to save the soul of Sunderland". How he is "committed in his desire to reconnect with the fans and place football back in the heart of the local community".
Talk about how "Football has lost its soul" due to the glut of foreign ownership, soaring wages and ticket prices, staggered kick-of times, feigning players, neutered competition etc.
It's talks about Sunderland's 'Foundation' - established under the Chairman before Quinn - which aims to maintain the clubs deep roots locally. Quinn also gives examples of players driving round in fancy sports cars at times when the team is underperforming and the city is shedding jobs locally.
All of which is very honourable, sensible and, I'm sure, well-meaning.
But it just doesn't stack up with the actions of a man/club that is itself under foreign ownership and which is trying to establish Sunderland as the 'Celtic of England'. Is the best way to save the soul of AFC Sunderland - and strengthen its local identity, roots and responsibilities - to flog it mercilessly in Ireland and dilute the crowd at every game with large numbers of 'supporters' from a different country ?
The Irish connection makes sense form a business viewpoint, and the local roots bit does so from both a business and a 'moral/ethical' viewpoint. But the two don't seem to work as strategies at all together, so will be interesting to see how this all pans out.
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Originally Posted by pete
What he is talking about is getting the fans re-connected to SAFC. There was a lot of damage done under the last few years of the Murray era. Since the ship yards & Vaux closed SAFC is the only thing left in the area to represent the city. He wants to make the people of Sunderland proud again & the best way is to have a suceesful football club. Niall Quinn & Sunderland AFC aren't the fault for the decline in the LOI. So please give this 'Sunderland bashing' a rest & try to find the real problem.
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