Cats should not rush the vetting

SUNDERLAND fans are rejoicing that Ellis Short’s disastrous decade at the Stadium of Light is finally over.

Shambolic running of the club by Short (right) ended in back-to-back relegations and economic chaos.

Understandably, the Black Cats have welcomed with open arms the pending takeover by the Stewart Donald-led consortium and want the deal ratified quickly by the Football League.

But, given the Short fiasco, it is vital for the authorities to carry out due diligence on the prospective new owners.

Little is known about the investors backing Donald (above), and the EFL should be given all the time it needs to investigate their backgrounds.

English football is littered with examples of takeovers that have gone badly wrong because prospective buyers weren’t properly vetted.

Sunderland’s latest accounts, covering the 2016/17 Premier League relegation campaign, reveal the staggering financial largesse that Short presided over.

Losses were £750,000-a-week and the net loss would have topped £50million had it not been for the £30m sale of Jordan Pickford, and an interest-free loan of nearly £20m from Short himself.

But at least the departing American had the good grace to write off the £125.7m debt that resulted from his flawed stewardship.

The club’s wage bill topped £84m.

Martin Bain was paid £1.2m-a-year, making him one of the top six highest-paid chief executives in England.

The sacking of manager Chris Coleman began what will be a massive clear-out of the club’s big earners. It would be a major surprise if Bain survives the cull.

What Sunderland need now is visionary leadership, well-planned investment and a manager who knows the lower divisions.

Sheffield United’s Chris Wilder is one of the favourites and, given the right resources, I believe someone of his stature could have the Black Cats challenging for promotion next term.

Sunderland fans have already bought 16,000 season tickets.

Enthusiasm and hope have returned to the banks of the Wear.