Red and white army take a seat with SoL facelift
SUPPORTERS VOLUNTEER TO LEND A HELPING HAND FOR SAFC
More than 2,000 Sunderland fans have answered the club’s appeal for a helping hand to give the Stadium of Light a facelift.
The club launched an appeal for help to replace thousands of faded seats in the stadium’s stands – and work has now started.
More than 30,000 seats will be replaced in phases, with the first 9,000 in place in time for the season’s opening match against Charlton on August 4.
A new colour scheme will see white seats installed in the ground’s corners.
Stadium maintenance manager Chris Ferguson said more than 2,000 fans had applied to help with the seat fitting and the club had narrowed it down to about 900.
“It has been a really worthwhile exercise, if the first people we have had in are anything to go by,” he said.
“We had a lady in her 80s in and she was putting the rest to shame. It is a really positive thing to do – it is good for the fans to feel they are part of the club again.”
A spokeswoman said the move was aimed at rebuilding the link between fans and club which had been damaged over recent years.
“A football club is nothing without its fans, it exists for its fans,” she said. “Whether we are supporters, players or staff members, this is our home and we should be proud of it.”
Twenty-four-year-old Lauren Kenny, from Hill View, and grandad Ralph Sidney were among those taking part in the big refit.
“We just wanted to come down and be with the other fans,” said Lauren. “It has been a long time since the stadium was built and other fans have been saying ‘Look at all the empty pink seats’.
“At least now they’ll have to say ‘Look at all the empty red seats’.”.
Lauren has been impressed by the new owners’ efforts to rebuild the link between fans and club.
“It feels like the new owners really want to engage with the fans and stuff like this really helps to bring people together,” she said.