Let’s just enjoy our big day out at Wembley

The win at Bristol Rovers, the second in 10 days, assured Sunderland would be going to Wembley for the Checkatrade Trophy Final.

A trophy scoffed at by many (not me, I might add) could be in Sunderland’s trophy cabinet come the end of the month.

For me, this is about more than winning the trophy, it’s about our day in the sun.

Thousands of Sunderland fans will descend on the capital in three weeks’ time, turning London into a sea of red and white.

It’s not often we get something to cheer about, and even to get this we’ve had to fall to the lowest ebb in our history.

Let’s make the most of this opportunity, and whether we lift the trophy or not, go to Wembley and have the best time.

It is a stark contrast to the last time Sunderland played under the famous arch, against Manchester City in the League Cup Final of 2014.

Amid a relegation battle, it was a day giving some relief to the supporters, a day when the struggles in the league could be forgotten about.

The team led at half time too, before a second half comeback saw City run out 3-1 victors.

This time, the club is on the up. This feels like a milestone for me personally, an occasion which I wouldn’t miss for the world.

Checkatrade or not, it is Sunderland at Wembley. Is anyone going to care what trophy it is if we’re stood watching George Honeyman lift it in front of 40,000 fans?

Go to Wembley. If you can get a ticket, get one. Go for the weekend, go for the day.

Go with your mates, your family, go on your own, take your dog if you want to. But go.

Days like this are a one off.

In 20 years’ time, not many are going to remember who won the Checkatrade Trophy in 2019. But you will remember being there, you’ll remember being there with the people you care about the most, watching the team you care about the most.

Everyone together, And speaking for myself, I have never been prouder of a bunch of players representing the city I am from.

Every single one of them. Yes, they have their faults, but they would do. They are for the most part, third division footballers, but they have given us something that will live in the memory of everyone who attends forever.

“It’s only the Checkatrade.” Well, we might never get to see Sunderland win a trophy other than this in our lifetimes, so why put it down?

Let’s watch a bunch of lads proud to play for us, play for us at the most famous stadium in the world, and let’s watch them come back to Sunderland with the trophy.

If that happens, I guarantee you, that even the most cynical fan would feel immense levels of pride.

I want us to win this final just as much as the one in 2014.

This is the level we are at and after the amount of nonsense thrown at us in recent years, I think we deserve to simply have a nice time for once.

From the first game against Stoke U21’s, to the final at Wembley, the fans will be there.

Why? Because we’re Sunderland, and we’re proud of our name ...