Clark expects Sunderland to face Shakers

SUNDERLAND are set for a pre-season date against Bury according to ex-Black Cats midfielder - and now Shakers boss - Lee Clark.

The outline of the Wearsiders’ pre-season programme is already known, with a training camp in Austria planned for early July.

That will be followed by a series of friendlies in England and Scotland, plus a possible overseas warm-up game, ahead of a prestige home game to mark the 20th anniversary of the move to the Stadium of Light.

But so far no opponents for any of the games have been confirmed.

Bury revealed on their website a couple of weeks ago they would play Sunderland and Premier League newcomers Huddersfield Town, but the article was quickly taken down.

But Clark has said Sunderland, and one of his former clubs as manager Huddersfield, are among the clubs Bury are speaking to about a friendly and he hopes to have Bury’s plans confirmed ‘in the next couple of days’.

“They [Sunderland and Huddersfield] are the type of clubs we are talking to,” said Clark

(pictured above) who spent two years at Sunderland after joining from Newcastle United in 1997.

“Sunderland were recently relegated and will be a Championship club come pre-season while Huddersfield have replaced them in the Premier.

“We are hoping to have everything confirmed 100% in the next couple of days.

“It will give us an exciting mixture of games in terms of quality of the opposition.

“We want to try to bring teams from the Championship and Premier League to Gigg Lane.

“We also want to play some noble clubs from non-league and League Two to make sure we are fully ready for the new campaign.

“We are very close with a couple of others. We are continuing to take calls and emails with regards to potential friendlies.”