Fin fan blog: so long 2020, here’s hoping for a much better new year
With this being one of the final fan blogs of 2020, it seems a good time to look back on a horrific year, and see the direction that Sunderland AFC are travelling in.
2020 will forever be known for the coronavirus pandemic, which took control of the UK in March and still remains prominent in day-to-day life with normality seemingly some way in the future.
T h e C OV I D - 1 9 h e a l t h emergency was at the forefront of the minds of Sunderland fans when the UK was first hauled into a lockdown - would the takeover be affected?
Would the players be furloughed? Would the 2019/20 League One season continue?
In truth, Sunderland rec e ive d th e wo r s t h a n d o f the EFL's decision to abandon the League One season, which was decided on a PPG system.
It wa s ove r a yea r a go since the tension began to build between fans and the ownership - with sections of different fanbases asking for Stewart Donald to s ell the club.
He complied with their request, but as months grew on and the COVID-19 pandemic kicked into force in the UK, the takeover of the club was extended in time, and different backers were said to be dropping out of the race for the club.
Eve nt u a l l y, C h r i s t m a s Eve sprang a surprise with the confirmation of the final stages of the Kyril Loui s - D re y f u s d ea l , w i th th e Fre n c h m a n e x p e c t e d t o take control in the middle of January.
The end of Sunderland's tu rbu l e nt yea r h a s b e e n rounded off with a COVID-19 outbreak at the Academy of L i g ht , wh i c h h a s l e f t f a n s with more periods of time without football.
M e a nwh i l e, 2 02 0 h a s meant that we all have become accustomed to this situation, and it is likely to not be the last, but hopefully 2021 will bring a new era at Sunderland AFC.
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