The lack of a game this weekend gives us a chance to breathe, a chance to reflect on where we are and, let’s be honest, forget about football altogether. Or watch international football if that’s your thing.
I’ve never really been one for international football. I love the idea of it, but the more footballers seem remote from the real world, the less I care about them representing my country. With Pickford and Henderson there is a link but the rest of the prima donnas, well, I’m just not that fussed. I’m just not sure they represent me.
The link with Pickford and Henderson is obvious, they’re my people. Not just my club but also my community.
It’s an occasional reminder that football clubs are the heart of our communities. Cathedrals towering above the cities of the North of England bringing them together. I was touched in the recent TV programme about Robbie Savage by just how much a part of their community the Macclesfield football team were. Their support of families, their availability when people needed them was great to see.
Our club has a long and proud record of being with the communities of the North East, the miners’ banners inside the ground a reminder of our past, the Beacon of Light showing the way forwards, the incredible work of our Branch Liaison team working to help the mental health of supporters and the food bank collection point outside the ground showing the people of Sunderland working together to help their neighbours in need. When I think of former Sunderland and England player, Jermaine Defoe, I’m not convinced our universal love of him is because of the goals he scored (though one will live long), it’s because he became part of our community, because he became best friends with one of the best of us.
The club and the community will always be more important than the team on any given day, month or season. What binds us together will always matter more.
And with that in mind, I’d like to put Jordans Henderson and Pickford to one side and remind you of twelve Sunderland players who represented our community internationally and gave everything for that community in a very different type of field.
1914-18
Jack Allan
George Anderson
Alexander Barrie
Bob Bonthron
James Chalmers
Jack Huggins
Billy Lyon
Sandy McAllister
Albert Milton
Leigh Roose
Thomas Rowlandson
1939-45
Percy Saunders
Football is back next weekend but let’s try and remember there are a lot of things that are far more important.
