An eye opening insight into Sunderland and football

Netflix’s new soccer documentary series Sunderland ’till I die follows Sunderland for the 2017/18 Championship season. The eight episodes make for compelling viewing and offer a unique insight into what was then a dysfunctional club.

Before continuing this article will contain spoilers so don’t read on if you don’t want to spoil the series!

The eight episodes can be broken down into three categories: Episode 1 – Preseason and their ambition to achieve promotion straight back to the Premier League. Episode 2-7 – The club is too good to go down, they’ll pull off a miracle and survive. Episode 8 – Realisation they’ve been relegated and new hope with under new ownership.

Sunderland spent ten seasons in the Premier League before suffering relegation in the 2016/17 season. The documentary hoped to follow the club as they bounced back to the Premier League but instead it charts the demise of the club. The series was given access to pretty much every area of the club apart from the dressing room.

A main protagonist is Martin Bain who was the Chief Executive of the club. Bain talks openly about the issues the club faces in attracting players to join the club due to then owner Ellis Short’s decision to drastically reduce the amount of money available for player acquisitions.

Manager Simon Grayson doesn’t come across in the best light but that’s not to place all the blame on him. An experienced operator in the Football League Sunderland hired Grayson based on his successful work at Preston North End. Grayson was enticed by the opportunity of taking over a club the size of Sunderland but has since admitted that within two days of taking charge he realised the club was not what it seemed on the outside.

Grayson was tasked with working with a small squad and predictably it didn’t end well winning only one of his first 15 league matches in charge with Sunderland rooted to the bottom of the Championship. Grayson was given his marching orders by the end of October.

The man chosen to replace Grayson was a surprise for many fans, Wales manager Chris Coleman left the national side he’d guided to the semi-finals of Euro 2016 to take over the Black Cats.

It must be said that Coleman was the right man for the job but the club simply wasn’t in a position to support his plans. Coleman’s charisma is infectious and he instantly brought hope to staff and fans alike.

Results briefly looked hopeful but the limited squad and lack of investment combined with a string of injuries condemned Sunderland.

This series has received rave reviews and for good reason, for many football fans the inner workings of a football club is something of a mystery this series breaks down those walls.

The series also leaves the viewer asking questions about the industry. Three players in particular come out of the season in a bad light: Lewis Grabban, Jack Rodwell and Darron Gibson.

Grabban was on loan at Sunderland and was the club’s top scorer but became unhappy when Coleman arrived and began substituting him with 15/20 minutes left in games. The striker’s interview explaining his decision to leave is cocky and his status as a villain is confirmed when he returns to the Stadium of Light with his new club Aston Villa. Grabban scores a goal and celebrates it by taunting the Sunderland fans.

Jack Rodwell is an example of many players in the professional game. By January 2018 the club needed to free up funds to allow the signing of new players. Coleman had made it fairly clear that the midfielder was not in his plans for the club going forward so Bain approaches Rodwell asking him to leave the club for their mutual benefit. Rodwell was 26 years of age at the time, the prime of his career. On transfer deadline day Bain receives a call from the former Manchester City midfielder indicating he will not leave the club. Bain’s expletive filled reaction says it all. Rodwell’s contract did not include a wage reduction when the club suffered relegation so he continued to earn £70,000 a week with the club bottom of the Championship. Some have defended his decision to stay but the vast majority believe he is an example of a common problem at clubs around the world an overplayed prima donna who isn’t in it for the love of the sport but for the money.

Darron Gibson self destructs over the course of the series. Early on a scandal emerges when video footage emerges of a very drunk Gibson at a pub having a heated discussion with a set of fans. After the club disciplines him things seem to get brighter especially when Coleman gets him playing well. Injury however ends his season during his recovery he is shown working in the gym but his contract is terminated in March when he is charged with drink driving.

It must be said Aiden McGeady doesn’t come across in the best light either criticising Coleman’s management style while claiming he had never played in a 4-3-3 before and was unaware of his role. McGeady says all of this to the camera while glancing over his shoulder every now and again like a schoolboy afraid of being caught talking in class.

Chris Coleman and his assistant Kit Symons come across as genuine individuals who honestly thought they could turn the club’s fortunes around. Coleman gives youth team players a chance when it becomes clear the club will not be able to bring in players. His man management skills are seen when he encourages Jonny Williams to work with a sports psychologist to help him get over a string of injuries. Coleman and Symons were ushered out the door with one game to go as the club is prepared to be sold by Short.

Coleman expressed the pressure he felt to turn things around “You come in in the morning and there’s Andy, the old boy who always opens the door for us. He was going to have a hip operation but it’s been cancelled, poor bugger.

Leanne [player liaison officer], the one who’s always, ‘Good morning, boss.’

Joyce [the chef] upstairs, who makes sure you come and have some lunch. Patrick [the chef], if I don’t come for lunch, he’s knocking on my door, ‘You need some food.’

These are genuine people who care, and they can’t help it. They’re great people.

The problem with that is, when you’re playing poorly and you’re losing, you’re thinking, ‘Oh, I’ve let them down. I’m letting you down here.’

If you win, they’ve won the lottery. They don’t actually care about money. Sunderland have won a game of football. If you lose and you keep losing, it affects them so badly. It really does.

You can feel the weight of that and that can be quite heavy.”

Coleman’s impact at the club could be seen in the staff member’s reactions to his departure. He took the time to text the club chef Joyce thanking her for all she did for Symons and himself. The thought shown moved her to tears.

The series makes fans take stock or at least it made me stop and think. As Coleman said himself players and managers come and go but the fans stay forever. Supporting a big club where challenging for titles is the biggest issue makes you forget about clubs at the other end of the spectrum. The club is part of the city and the team’s results have a serious impact on the mood of the city.

Sunderland currently sit third in League 1 and look to have turned over a new leaf under new ownership. A second series is in production and hopefully will be on Netflix before the end of the year.