Fan Letters: Sunderland’s ‘Legends’ Way’ Continues To Divide Opinion!

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Dear Roker Report,

Up until last weekend, I’d been considering purchasing a stone on the *Legends’ Way* at the Stadium of Light. But when the club announced the lineup for the so-called legends, I immediately changed my mind. I think that some of the selections that have been made are shocking and insulting to the memory and status of some that have been left out. First, Bob Murray. Yes, he built the Stadium of Light and Academy of Light, but does that mean that all clubs need to brand an owner who built a stadium a ‘legend’? We’ve done nothing but thank him and inflate his ego since the stadium’s completion; he has the gates — leave it there! Second, Peter Reid. Yes, finished seventh twice under him but the fact that will be celebrated and (other than Bob Stokoe) he’ll be the only manager in our history featured is more of a sad indictment on how badly the club has been managed at the top end in the recent past rather than him being an actual legend himself. For me, Régis Le Bris has already surpassed the achievements of Reid! Next, Jermain Defoe. I love Defoe as a player and as a person. He was the only decent thing that Lee Congerton did while he was at the club, and quite how he persuaded Toronto FC to swap Jozy Altidore for him should give him legendary status in football in general. However, given he played ninety three games across all competitions in his first stint, scoring roughly one in three is hardly legendary next to the likes of Bobby Gurney, etc. During his second spell, he damaged his status with the fanbase when he threw the towel in after a month or so. Yes, he did a lot of work with dear Bradley Lowery and the foundation, but I just don’t see how this achieves ‘legendary’ status. Fourth — finally and the worst of the lot for me — is Jill Scott. I’ll caveat my point by saying that I don’t watch the women’s team — neither Sunderland nor England — simply through personal choice. But given that she played for Sunderland for around a year, played around forty games (there are no actual numbers available online) and left makes the fact she’s selected as a ‘legend’ frankly disgusting and disrespectful. Don’t get me wrong: she went on to have great success at Manchester City and England in the twilight of her career, and had Murray then Drumaville funded the team properly, we would’ve had one of the most successful women’s teams in the country and the conversation may be different. From things I’ve read from members of our fanbase who know far more about the women’s team than I, they say that people like Keira Ramshaw — while she shouldn’t be considered a legend — deserve it far more than Scott. If we’re deciding legends for what players have gone on to do after Sunderland, why isn’t Jordan Henderson in the conversation? I can see this as no more than a tick-box exercise to make the club look good; in fact, it’s having the opposite effect and angering people. I would hate to think I’d spent hundreds of pounds to be placed next to a legend and to be put next to someone that played a handful of games for the club and is better known for being on *I’m A Celebrity* and *A League of Their Own* rather than playing for the club. I know that vast numbers of the fanbase are upset by this, which would point to the vote results not being genuine. I would encourage the club to have the results independently audited with numbers published — given the vote was anonymised, this will not be an issue with GDPR regulations. It’s a fantastic idea which is being ruined by the inclusion of four totally undeserving candidates. What’s the alternative? Leave the stones blank for future legends as yet unknown! Please engage with the fan groups (*Roker Report*, *The Red and White Army* etc) before fully committing to this, as you risk undoing some of the unbelievable fan engagement work done by the club over the last couple of years.

Anon

Dear Roker Report,

My question would be: if it’s meant to be ‘legends way’, who’s decided the names post-vote? I used to live on Mayswood Road, Fulwell, and I knew Jill Scott growing up. She will say she isn’t a Sunderland AFC legend, instead achieving greatness for England. Jermaine Defoe — a fantastic player and a few goalscoring seasons, but other strikers need to be in question. Who’s been left out? Are Raich Carter and Charlie Hurley on?

Syed

***Ed’s Note [Phil]:** Thank you for your letters and for putting your opinions across regarding the new ‘Legends’ Way’. The list of honorees certainly seems to have stirred up some discussion and almost a week on, I do believe there are several points to consider.*

*The first point I would raise is that there are plenty of names that have been omitted from the list — including our five all-time top scorers (Bobby Gurney, Charlie Buchan, Dave Halliday, George Holley and Johnny Campbell) and title-winning goalkeeper Jimmy Thorpe — that deny this concept the credibility that it so desperately needs from the outset. Their absence really doesn’t sit well with me, and there are many others that I would put into the same bracket.*

*Greatness and iconic status at any sporting organisation transcends the passage of time and as Sunderland fans, I think it’s our duty to know about and understand why these men are considered such towering figures in our history. Frankly, whether you saw them play or not matters little: it was their hard work and in Thorpe’s case, bravery and sacrifice that elevates them to such status — and that should be recognised.*

*Yes, some of the names included — of which Raich Carter and Charlie Hurley were two — were absolutely correct, but others weren’t, and this where it gets tricky.*

*I do believe that during this whole process, those overseeing it have been guilty of playing fast and loose with the word ‘legend’, perhaps appropriating and stress-testing the very definition of the term in order to satisfy certain people.*

*There is simply no convincing argument for the inclusions of Jill Scott and Jermain Defoe, and given that many years ago, Sir Bob Murray was honoured in the shape of the gates outside the West Stand, that felt like more than enough.*

*The idea is absolutely brilliant.*

*The stones will doubtless look great when they’re in place, but the process, criteria for inclusion and list of figures recognised is deeply flawed and I hope the club can attempt to rectify it at some stage in the future. I think it’s too glaring to overlook.*