Haway The Podcast | On This Week 13-20 April | McMenemy Departs | Sunderland Promoted! | Play Offs

TL;DR

This week on Haway The Podcast, the hosts discuss Sunderland AFC's history, including Lawrie McMenemy's impact, the 1988 Mercantile Credit Festival, and the club's first-ever playoffs. They also reminisce about the last 50,000+ crowd at Roker in 1976.

It’s another Sunderland history epic today, as Martin, Andrew and Kelvin take a jaunt down memory lane to delve into all things related to Sunderland AFC that happened On This Week in years gone by! **On today’s show:**

We look back at the Mercantile Credit Festival in 1988 – 16 different teams all at Wembley on the same day… sounds like a great idea!
Andrew tackles a big topic… Lawrie McMenemy at Sunderland. You may need therapy afterwards.
The lads look back on Sunderland’s first ever ‘play offs’. Guess the year… you’ll be way off!
Kelvin travels back to 1976, and while he didn’t know it at the time, he was standing as part of Sunderland’s last ever 50k+ crowd at Roker. All of this and more, so sit back (or go for a really long run or drive) and enjoy! **Get subscribed to Haway The Podcast so you never miss another episode of our free daily show.***Want to get in touch with us? You can drop us an email at HawayThePodcastSAFC@Gmail.com, or you can contact us via social media – we’re @RokerReport on almost every platform. For your daily SAFC fan-written content, head over to*⁠*RokerReport.SBNation.com*⁠

𝗛𝗔𝗪𝗔𝗬 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗢𝗗𝗖𝗔𝗦𝗧 🎙️

🔹 ON THIS WEEK POD 🔹

Lawrie McMenemy at Sunderland • The 1988 Mercantile Credit Festival • Sunderland’s first-ever Playoffs! • 1976

APPLE: SPOTIFY: | #SAFC ❤️🤍 pic.twitter.com/oraiw6Qzrm

— Roker Report (@RokerReport) April 14, 2026

Q&A

What was the significance of Lawrie McMenemy's time at Sunderland AFC?

Lawrie McMenemy's tenure at Sunderland AFC is a major topic of discussion, highlighting his impact on the club and the emotional responses it evokes among fans.

What happened during the 1988 Mercantile Credit Festival?

The 1988 Mercantile Credit Festival featured 16 different teams playing at Wembley on the same day, marking a memorable event in Sunderland's history.

When did Sunderland AFC first participate in the playoffs?

Sunderland AFC's first-ever playoffs are discussed in the podcast, with the hosts inviting listeners to guess the year, which may surprise many.