Als: Safc Fanzine

We are giving free lush panacalty away with every copy of the all new mackem dictionary we sell. Our sellers are all around the stadium and we are also selling them from ALS from the Mexico 70 hatch and in store... @ALS_Fanzine

Free panacalty with every Mackem Dictionary bought today at ALS!

Book now for Pompey away
https://www.a-love-supreme.com/product-‚Ä ¶/coach-to-portsmouth

Boardroom Changes Explained
It’s been no secret that for some time the current owners have required further investment to boost the coffers and move the club forward. So, after being in talks with a number of potential investors over the past few months, Stewart Donald is looking to sell some of his 74% of the club to another party. He will make a tidy profit on the sale of his shares, but the new investors will also bring with them a much-needed cash injection.
Some of the i...nterested parties have been looking to buy the club outright, but SD is keen to keep a decent percentage and stay involved. It’s also thought that Juan Sartori will hold onto his 20% and Charlie Methven will retain his 6%.
Some sources are claiming that the bare bones of a deal was agreed in principle earlier this week and this led to the story being leaked to the press on the eve of Sunderland's play-off semi-final against Portsmouth. Many fans believe that the timing of this news was not ideal.
After a Twitter storm on Friday night, where various journalists ran contradictory stories, Stewart Donald had this to say: "I think we're a little bit ahead of ourselves here," he said. "It's common knowledge, I've mentioned it before, we need a long-term plan that is going to involve getting some investment in the club. We've talked to loads and loads of people over the last couple of months, looked at options of trying to raise internal finance etc. Through the summer there's no doubt that they're we're going to take one of those options, but that will involve us staying at the club. We've worked hard in the last twelve months, we need stability. We want to get back up to the Championship on the field, that's important, we're trying to do that, but off the field the football club has been through a lot, our conversations have been about trying to get another investor or investors in, to help us long term to get back to the Premier League. We have to get to the Championship first, we know that, but the Premier League is the long-term aim and that's what the conversations have been about. I would expect and I'm certain that Charlie, Juan and I will be at the club in some guise next season, probably taking the option for one of the people to invest with us. 100%, I will own some or the current amount that I currently do in Sunderland next season and hopefully for years to come. But I might sacrifice some of that if it's in the interests of Sunderland to get some investment in."
https://www.a-love-supreme.com/…/Boardr oom-Changes-Explained
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I’m So Over It
Jack Ross reckons he’s moved on from missing out on automatic promotion and hopes his players have too. I guess we’ll find out if they have this evening. “I dealt with it pretty quickly to be honest,” he said. “I say this to players all the time: you can never affect anything that’s gone on before. Once a goal is conceded, you can’t take it away, all you can try and do is score at the other end. Once automatic promotion goes, there’s nothing you can do about it... and so the focus then turns to what you can affect. What you can affect is the way we play these play-off matches and the results we achieve from them. The great thing about having another focus is that it then helps you to avoid wallowing in it. If we’d finished fifth 20 points adrift, I get that, but the points difference from (champions) Luton down to ourselves (nine) is probably the smallest it’s been between the top five for a number of years if not full stop. There is certainly no self-doubt in that dressing room.”
Ross also discussed the financial implications of promotion: “It starts the process of getting the club back to the level that everybody who follows the club believes it should be at. In terms of finances and the impact of being in a higher league, both in terms of revenue and costs, it’s better answered by other people at the club. I made the choice to come to this club because I didn’t want to be in this league for more than one season. I could have managed in a higher league right away (at Ipswich Town). My own ambition is probably a by-product. What the club can achieve is more important. I’ve crammed a lot into a short managerial career and I always want to be striving for success. I’ve never had a season in mid-table obscurity as a manager. It’s been a long slog this season to get to the point where we still have a chance to (win promotion) but it’s what I want to do and it’s why I feel good coming into work this week. The ambition was always to win promotion so if you gauge it in terms like that, then yes, we will not have achieved what we wanted to achieve (if they do not win the play-offs). If you gauge it in terms of what we have done as a club since the summer, that is a different argument. People judge football on end results and there is an element where it is fair to do so and an element that is unfair when people don’t see what goes on behind the scenes. I think culture change is a most interesting thing because most businesses think it takes two or three years to do and we have to change that within weeks, months. (Promotion) should be our ambition but a lot of damage was done at this club over a long period of time and a big support and a big club does not necessarily mean you can turn that around overnight.”
https://www.a-love-supreme.com/…/…/11 /I%E2%80%99m-So-Over-It
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https://www.thesun.co.uk/…/sunderland-o wner-stewart-d…/amp/…

Before tomorrow’s game we’ll be selling The all new Mackem Dictionary from the @mexico_70 food hatch (in the @als_fanzine building) and everyone who buys a copy get a free bowl of Panacalty...

Turn Up & Fight By FTM
In a season where half the clubs in the Football League, sorry, the EFL, have been chasing a play-off place, we’ve got one. Didn’t even have to sweat some to get it either. However, as the phrase “we go again” is hawked around again, my reaction is: “Bastard unfortunately.”
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AT LAST

Leaves us three days to make travel plans

Happy birthday to Paul Forrest. Birthday panini at Roker End Cafe.

NOT DONE YET!
ALS, Lee Cattermole, Roker Report and WMS on why Sunderland need our support
ALS, Lee Cattermole, Roker Report & WMS have joined forces to appeal to the Sunderland supporters - our team needs us. Can you be there on Saturday evening? If so, move heaven and Earth to do it - we’re not done yet.
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Now on sale at Roker End Cafe. A wide selection of both meat and veggie panini. Freshly made to order... £4. #sunderlandafc #sunderlandfoodies #sunderland #blossommcfadden

Geads Back
Aiden McGeady is back to face Portsmouth on Saturday and there’s an outside chance that Duncan Watmore will also feature. “Aiden will train tomorrow, but that has been a conscious decision,” said Jack Ross. “He possibly could have trained today, but the long break he’s been able to have has been of real benefit to him. Ideally, we’ve have another two/three week rest and he would be completely healed, but he’s certainly benefited from the week, he feels good and is ...looking forward to the game. People will always point to his natural ability and the level of the game that he’s played at, but what he’s done this season is marry that with a real hunger about his play, and a desire to try and take the club back up. That’s been reflected in his performances and when you marry those two things together it’s always going to be talismanic for you time-after-time. To have him back available is a huge boost for us. We recognise the quality he brings and the more match-winners you can have in your team the bigger chance you have. We’re pretty much at full strength now. Aiden (McGeady) has benefited from this extended break that we’ve managed to give him. Lee (Cattermole) and George (Honeyman) had some minor issues that made them miss the Southend game but they’ll be fine. We’ve even had Duncan training with the group this week as well. Saturday will be maybe be a little too soon for him but we’re in good health going into the weekend. There is plenty in our squad. You can look at those players who’ve experienced a higher level of the game, such as Aiden and Lee and Grant Leadbitter and so on. Equally, we have players like Luke O’Nien and Charlie Wyke who’ve experienced play-offs and play-off success, so we have a nice balance in our squad. I think these games are more about being able to handle big games, rather than handle the play-offs specifically, and I think the number of players we have in our squad that have that, and equally I think we’ve been better this season in the big games - performances have been better, not always reflected in the result. but certainly in performance levels if I was to pick out our best performances, I think a lot of them would have been in those so-called bigger games.”
https://www.a-love-supreme.com/single-po‚ Ķ/‚Ķ/05/09/Geads-Back
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Roker End Cafe allergy advice, unless you are a Mag

Potential Summer Transfers
As the playoffs steal the headlines, Daniel McCallum takes a step back and looks at the next transfer window and chooses three players that might bolster our squad…
Cedric Kipre... The powerful Wigan defender from the Ivory Coast has been strongly linked with a move to Wearside in the summer, on one condition, we earn promotion. The 6”3 centre half would be a welcome addition, as fans have complained all season, and rightly so, about the lack of physicality in the back line.
Marcus Maddison The Peterborough attacking midfielder was heavily linked last year after revealing he is in fact a Mackem. Following two stellar seasons in League One, the midfielder/winger would add some much-needed quality, strength and drive.
Lawrence Shankland: Shankland has been excellent this season for Ayr United north of the border, scoring a whopping 34 goals. The 23-year-old is free to leave for free in the summer as his contract ends and Ayr chairman Lachlan Cameron recently gave the striker his blessing, paving the way to a potential red and white move: “We won’t stand in his way. He’s done well by us and we’re prepared to back him.” Jack Ross and co will surely be looking to bolster the attacking ranks.
https://www.a-love-supreme.com/…/09/Pot ential-Summer-Transf…
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Read the small print!#Roker End Cafe.