STADIUM OF LIGHT
Home Of: Sunderland
Ground Opened: 1997 Previous Ground: Roker Park
Other Uses: England Internationals
& Concerts
NEAREST RAILWAY STATION
Sunderland Railway Station is located just under one mile away from the Stadium of Light and takes around 15-20 minutes to walk. You will exit the station opposite Greggs. Turn right out of the station heading up towards a JJB Sports store and walk through the gap between JJB and a nail bar to the right of JJB. Keep walking straight ahead and within 100m you will see the Stadium Of Light rising up in front of you over the Wearmouth Bridge. Simply cross the bridge, and turn left into Millennium Way, opposite the now closed Wheatsheaf pub. The Metro stations called the 'Stadium of Light' and 'St. Peters' both serve the stadium. The metro provides regular and rapid transport from both Newcastle and the South of Sunderland. Both stations are only a few minutes walk from the stadium, although away supporters should alight at St Peters Station as that is closer to their entrance. This provides an alternative to the regular rail services. Please note though that after the game the Stadium of Light metro station only operates Northbound (i.e. towards Newcastle) and St Peters metro station only operates Southbound (i.e. towards Sunderland centre).
THE STADIUM OF LIGHT
The Club moved to the Stadium of Light in 1997, after leaving their former home of Roker Park where they had played for 99 years. The stadium is of a good size, is totally enclosed and on the whole is quite impressive. It is composed of two three tiered stands (at the North end and the West side of the pitch), whilst the others are two tiered. The West (Main) Stand on one side also has a row of executive boxes (which you can sit outside if you wish), that are situated just below the top tier. Currently, with half the stadium being larger than the other, it looks a little imbalanced, when looking from the South Stand. However, if at some point the Club were to add an additional tier to the two remaining sides, then an even more remarkable stadium would emerge. There is also a large video screens perched upon the roof at either end.
Away fans are now housed in the Upper Tier of the North Stand at one end of the stadium, where around 3,000 fans can be housed for league games. For cup games then up to 9,000 visiting supporters can be accommodated in this tier, if demand requires it). Although the facilities are fine in this area, you do have to climb a large number of flights of stairs to reach this top tier. It almost feels if this area has been 'tucked in' under the stadium roof, as it comes down over this section. It means that if you are sitting towards the back of the tier, then although you can see the pitch, you get a limited view of the majority of the rest of the stadium, giving the feeling of being a bit cut off from it all.
Outside the stadium there is a statue of former FA Cup winning manager Bob Stokoe, as well as some reminders of the former Wearmouth Colliery, on the site of which the stadium was built. Behind the West Stand there is a large red wheel, an emblem of the lifts that used to take the miners down to the mines. Also outside one corner of the stadium is a large miners lamp. If you feel a little mischievous, then ask the nearest Sunderland fan whether it is a Geordie Lamp. Don't worry you won't get any physical abuse, just a long lecture that the lamp is in fact a Davy lamp!
GROUND LAYOUT
A THE WEST STAND
B THE EAST STAND
C THE NORTH STAND
D THE SOUTH STAND
Today's Visitors READING are currently 16th in the table and have won two of the last five matches only losing the once 2-0 at home to table topping Wolves. On Tuesday night the Royals hosted Barnsley at the Madejski stadium and won the match 3-0 with goals from Edwards, Van Den Berg and Bodvarsson.
Since the Stadium of Light opened in 1997 Reading have made Five visits winning once and
losing four. Their only success came on the 9th of April 2005, Julio Arca opened the scoring for Sunderland in the 52nd minute but a brace from Dave Kitson , 76 & 82 pen, sealed the points for the Royals.
Last time out was almost five years ago to the day when Sunderland won 3-0 in a Barclays Premier fixture, goals from James McClean, Steven Fletcher and Stephane Sessegnon won the day for the Black cats.
& Concerts
NEAREST RAILWAY STATION
Sunderland Railway Station is located just under one mile away from the Stadium of Light and takes around 15-20 minutes to walk. You will exit the station opposite Greggs. Turn right out of the station heading up towards a JJB Sports store and walk through the gap between JJB and a nail bar to the right of JJB. Keep walking straight ahead and within 100m you will see the Stadium Of Light rising up in front of you over the Wearmouth Bridge. Simply cross the bridge, and turn left into Millennium Way, opposite the now closed Wheatsheaf pub. The Metro stations called the 'Stadium of Light' and 'St. Peters' both serve the stadium. The metro provides regular and rapid transport from both Newcastle and the South of Sunderland. Both stations are only a few minutes walk from the stadium, although away supporters should alight at St Peters Station as that is closer to their entrance. This provides an alternative to the regular rail services. Please note though that after the game the Stadium of Light metro station only operates Northbound (i.e. towards Newcastle) and St Peters metro station only operates Southbound (i.e. towards Sunderland centre).
THE STADIUM OF LIGHT
The Club moved to the Stadium of Light in 1997, after leaving their former home of Roker Park where they had played for 99 years. The stadium is of a good size, is totally enclosed and on the whole is quite impressive. It is composed of two three tiered stands (at the North end and the West side of the pitch), whilst the others are two tiered. The West (Main) Stand on one side also has a row of executive boxes (which you can sit outside if you wish), that are situated just below the top tier. Currently, with half the stadium being larger than the other, it looks a little imbalanced, when looking from the South Stand. However, if at some point the Club were to add an additional tier to the two remaining sides, then an even more remarkable stadium would emerge. There is also a large video screens perched upon the roof at either end.
Away fans are now housed in the Upper Tier of the North Stand at one end of the stadium, where around 3,000 fans can be housed for league games. For cup games then up to 9,000 visiting supporters can be accommodated in this tier, if demand requires it). Although the facilities are fine in this area, you do have to climb a large number of flights of stairs to reach this top tier. It almost feels if this area has been 'tucked in' under the stadium roof, as it comes down over this section. It means that if you are sitting towards the back of the tier, then although you can see the pitch, you get a limited view of the majority of the rest of the stadium, giving the feeling of being a bit cut off from it all.
Outside the stadium there is a statue of former FA Cup winning manager Bob Stokoe, as well as some reminders of the former Wearmouth Colliery, on the site of which the stadium was built. Behind the West Stand there is a large red wheel, an emblem of the lifts that used to take the miners down to the mines. Also outside one corner of the stadium is a large miners lamp. If you feel a little mischievous, then ask the nearest Sunderland fan whether it is a Geordie Lamp. Don't worry you won't get any physical abuse, just a long lecture that the lamp is in fact a Davy lamp!
GROUND LAYOUT
A THE WEST STAND
B THE EAST STAND
C THE NORTH STAND
D THE SOUTH STAND
Today's Visitors READING are currently 16th in the table and have won two of the last five matches only losing the once 2-0 at home to table topping Wolves. On Tuesday night the Royals hosted Barnsley at the Madejski stadium and won the match 3-0 with goals from Edwards, Van Den Berg and Bodvarsson.
Since the Stadium of Light opened in 1997 Reading have made Five visits winning once and losing four. Their only success came on the 9th of April 2005, Julio Arca opened the scoring for Sunderland in the 52nd minute but a brace from Dave Kitson , 76 & 82 pen, sealed the points for the Royals.
Last time out was almost five years ago to the day when Sunderland won 3-0 in a Barclays Premier fixture, goals from James McClean, Steven Fletcher and Stephane Sessegnon won the day for the Black cats.
SUNDERLAND ... 1 READING ... 3
Chris Coleman's first home match in charge of Sunderland couldn't have gone more wrong, his team crumbled after going down to ten men in the 3rd minute of injury time of the first half as Callum McManaman saw red for his second bookable offence when he punched a cross with his fist into the Reading net.
The second half saw Jaap Stam's Reading produce their slow build up play passing the ball across the field at the back and the centre of the park to the annoyance of the home fans who jeered the Reading tactics and bayed at their own players to run at the Royals to win the ball.
Things got worse in the 53rd minute when Aiden McGeady lost the ball in the Reading half inflicting a counter attack on his team from the Royals Sone Aluko's effort was deflected into the path of David Edwards who slid in to finish superbly.
Fifteen minutes later and the home faithful were heading for the exits when the first of Modou Barrow's brace occurred volleying the ball in at Robbin Ruiter's near side post. The Reading number 17 made it 3-0 and game over three minutes later when a fine flick by Yann Kermorgant found the 25 year old Gambian who finished with aplomb.
There were less than a third of the home support left after the third goal and those who were left started arguing and fighting amongst their selves in the West stand where I was watching the game frustration had found it's way into the stand and there were some scary moments to contend with during this period of the game.
Things cooled down a little in the 76th minute when the Swedish teenage substitute Joel Asoro broke through the Reading defence and was scythed down for his troubles. Lewis Grabban placed the ball on the spot and powered it into Mannone's left hand corner for a consolation goal.
Verdict, not hard to see why Sunderland are where they are in the league for Reading's performance wasn't exactly great and yet they won the game easily although the home team were reduced in number. Chris Coleman has his work cut out to keep this team in the Championship he has a number of injuries which doesn't make life easy but so do a number of teams in this league but if anyone could keep Sunderland up he can.
The second half saw Jaap Stam's Reading produce their slow build up play passing the ball across the field at the back and the centre of the park to the annoyance of the home fans who jeered the Reading tactics and bayed at their own players to run at the Royals to win the ball.Things got worse in the 53rd minute when Aiden McGeady lost the ball in the Reading half inflicting a counter attack on his team from the Royals Sone Aluko's effort was deflected into the path of David Edwards who slid in to finish superbly.
There were less than a third of the home support left after the third goal and those who were left started arguing and fighting amongst their selves in the West stand where I was watching the game frustration had found it's way into the stand and there were some scary moments to contend with during this period of the game.
Things cooled down a little in the 76th minute when the Swedish teenage substitute Joel Asoro broke through the Reading defence and was scythed down for his troubles. Lewis Grabban placed the ball on the spot and powered it into Mannone's left hand corner for a consolation goal.Verdict, not hard to see why Sunderland are where they are in the league for Reading's performance wasn't exactly great and yet they won the game easily although the home team were reduced in number. Chris Coleman has his work cut out to keep this team in the Championship he has a number of injuries which doesn't make life easy but so do a number of teams in this league but if anyone could keep Sunderland up he can.
MATCH DETAILS
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