Sunderland will face Saudi Arabian opposition Al Shabab in Friendly (poll in Parsnip)

[HenrySAFC]

This. Don't get the outrage at all. It's hardly sportswashing as it will get no publicity. It's just a daft friendly to get some minutes in.


We going to pay Shields to come across to Dubai?

We shouldnt be training in dubai, its a disgrace and waste of funds. Just paying for the lads to have a holiday basically.

 

[CissesUnderpants9]

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November 25th (13:00) - Dubai

When it Rome, or Dubai as maybe the case.

 

[Thunder Road]

I personally wouldn't have sanctioned this game but I know nothing about this club and don't know what links they have to the Saudi regime.

If they're connected to the regime then I would hope we as a fan base do all we can to tell the club what we think about this friendly.

If their only connection is they're from the same country then we shouldn't tar everyone with the same brush as the Saudi regime.

 

[maghater]

You couldn't make it up could you

 

[Botchie]

Would those kicking off have been bothered if we played a Disney 11, or the Starbucks Sunday league side.

 

[ferryhill mackem]

We shouldnt be training in dubai, its a disgrace and waist of funds. Just paying for the lads to have a holiday basically.

The players are currently away on holiday. Going abroad to train isn’t a holiday

 

[Charles Eats Grass]

Shameful how out of touch with our fan base this club is now mind.

Bunch of tossers the lot of them.

 

[Maravilla]

As much as people (rightly) praise the recruitment under the Dreyfus regime they've consistently been an utter shitshow when it comes to the PR side of things.

Every single person involved in signing that off is an absolute clownshoe.

 

[Turnip from the Tip]

No issue with the squad having a warm weather training camp, but why not somewhere like southern Spain, where I’m sure it’s still pretty warm at this time or year, with a friendly against a 2nd tier Spanish team?

 

[PS]

Playing a game is a million light-years from being owned by them.

 

[The Great MES]

It just comes across as the club trying to feed off the Saudi crumbs from the mags.

 

[Pacific]

if it wasn't for that lot up the road being owned by them this would barely be a talking point

 

[Grimes]

Been looking online to see who actually owns that club, found absolutely fuck all dunno whether that’s strange or not like

 

[Wrenthorpe Mackem]

I personally wouldn't have sanctioned this game but I know nothing about this club and don't know what links they have to the Saudi regime.

If they're connected to the regime then I would hope we as a fan base do all we can to tell the club what we think about this friendly.

If their only connection is they're from the same country then we shouldn't tar everyone with the same brush as the Saudi regime.

Fair comment. I"m not keen but there's no analogy to the ownership/ sportswashing at the Mags even if their craven fanbase will be no doubt furiously insisting/pretending there is.

 

[ChrisAshley]

It's a friendly for fitness, I doubt the Saudi regime are giving backhanders to Sunderland to get a friendly against a Saudi Arabian team. Some are just fuming because they know some thick mags will see this as comparable to being owned by the Saudis.

 

[The Archer]

All of a sudden having a friendly with Stoke doesn’t seem a bad idea.

 

[washy tumbler]

Take an opinion poll have we?

 

[Stormo]

Would those kicking off have been bothered if we played a Disney 11, or the Starbucks Sunday league side.

Exactly but Wharraboot the fact they just read Twitter.

 

[Black Cat Gypsy]

No issue with the squad having a warm weather training camp, but why not somewhere like southern Spain, where I’m sure it’s still pretty warm at this time or year, with a friendly against a 2nd tier Spanish team?

Tenerife or Gran Canaria would be good spots.

 

[hank williams]

Will this be on SAFSEEtv