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- Netflix brings back the hit football show, Sunderland ‘Til I Die, focusing on the perennially cursed Sunderland AFC team
- A new owner, with a new team, look to change the culture at the club – with many ups and downs during 2018-19 season
Let’s pray for our football club”
Local priest, Sunderland ‘Til I Die
Where to start with Sunderland AFC, especially after the first season of Netflix’s behind the scenes show, Sunderland ‘Til I Die? If you haven’t caught up with the show see my review of season one here.
In short, by the end of season one, the team has collapsed to back-to-back relegations, from the Premier League to the trapdoor of the lowly League One.
Such is the hold of Sunderland AFC on the town that even the local priests implore divine intervention to help the team be successful.
Key Info:
- Six episodes in total
- New owners gave much more access to Netflix for season two
- In season two, the show’s theme song, “Shipyards”, was played to fans during a game last season at the Stadium Of Light
Season two sees the entire club seeking to restart, ground zero up. Owner, American Ellis Short has finally had enough of the misery around the club and sells to Stuart Donald.
Donald, former owner of Eastleigh FC, purchases the club for £40 million ($52 million) in May 2018.
Mismanagement Of Epic Proportions
It’s is the biggest mess of a business I have ever seen”
Stewart Donald, Sunderland ‘Til I Die
We see time and time again Donald and his team (including his team, including Charlie Methven) picking up the pieces from the dysfunctional Short regime.
The scale of mismanagement is incredible.
The team lost between £30 – 40 million each season. Meanwhile, its ticketing revenue, worth roughly £7 million was exclusively used to just pay the interest on their debts. Wages totalled £34 million, in the Championship, which is totally unsustainable at that level. They were basically paying Premier League salaries despite being demoted to League One.
Most incredibly of all, a £100,000+ cryogenic chamber was bought under the previous regime and after new chairman Donald enquires about its use, he is told his predecessor, Martin Bain was the only person to use it. To see all these behind-the-scenes details in a show is fantastic.
Where some football shows claim to be “all-access” this is the real deal. If you’re wondering why companies like Netflix and Amazon Prime are releasing this type of content, read my post here.
The level of detail is unprecedented. We see new manager Jack Ross visiting his office for the first time at the club and the background behind the club’s transfer efforts in January 2020.
The football club being sustainable is integral to the happiness of the entire city”
Charlie Methven, Sunderland ‘Til I Die
Whereas season one saw a club in potentially fatal decline, season two really ramps up the positivity.
The new owners try to fix things immediately engagement. The walkout music is changed and the discoloured fans’ seats are replaced with new shiny redraw seats.
The style of the show is much the same from season one. Football is nearly secondary with a real focus on characters (from Donald to hotshot new players like Josh Maja).
We also see first-hand how a new manager can really change the atmosphere around a team.
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Going Gaga Over Maja
One theme outside of turning a failing club around is also the trap lower league clubs like Sunderland are in when it comes to young players. Maja bursts into the first team, banging in 16 goals by December 2019. He becomes the team’s number one striker.
Yet foolishly the contract structure for young players a Sunderland is (once again) a total mess. The first three episodes focuses heavily on Maja’s future and how critical agents are. Maja’s agent soon has him off to Bordeaux (for a platry €1.5 million) in January 2020 and with that, the hopes of Sunderland start to dim.
Maja might seem like another example of disloyal players packing up at the first sniff of a hefty contract. Yet you might be surprised to learn that research has found footballers are actually a loyal bunch – read more about it here.
Ultimately, Sunderland being Sunderland things go pear-shaped, which is deliciously detailed in the documentary. Maybe it is time to get Amazon Prime to feature near neighbours Newcastle.
Rating:
Sunderland ‘Til I Die is once again one of the best, all-access documentaries of all time. The level of access, the beautiful portrayal of fans’ commitment, and the level of details within the show is something to behold. At six episodes, unlike The Last Dance, it doesn’t overstay its welcome.
While ESPN’s The Last Dance, focusing on the Chicago Bulls and Michael Jordan has gotten huge attention during the COVID-19 pandemic (read a review here), don’t sleep on Sunderland ‘Til I Die.
It’s must-watch for any sports fan and I can’t see the series ending any time soon, especially with the impact of Brexit on UK football beckoning in the next season or two.
