Roker Park centre circle plaque campaign draws thousands of backers | OneFootball

A campaign for a Sunderland AFC plaque on the roundabout marking Roker Park’s former centre circle has surged online. According to Sunderland Echo, it has drawn nearly 2,300 signatures since Monday.

Roker Park was the Black Cats’ home from 1898 to 1997 before the move to the Stadium of Light on the old Wearmouth Colliery site. For many older supporters the ground, and the Roker Roar, still feels like the club’s spiritual home.

Organisers Gav Blakey, 41, and Ged Mullen-Buick, 41, from Houghton-le-Spring, want a permanent marker. Blakey says his parents met at Roker Park, he held a Fulwell End season ticket from the age of two, and he remembers Gordon Armstrong’s headed winner in the 1992 FA Cup quarter-final.

Mullen-Buick was 12 when the stadium closed and says its significance was passed down by his older brother, yet there is no club-related plaque on the site. The pair were inspired by centre-circle markers at Maine Road, Highbury and The Dell.

They say interest has snowballed, with fans’ groups and the Fans’ Museum sharing the page. They add that a plaque would complement retro shirts and the Welcome to Sunderland sign.

Next they plan to present the signatures to the club and the City Council. With next year marking 30 years since Roker Park closed, they hope the plaque could help mark the anniversary. Supporters can add their names at https://rokerplaque.com/.

Source: Sunderland Echo