Lee Clark and Jeff Stelling drop Sunderland admission to Ally McCoist ahead of Championship play-off final
Former Sunderland and Newcastle United player Lee Clark wants his former club back in the Premier League, despite his allegiances to Tyneside
Wallsend-born Lee Clark began his career at Newcastle United before making the high-profile switch to Sunderland in 1997. However, his relationship with Sunderland fans would later sour following a controversial incident during his time under Peter Reid, when he was spotted wearing a T-shirt bearing a derogatory slogan aimed at Mackems at the 1999 FA Cup final. The incident that sparked lasting resentment on Wearside before his eventual return to the Magpies via Fulham.
Clark had been a popular and highly-rated player during his time at Sunderland and was part of the team that won promotion from the old Division One during the 1998–99 season. Clark had even captained the club at times and was a key figure in Sunderland’s midfield. Many fans felt deeply betrayed by the gesture, and relations have not been good since.
When jokingly asked whether he would want Sunderland to win the final by ex-Black Cats striker Ally McCoist on talkSPORT today, Clark issued this response. He said: “Do you know what Ally? I am, and I’ve said this all the time, and my pals will tell you this, whoever spoke to us, I want Sunderland in the Premier League.
“[I want the] derby games back. I would love Middlesbrough in the Premier League; I want the North East clubs back… let’s get the North East football back on the map.” Hartlepool United fan Jeff Stelling replied: “Couldn’t agree with you more, Lee – couldn’t agree with you more.”
What has Le Bris said about the play-off final against Sheffield United?
Régis Le Bris hailed Sunderland’s campaign as a tremendous success, regardless of the outcome at Wembley — but insists his squad are fully focused on finishing the season in the best way possible.
The head coach is under no illusions about the challenge that awaits in the Championship play-off final, with opponents Sheffield United amassing 92 points during the regular season, despite starting with a two-point deduction, and cruising past Bristol City 6-0 on aggregate in their semi-final.
Following their dramatic and exhausting two-legged win over Coventry City, Sunderland’s players and staff were given Wednesday off to recover. Preparations for the Wembley showdown will begin in earnest when they return to the training ground on Thursday.
“Getting to the final shows that this season has been fantastic,” Le Bris said. “It is very important to say that because you can win or lose at the end, but what we have lived together this season was absolutely brilliant. We cannot forget that.”
” But at the same time, it is really important to think about Wembley now and the final game we have to play. We have one more game. It will be another tough challenge, but we will be really focused on that game now. We will switch our attention to Wembley towards the end of the week, and then we will have a full week to prepare for the game. That is the next step for us now.”
