1
00:00:08,341 --> 00:00:09,801
[crowd chants faintly]
2
00:00:19,269 --> 00:00:20,311
[birds chirping]
3
00:00:20,395 --> 00:00:22,272
-[woman] Right, you come lay down.
-[child] Mm...
4
00:00:22,355 --> 00:00:23,231
[children mumble]
5
00:00:23,356 --> 00:00:25,483
[woman] There's some stuff
to go in random boxes
6
00:00:25,567 --> 00:00:26,693
underneath the cupboards.
7
00:00:26,776 --> 00:00:28,987
[children yelling and laughing]
8
00:00:29,362 --> 00:00:30,697
Moving's been a bit stressful.
9
00:00:31,489 --> 00:00:33,700
Sometimes I look at the Instagrams
of wives
10
00:00:33,783 --> 00:00:35,952
and footballers in the Premier League
and think,
11
00:00:36,036 --> 00:00:37,120
"I wish I had their life."
12
00:00:37,203 --> 00:00:39,748
[chuckles] And someone will say to me,
"But you've got their life."
13
00:00:39,998 --> 00:00:41,791
Well, it's very, very different.
14
00:00:41,916 --> 00:00:42,751
Very different.
15
00:00:42,834 --> 00:00:47,047
Like any career,
any... player in the game,
16
00:00:47,130 --> 00:00:48,465
there's been ups and downs.
17
00:00:48,548 --> 00:00:50,592
There's been more downs than ups really,
hasn't there?
18
00:00:50,675 --> 00:00:52,886
But this is the highlight of my career
at the minute,
19
00:00:52,969 --> 00:00:54,512
a player for... for Sunderland.
20
00:00:55,513 --> 00:00:57,307
[wife] It's an adventure, isn't it, Alfie?
21
00:00:57,515 --> 00:00:59,684
That's what we always say,
that we're on a new adventure.
22
00:01:00,685 --> 00:01:02,520
It was limbo-land all summer, wasn't it?
23
00:01:02,604 --> 00:01:04,522
-[kids murmur]
-We didn't know if we'd be staying,
24
00:01:04,606 --> 00:01:07,609
didn't know if we'd be going.
And there was a bit of interest
25
00:01:07,692 --> 00:01:08,526
from here and there.
26
00:01:08,818 --> 00:01:11,071
We would have been going through
a couple of months,
27
00:01:11,154 --> 00:01:13,114
maybe, if Jack didn't sign
a contract straightaway,
28
00:01:13,198 --> 00:01:16,785
where we had no money or wages,
and not knowing where we was gonna end up.
29
00:01:17,243 --> 00:01:20,455
Unfortunately, when everything's happened,
we still have bills to pay, so...
30
00:01:20,538 --> 00:01:22,207
-[murmuring continues]
-It would've been...
31
00:01:22,290 --> 00:01:23,500
It would've been a lot harder.
32
00:01:23,583 --> 00:01:27,253
[laughs] And then I started to think,
"We've got two kids and what if?"
33
00:01:27,629 --> 00:01:29,464
I think that's where
a lot of stress is in football.
34
00:01:29,547 --> 00:01:31,216
You just don't know
what's gonna happen next.
35
00:01:31,299 --> 00:01:33,426
-["Shipyards" by The Lake Poets plays]
-♪ On the river ♪
36
00:01:33,510 --> 00:01:36,262
♪ Where they used to build the boats ♪
37
00:01:38,181 --> 00:01:42,977
♪ By the harbor wall
The place you loved the most ♪
38
00:01:44,896 --> 00:01:47,982
♪ I can see you there alone ♪
39
00:01:48,066 --> 00:01:50,151
♪ But, oh, you know ♪
40
00:01:51,820 --> 00:01:52,946
♪ I'll be there ♪
41
00:01:55,532 --> 00:01:56,658
♪ Soon ♪
42
00:01:59,035 --> 00:02:03,915
♪ All your life
You worked your fingers to the bone ♪
43
00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:10,505
♪ You worked hard
For every little thing you owned ♪
44
00:02:12,507 --> 00:02:15,218
♪ That you gave away for years ♪
45
00:02:15,301 --> 00:02:17,428
♪ As if you'd known ♪
46
00:02:17,512 --> 00:02:19,264
[trains rumbling]
47
00:02:19,430 --> 00:02:24,269
♪ They were calling out ♪
48
00:02:25,854 --> 00:02:28,481
♪ But if you could see me now ♪
49
00:02:32,819 --> 00:02:36,239
♪ And if you could see me now ♪
50
00:02:38,658 --> 00:02:41,202
♪ I hope that I'm making you proud ♪
51
00:02:43,872 --> 00:02:49,919
♪ I hope that I'm making you proud ♪
52
00:02:53,631 --> 00:02:54,799
♪ Proud ♪
53
00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:58,178
[crowd chanting]
54
00:03:01,556 --> 00:03:04,184
[crowd] ♪ And it's Sunderland ♪
55
00:03:04,684 --> 00:03:07,604
♪ Sunderland AFC ♪
56
00:03:07,687 --> 00:03:10,231
-♪ We're by far the greatest team ♪
-[Jack yells indistinctly]
57
00:03:10,315 --> 00:03:12,233
♪ The world has ever seen ♪
58
00:03:12,317 --> 00:03:13,818
[players yell indistinctly]
59
00:03:16,404 --> 00:03:17,739
[crowd shouting]
60
00:03:19,449 --> 00:03:21,492
♪ Sunderland AFC ♪
61
00:03:21,951 --> 00:03:23,953
♪ We're by far the greatest team... ♪
62
00:03:24,162 --> 00:03:25,038
[crowd roars]
63
00:03:25,121 --> 00:03:26,831
[commentator 1] Maja in the bottom corner!
64
00:03:27,540 --> 00:03:29,667
-[crowd cheering]
-And that deceptive finish
65
00:03:30,251 --> 00:03:31,628
from Josh Maja...
66
00:03:31,920 --> 00:03:33,713
[commentator 2]
That's his trademark, isn't it?
67
00:03:33,963 --> 00:03:35,131
[commentator 1] Absolutely right.
68
00:03:35,215 --> 00:03:37,675
I mean, all his goals
are these deceptive finishes.
69
00:03:37,759 --> 00:03:40,637
Just gets to his feet, quick turn,
70
00:03:40,720 --> 00:03:42,889
and before you know it,
it's in the bottom corner.
71
00:03:42,972 --> 00:03:43,806
[whistle blows]
72
00:03:44,724 --> 00:03:46,768
[commentator 1] As we're coming into
the start of the season,
73
00:03:46,851 --> 00:03:48,478
there has been significant progress,
74
00:03:48,561 --> 00:03:50,939
re-energizing the supporters
and getting them back
75
00:03:51,022 --> 00:03:53,149
-to the football club.
-[crowd chanting]
76
00:03:54,067 --> 00:03:56,069
[man] I mean,
it looks like the team spirit
77
00:03:56,152 --> 00:03:57,737
-is alive and well.
-[ball clanks]
78
00:03:57,820 --> 00:03:58,696
-[men ooh]
-Good save.
79
00:03:59,155 --> 00:03:59,989
[man] It's mint.
80
00:04:00,073 --> 00:04:02,575
It's great to see that team spirit
in there.
81
00:04:03,451 --> 00:04:05,745
[Barnes announcing] Corner from
the right-hand side for Sunderland,
82
00:04:05,828 --> 00:04:06,829
at the Rainham End.
83
00:04:06,913 --> 00:04:09,207
-[crowd shouts]
-It's whipped in. And... goal!
84
00:04:09,290 --> 00:04:10,583
-[crowd cheers]
-It's in!
85
00:04:10,667 --> 00:04:11,960
It's been bundled in!
86
00:04:12,168 --> 00:04:14,128
It's dropped down for Maguire
87
00:04:14,212 --> 00:04:15,463
and he's forced it home.
88
00:04:15,546 --> 00:04:17,131
-[crowd cheers]
-[woman] It's a long time
89
00:04:17,215 --> 00:04:19,634
since we've been like this,
like happy and smiling.
90
00:04:21,678 --> 00:04:23,888
And all these young players
that's come in,
91
00:04:24,555 --> 00:04:26,224
they love to be,
they want to be here.
92
00:04:27,475 --> 00:04:29,143
They love Sunderland Football Club.
93
00:04:29,227 --> 00:04:32,397
[Barnes] Cook now, Eaves in the middle.
Cook still going, he taps it to Hanlan,
94
00:04:32,480 --> 00:04:35,733
-Hanlan's shot blocked by Baldwin.
-[commentator 2] Fantastic block.
95
00:04:36,609 --> 00:04:38,820
[Barnes] Maguire to Power,
back to Maguire.
96
00:04:38,903 --> 00:04:41,948
Down the left of the penalty area.
Now the ball played in low,
97
00:04:42,031 --> 00:04:44,200
but it's cleared to Maja... Maja!
98
00:04:44,284 --> 00:04:47,036
-[commentator 2] Yeah!
-[Barnes] Goal!
99
00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:49,122
-[crowd cheers]
-[commentator 2] We needed that one.
100
00:04:50,748 --> 00:04:52,917
[George] It's been the gaffer,
it's been his staff.
101
00:04:53,167 --> 00:04:56,921
{\an8}From day one, he came in and we knew
our ambition was to win the league.
102
00:04:57,005 --> 00:04:58,965
When he puts that stamp down, you think,
103
00:04:59,340 --> 00:05:01,342
"Come on, we've got a good enough squad,
104
00:05:01,426 --> 00:05:04,137
{\an8}this is what we're about, this is what
we're gonna strive to achieve."
105
00:05:04,220 --> 00:05:06,097
[Barnes] Into the penalty area,
here's the cross!
106
00:05:06,222 --> 00:05:08,808
Cattermole trying to get it...
[screaming] He has!
107
00:05:08,891 --> 00:05:11,394
-Cattermole's equalized.
-[commentator 2] It's Cattermole as well.
108
00:05:11,519 --> 00:05:13,104
[Jack] This is an opportunity for me
109
00:05:13,187 --> 00:05:14,772
to try and put my stamp on something.
110
00:05:15,231 --> 00:05:19,402
Also a chance to really build something...
[stammers] ...that can be really powerful.
111
00:05:20,320 --> 00:05:22,655
[Barnes] Maguire trying to get this
on his right to cross in.
112
00:05:22,739 --> 00:05:25,325
Maja's let it drop and...
[shouts] Cattermole!
113
00:05:25,408 --> 00:05:26,409
[crowd roars]
114
00:05:26,492 --> 00:05:27,368
It's Lee Cattermole!
115
00:05:27,452 --> 00:05:30,079
-[commentator 2] Goal!
-[Barnes] It's a brace from Cattermole.
116
00:05:30,163 --> 00:05:32,832
-[commentator 2] What a finish.
-[Barnes] Sunderland lead 2-1.
117
00:05:32,915 --> 00:05:34,625
-Come on!
-[crowd applauds]
118
00:05:34,709 --> 00:05:36,336
[players yelling indistinctly]
119
00:05:38,046 --> 00:05:40,631
-[fans murmur]
-[indistinct chatter over intercom]
120
00:05:43,968 --> 00:05:47,055
Grind it out, we'll take it. 2-1.
Get in! Come on!
121
00:05:47,138 --> 00:05:48,306
[fans murmur]
122
00:05:49,807 --> 00:05:52,643
-[fans clapping]
-[man] See you later, Sunderland.
123
00:05:54,979 --> 00:05:56,564
-Cheers, Josh.
-[man 2] Josh!
124
00:05:56,647 --> 00:05:58,358
[fans murmuring and laughing]
125
00:05:58,524 --> 00:06:00,193
[man 3] I hope them GCSEs went well.
126
00:06:00,276 --> 00:06:02,445
-Did they go well?
-Yeah, they did.
127
00:06:02,528 --> 00:06:04,322
-[man 3] Smash it?
-Nine. Nine of them.
128
00:06:04,530 --> 00:06:06,616
-[man 3] Nine? Get in.
-[man 4] Well done, son.
129
00:06:06,991 --> 00:06:09,744
[Charlie] The players and I and the staff
have been down here all week.
130
00:06:10,119 --> 00:06:11,454
Gillingham and Wimbledon away.
131
00:06:11,537 --> 00:06:13,831
And if you look at that
at the start of the season, you say,
132
00:06:14,290 --> 00:06:17,752
three points out of those two games
is a decent result.
133
00:06:17,835 --> 00:06:20,004
Four points, chuffed to bits.
Six points...
134
00:06:20,546 --> 00:06:22,840
Thank you very much.
Stick it in the back pocket,
135
00:06:22,924 --> 00:06:24,092
off we go back up north.
136
00:06:26,052 --> 00:06:27,470
[birds cawing]
137
00:06:35,978 --> 00:06:37,271
[Stewart] Yes, we're doing well.
138
00:06:38,439 --> 00:06:41,943
But to get the club level
and on an even keel,
139
00:06:42,026 --> 00:06:43,236
we have got to go through
140
00:06:43,319 --> 00:06:45,530
every single line of expenditure
141
00:06:45,905 --> 00:06:47,073
and understand it.
142
00:06:47,156 --> 00:06:48,282
Now, this budget...
143
00:06:48,950 --> 00:06:51,577
-is their final, final version...
-[Richard] Yeah.
144
00:06:52,245 --> 00:06:53,204
...of next year.
145
00:06:54,038 --> 00:06:56,249
[Richard] So, Neil,
I'll just forward this to you.
146
00:06:56,332 --> 00:06:59,460
This is the copy that Brett
has actually signed. Fine?
147
00:06:59,752 --> 00:07:01,421
[Neil] Yeah, send it to me, Richard.
148
00:07:03,423 --> 00:07:05,049
-[Stewart chuckles]
-[Neil] Okay.
149
00:07:07,927 --> 00:07:09,679
Okay, so the figures changed again.
150
00:07:09,762 --> 00:07:11,889
[mellow music playing]
151
00:07:11,973 --> 00:07:16,310
[Stewart] It is the biggest mess
of a business that-- that I've ever seen.
152
00:07:17,478 --> 00:07:21,065
Last year, the football wage bill
was 34 million, I think.
153
00:07:21,441 --> 00:07:23,484
The non-playing wage bill is 12 million.
154
00:07:25,820 --> 00:07:29,949
The income in the football club
is projected to be 15,6 million.
155
00:07:30,158 --> 00:07:31,409
That's what we inherited
156
00:07:31,868 --> 00:07:32,869
for League One.
157
00:07:34,537 --> 00:07:37,790
{\an8}So unless we deal with that fundamental...
158
00:07:38,624 --> 00:07:41,878
{\an8}£35 million difference,
159
00:07:43,671 --> 00:07:45,590
the football club cannot sustain itself.
160
00:07:46,507 --> 00:07:47,758
[Neil] I mean, we've just saved
161
00:07:47,842 --> 00:07:53,055
{\an8}over 60,000 on pitch maintenance costs
at the academy and the stadium.
162
00:07:53,639 --> 00:07:55,892
[Stewart] So on the footballing side
of things,
163
00:07:55,975 --> 00:07:57,101
the travel and accommodation
164
00:07:58,102 --> 00:08:01,355
for the first team has gone from £424,000
165
00:08:01,814 --> 00:08:03,357
to 109,000.
166
00:08:03,858 --> 00:08:06,944
And the sports therapy costs are 666,000
167
00:08:07,028 --> 00:08:08,529
-down to 297.
-[Neil] Yeah.
168
00:08:08,613 --> 00:08:10,990
-And if we can lose the cryo chamber...
-[Neil] Yeah.
169
00:08:15,411 --> 00:08:18,706
[Stewart] They invested, whatever it was,
£100,000-plus
170
00:08:18,789 --> 00:08:21,459
on a cryo chamber... um, for recovery.
171
00:08:21,584 --> 00:08:23,544
So I speak to the head of medical,
172
00:08:23,836 --> 00:08:24,670
"Do you use it?"
173
00:08:25,505 --> 00:08:26,339
"No."
174
00:08:26,422 --> 00:08:27,256
"Who uses it?"
175
00:08:27,340 --> 00:08:30,384
Uh... And they said, "Well, Martin Bain
goes in there for his back occasionally,"
176
00:08:30,468 --> 00:08:33,638
was-- was the answer that came back.
I said, "Yeah, but what players use it?"
177
00:08:33,763 --> 00:08:34,680
"Oh, no one uses it."
178
00:08:35,264 --> 00:08:39,560
Um, and there are hundreds and hundreds
of examples, just spending money
179
00:08:40,102 --> 00:08:42,396
without asking a single question
180
00:08:42,480 --> 00:08:43,689
as to why they're spending it.
181
00:08:44,065 --> 00:08:46,484
You know, we are Sunderland Football Club
182
00:08:46,567 --> 00:08:49,487
and we've got to work hard in every area
183
00:08:49,862 --> 00:08:51,697
because our fans...
184
00:08:52,073 --> 00:08:54,617
um... you know, I don't think
it'd be controversial to say,
185
00:08:54,700 --> 00:08:57,578
our fans don't come from
the most affluent area in the country.
186
00:08:58,246 --> 00:08:59,705
They work hard for their money,
187
00:08:59,789 --> 00:09:01,040
like everybody does.
188
00:09:01,582 --> 00:09:03,960
But this is their money
going into the football club,
189
00:09:04,043 --> 00:09:06,295
it's not just Ellis's or mine
or anybody else's.
190
00:09:06,379 --> 00:09:07,255
This is their money.
191
00:09:09,632 --> 00:09:10,883
They trust us,
192
00:09:11,509 --> 00:09:14,053
or want to trust us to spend that money...
193
00:09:14,595 --> 00:09:15,555
um, correctly.
194
00:09:16,389 --> 00:09:18,099
[cars rush past in the distance]
195
00:09:21,435 --> 00:09:22,645
[mellow music fades]
196
00:09:24,355 --> 00:09:25,856
{\an8}[fans chatter indistinctly]
197
00:09:25,982 --> 00:09:29,110
{\an8}[Charlie] I think the people of Sunderland
and the region, the fan base,
198
00:09:29,193 --> 00:09:31,529
have given Stewart and I
the benefit of the doubt,
199
00:09:31,612 --> 00:09:33,197
but I think it's on a pretty short lease.
200
00:09:34,073 --> 00:09:37,285
I think that if we don't get things right,
201
00:09:37,577 --> 00:09:41,163
reasonably quickly,
that benefit of the doubt
202
00:09:41,247 --> 00:09:43,958
will be withdrawn and be replaced by...
203
00:09:44,709 --> 00:09:47,086
very heavy scrutiny and a lot of pressure.
204
00:09:47,169 --> 00:09:48,754
[chatter continues]
205
00:09:49,005 --> 00:09:51,215
This is the most intense crowd
in the whole country,
206
00:09:51,299 --> 00:09:53,551
the whole of England,
the most intense crowd.
207
00:09:54,343 --> 00:09:55,720
[mellow music resumes]
208
00:09:58,723 --> 00:10:01,267
It's terrifying,
there's no other way to describe it.
209
00:10:02,518 --> 00:10:03,894
[mellow music fades]
210
00:10:04,520 --> 00:10:05,688
[emcee] First question, then.
211
00:10:06,564 --> 00:10:09,025
[supporter 1] What's your long-term plans?
Are yous in it?
212
00:10:09,108 --> 00:10:11,068
Or are you trying to build it up to sell?
213
00:10:11,152 --> 00:10:12,570
What's your honest long-term plans,
214
00:10:12,653 --> 00:10:13,487
you and Stewart?
215
00:10:14,447 --> 00:10:17,366
[Charlie] In an ideal world,
we'd be here for quite a while
216
00:10:17,450 --> 00:10:20,244
because we both adore football
and we also both know
217
00:10:20,494 --> 00:10:24,123
that we will never again run
a football club as big as this.
218
00:10:24,206 --> 00:10:28,210
A lot of fans don't realize how bad
financially the situation had got to.
219
00:10:28,961 --> 00:10:31,631
The place was an absolute shit show.
220
00:10:32,632 --> 00:10:34,175
The staff didn't understand that,
221
00:10:34,842 --> 00:10:36,218
had no conception of it,
222
00:10:36,302 --> 00:10:37,970
which was really disturbing.
223
00:10:38,220 --> 00:10:39,096
Um...
224
00:10:39,513 --> 00:10:41,682
You know, up to and including
the finance department,
225
00:10:41,766 --> 00:10:44,977
just didn't know where the money was--
'cause the entire culture was,
226
00:10:45,061 --> 00:10:48,606
at the end of every month,
what we do is we send a bill
227
00:10:48,856 --> 00:10:50,107
to a rich man in Florida
228
00:10:50,441 --> 00:10:52,568
and he signs a check, and that's it.
229
00:10:53,944 --> 00:10:55,404
We came here and we found
230
00:10:55,488 --> 00:10:58,115
deal after deal after deal after deal
where Sunderland
231
00:10:58,199 --> 00:10:59,575
had been absolutely shafted.
232
00:10:59,784 --> 00:11:02,328
And as football fans,
it made us quite angry.
233
00:11:02,912 --> 00:11:05,373
Our view is, really strong organizations
234
00:11:05,456 --> 00:11:07,500
and healthy and proud organizations can...
235
00:11:07,583 --> 00:11:10,920
[stammers] ...run well,
end up funding themselves.
236
00:11:11,295 --> 00:11:13,172
And there's a moral point to it, which is,
237
00:11:13,547 --> 00:11:17,009
if it's run out of its own revenues,
those revenues are your revenues.
238
00:11:17,635 --> 00:11:18,886
They're the fans' revenues.
239
00:11:19,553 --> 00:11:21,305
And that makes it the fans' club.
240
00:11:22,014 --> 00:11:26,185
Once it's being funded by a rich man,
it's not your club, it's his club.
241
00:11:27,103 --> 00:11:28,854
And if you're worried
about being irrelevant,
242
00:11:28,938 --> 00:11:30,731
you become irrelevant at that point.
243
00:11:30,981 --> 00:11:32,525
When you're a club as big as Sunderland...
244
00:11:32,608 --> 00:11:33,859
[mellow music resumes]
245
00:11:34,026 --> 00:11:37,113
...with the potential that Sunderland has,
with the history that Sunderland has,
246
00:11:37,196 --> 00:11:38,114
it's up to us
247
00:11:38,698 --> 00:11:42,118
to put in place the structures,
the philosophy, the mechanisms
248
00:11:42,201 --> 00:11:43,869
that drives the revenues up
249
00:11:44,912 --> 00:11:47,581
and means we're actually--
properly sustainable.
250
00:11:47,915 --> 00:11:49,875
And then you'll be able to look at us
and just say,
251
00:11:50,418 --> 00:11:52,461
"It's our club, we pay for it.
252
00:11:53,129 --> 00:11:55,047
You guys administer it,
but it's our club."
253
00:11:57,174 --> 00:11:58,634
That's where we want to get to.
254
00:12:00,553 --> 00:12:01,887
[supporter 2] I think he gets it.
255
00:12:01,971 --> 00:12:03,973
I know he's from Oxfordshire,
but he comes across
256
00:12:04,056 --> 00:12:05,558
as if he actually gets the North East.
257
00:12:05,891 --> 00:12:09,270
I know we're not the most cosmopolitan,
people are colder up here,
258
00:12:09,478 --> 00:12:12,273
but he seems to be getting
what Sunderland's all about.
259
00:12:12,648 --> 00:12:15,109
I was really surprised actually,
pleasantly surprised to see
260
00:12:15,192 --> 00:12:16,610
how honest, how open he was.
261
00:12:16,694 --> 00:12:18,738
Um... I feel really encouraged.
262
00:12:18,904 --> 00:12:22,199
Really bad experience with the last owner,
but I think this time round,
263
00:12:22,283 --> 00:12:24,869
it's very early days
and ultimately judged on results,
264
00:12:24,952 --> 00:12:27,204
but very positive
from what I've heard so far tonight.
265
00:12:27,288 --> 00:12:29,165
People think,
"Have they got the money to do it?
266
00:12:29,248 --> 00:12:31,542
Are they a couple of wide boys
trying to make a quick buck?"
267
00:12:31,625 --> 00:12:34,670
No, he's passionate about the club,
he's delivering what he says he will.
268
00:12:34,754 --> 00:12:37,298
Sunderland fans are desperate for that,
for that success,
269
00:12:37,381 --> 00:12:39,300
they're desperate for anything
to hold onto,
270
00:12:39,383 --> 00:12:40,384
to take the club forward.
271
00:12:40,468 --> 00:12:43,888
We've had years and years,
since Niall Quinn left, of absolute shite.
272
00:12:44,096 --> 00:12:45,931
So, we want something to hold on to.
273
00:12:46,015 --> 00:12:48,058
[crowd applauds]
274
00:12:53,230 --> 00:12:54,231
{\an8}[mellow music fades]
275
00:13:01,155 --> 00:13:03,032
[birds chirping]
276
00:13:07,661 --> 00:13:09,622
-[Stewart murmurs]
-[ball thuds]
277
00:13:11,624 --> 00:13:12,917
Like a McGeady free-kick.
278
00:13:13,417 --> 00:13:15,795
[Stewart] When I was younger,
I loved playing football.
279
00:13:17,963 --> 00:13:20,049
Got an odd mom and dad,
um, I was six years old
280
00:13:20,132 --> 00:13:22,176
and they enrolled me
in the local under-nine team.
281
00:13:22,802 --> 00:13:25,679
I absolutely loved it.
From then, I played football...
282
00:13:26,931 --> 00:13:27,848
every week.
283
00:13:27,932 --> 00:13:29,099
-[ball thuds]
-Ooh...
284
00:13:30,309 --> 00:13:31,143
[Stewart laughs]
285
00:13:31,644 --> 00:13:34,772
Did I want to be
a professional footballer? Did I want to--
286
00:13:35,272 --> 00:13:37,149
Everybody wants to be
a professional footballer.
287
00:13:37,233 --> 00:13:39,443
I was never going to be
a professional footballer.
288
00:13:39,860 --> 00:13:40,736
[laughs]
289
00:13:42,196 --> 00:13:43,405
[crowd buzzes]
290
00:13:43,572 --> 00:13:45,741
Dad was a massive Oxford United fan.
291
00:13:46,033 --> 00:13:47,326
[announcer chatters indistinctly]
292
00:13:47,910 --> 00:13:50,621
Oxford United were in the top flight.
293
00:13:51,622 --> 00:13:54,583
It was fun to go. You know, we took
a couple of thousand fans everywhere.
294
00:13:55,543 --> 00:13:58,379
-[announcer chatters indistinctly]
-[crowd cheers]
295
00:13:58,796 --> 00:14:00,130
I loved that as a kid.
296
00:14:00,464 --> 00:14:02,091
Then I went onto the terraces.
297
00:14:02,633 --> 00:14:04,927
Like everybody else, you'd stand,
you'd have the...
298
00:14:05,553 --> 00:14:07,555
smell of cigarettes, the burgers,
299
00:14:07,638 --> 00:14:08,889
the Tuesday night games.
300
00:14:09,306 --> 00:14:10,808
-[announcer] That's it!
-[crowd roars]
301
00:14:11,392 --> 00:14:12,935
{\an8}Oxford United have done it.
302
00:14:13,018 --> 00:14:14,645
{\an8}[cheering continues]
303
00:14:15,145 --> 00:14:16,105
{\an8}[Stewart] But...
304
00:14:16,188 --> 00:14:18,357
Oxford United became like...
305
00:14:19,775 --> 00:14:22,278
every other football club that I saw.
306
00:14:23,195 --> 00:14:25,281
It all became about the finances
307
00:14:25,990 --> 00:14:27,575
and it just lost
308
00:14:28,659 --> 00:14:32,580
that feeling that you had
in the '80s and the '90s.
309
00:14:32,997 --> 00:14:35,207
-[ball thuds]
-[man groans] Ooh...
310
00:14:35,708 --> 00:14:37,543
[Stewart] So getting involved
in Sunderland
311
00:14:37,710 --> 00:14:39,295
gave me a chance to run a football club
312
00:14:39,378 --> 00:14:41,171
in what I perceived
was an old-fashioned way,
313
00:14:41,922 --> 00:14:45,301
whereby everyone would feel
that they own their football club again.
314
00:14:47,136 --> 00:14:50,097
And I want to enjoy the ride
all the way through.
315
00:14:51,056 --> 00:14:54,560
And I want to do it right for me
and for... for everybody else.
316
00:14:55,060 --> 00:15:01,859
Um... And I think this is my one shot
to have a club like Sunderland.
317
00:15:01,942 --> 00:15:04,028
[dramatic music playing]
318
00:15:13,746 --> 00:15:15,039
-[ball thuds]
-[players scream]
319
00:15:15,122 --> 00:15:16,916
Come on, lads! Let's go!
320
00:15:17,374 --> 00:15:20,336
[Jack] The reality is, for Sunderland,
with its infrastructure, its fan base,
321
00:15:20,419 --> 00:15:21,962
everything that goes around it,
322
00:15:22,046 --> 00:15:24,173
it shouldn't be in League One, but it is.
323
00:15:24,256 --> 00:15:26,091
That's something I've stressed
from day one,
324
00:15:26,550 --> 00:15:28,594
is there's no point in having
delusions of grandeur
325
00:15:28,677 --> 00:15:29,929
about where the club should be.
326
00:15:30,012 --> 00:15:32,306
You have to deal with the here and now,
and the here and now
327
00:15:32,431 --> 00:15:33,349
is we're in League One,
328
00:15:34,058 --> 00:15:36,727
in a league that is not easy
to get out of.
329
00:15:36,810 --> 00:15:38,020
[players chatter]
330
00:15:38,979 --> 00:15:40,606
[ball thuds, clanks against post]
331
00:15:40,689 --> 00:15:42,733
[Josh] There's been a lot of changes
in the club.
332
00:15:42,816 --> 00:15:44,360
There's obviously been new owners,
333
00:15:44,526 --> 00:15:47,112
new gaffer, so everything is different.
334
00:15:47,655 --> 00:15:49,698
There's a more happy feeling
335
00:15:49,782 --> 00:15:50,616
in the squad.
336
00:15:50,824 --> 00:15:52,910
[players murmur and laugh]
337
00:15:53,035 --> 00:15:54,912
That's the energy you want
338
00:15:54,995 --> 00:15:57,581
when you're trying to push
for promotion as well.
339
00:15:57,665 --> 00:15:59,792
[players chatter indistinctly]
340
00:16:01,251 --> 00:16:03,379
[Jack] The hardest part
of being a young footballer
341
00:16:03,462 --> 00:16:06,799
is getting that transition
from being a really good academy player
342
00:16:06,882 --> 00:16:09,009
to being a consistently good
first-team player.
343
00:16:10,052 --> 00:16:12,721
Working with younger players,
trying to bring them through...
344
00:16:13,263 --> 00:16:16,183
And the circumstances the club
now finds itself in,
345
00:16:16,266 --> 00:16:18,102
there's a bigger onus on me to do that.
346
00:16:18,185 --> 00:16:19,895
[players yelling indistinctly]
347
00:16:21,438 --> 00:16:24,650
[Josh] Jack Ross was... Even the first day
I came back for preseason,
348
00:16:24,733 --> 00:16:28,445
we had a chat
and he spoke about what I want to do
349
00:16:28,529 --> 00:16:32,282
and obviously the ambitions
for this season.
350
00:16:32,408 --> 00:16:33,701
[Jack murmurs]
351
00:16:33,784 --> 00:16:37,079
For me, it was just a confidence boost
because it showed that,
352
00:16:37,162 --> 00:16:39,373
yeah, he's gonna...
he's gonna stick with me
353
00:16:39,456 --> 00:16:41,792
and show confidence in me,
and that's what he's done.
354
00:16:41,875 --> 00:16:43,794
[mellow music playing]
355
00:17:00,060 --> 00:17:03,105
[Stewart] With the contract negotiations,
the club are working hard now
356
00:17:03,188 --> 00:17:04,606
to tie the youngsters down.
357
00:17:05,733 --> 00:17:08,610
And because of the league we're in,
and they're young men,
358
00:17:08,861 --> 00:17:11,572
it is possible that they could get
their head turned.
359
00:17:16,785 --> 00:17:19,705
Dealing with agents
is the worst part of football.
360
00:17:19,788 --> 00:17:22,666
But... they're our players.
361
00:17:22,750 --> 00:17:24,752
I'm not signing their agents,
362
00:17:25,127 --> 00:17:26,378
I'm signing the players.
363
00:17:28,714 --> 00:17:29,548
[Stewart] Right...
364
00:17:30,674 --> 00:17:33,343
Next job... the young players.
365
00:17:34,720 --> 00:17:36,847
I've got Gooch, Hume,
366
00:17:36,930 --> 00:17:38,640
Kimpioka, Mumba,
367
00:17:39,016 --> 00:17:40,225
Stryjek, and Embleton.
368
00:17:41,143 --> 00:17:41,977
Mumba's done.
369
00:17:42,061 --> 00:17:43,020
[players murmur]
370
00:17:43,103 --> 00:17:43,937
[Neil] Yeah.
371
00:17:44,646 --> 00:17:47,357
Bali's done. As we know,
he's signed his contract last week.
372
00:17:47,441 --> 00:17:48,484
-Yeah.
-That's all gone out.
373
00:17:48,567 --> 00:17:50,736
[Stewart] Uh, Josh... Josh Maja.
374
00:17:50,986 --> 00:17:54,364
[Richard] The initial offer we made Josh,
we've then increased it...
375
00:17:56,075 --> 00:17:57,117
considerably.
376
00:17:57,201 --> 00:17:58,744
[Stewart] Where are we with it though?
377
00:17:58,994 --> 00:18:01,497
[Richard] Well, the last time
I spoke with Josh with the new offer,
378
00:18:01,830 --> 00:18:04,708
uh, he just said,
"You need to speak to my agent."
379
00:18:04,792 --> 00:18:07,878
I've spoke to his agent,
I've told him this is it, full and final,
380
00:18:07,961 --> 00:18:10,047
he's had it emailed.
"I'll come back to you."
381
00:18:10,214 --> 00:18:11,590
Still hasn't come back to me.
382
00:18:11,924 --> 00:18:13,550
Is he talking to his mom and dad about it?
383
00:18:14,426 --> 00:18:17,429
[Richard] Yeah, he spoke to his parents.
He told me he's spoke to his parents.
384
00:18:19,723 --> 00:18:22,601
[Stewart] The only thing that's an issue
for the club is of course,
385
00:18:22,893 --> 00:18:25,020
these lads have been with us
in Premier League days,
386
00:18:26,146 --> 00:18:28,107
listening to what players earned
387
00:18:28,607 --> 00:18:29,900
-at the time.
-[players ooh]
388
00:18:30,025 --> 00:18:34,363
Of course, it's difficult, in some ways,
for them to detach themselves
389
00:18:34,446 --> 00:18:37,324
from the numbers they heard
to now recognizing
390
00:18:37,407 --> 00:18:39,159
the club are a League One team.
391
00:18:39,243 --> 00:18:40,953
You know,
they're not negotiating contracts
392
00:18:41,036 --> 00:18:42,246
with a Premier League team.
393
00:18:42,329 --> 00:18:44,331
-[ball thudding]
-[players murmur]
394
00:18:44,456 --> 00:18:47,251
They're all saying they love it here,
they love working with Jack,
395
00:18:47,334 --> 00:18:49,461
we've just got to get
the numbers sensible.
396
00:18:50,921 --> 00:18:53,632
Um... Josh has had a cracking offer.
397
00:18:54,591 --> 00:18:56,093
-[Richard] Uh...
-He-- He'll sign that.
398
00:18:56,176 --> 00:18:59,555
We're hearing all sorts, but, I mean,
Tottenham have been to watch him...
399
00:19:01,473 --> 00:19:03,475
six, seven, eight, nine times.
400
00:19:03,559 --> 00:19:05,936
-[Neil] There's interest in him elsewhere.
-I was told...
401
00:19:06,019 --> 00:19:07,938
Were you told Portsmouth
were interested in him?
402
00:19:11,608 --> 00:19:13,735
[crowd buzzes]
403
00:19:20,159 --> 00:19:21,034
[crowd cheers]
404
00:19:21,118 --> 00:19:24,413
[Barnes] Honeyman. Coyle going with him.
Honeyman's cross first time.
405
00:19:24,496 --> 00:19:25,539
Maja gets his foot on it...
406
00:19:25,622 --> 00:19:27,583
-[commentator 2] Get in!
-...and it's in!
407
00:19:27,666 --> 00:19:28,834
[crowd cheers]
408
00:19:29,293 --> 00:19:33,380
Maja, beyond the goalkeeper,
equalizes for Sunderland.
409
00:19:33,797 --> 00:19:34,798
[cheering continues]
410
00:19:35,132 --> 00:19:37,843
Slides on his knees,
and that's a lovely touch from Maja.
411
00:19:43,599 --> 00:19:45,017
Honeyman, lays it off again
412
00:19:45,100 --> 00:19:47,644
to McGeouch
to try and get up to Maja.
413
00:19:49,563 --> 00:19:51,356
Controls it, swings in the cross.
414
00:19:51,440 --> 00:19:53,483
-He's got to score.
-[Barnes] Maja's header!
415
00:19:53,567 --> 00:19:54,902
-[crowd cheering]
-What a goal.
416
00:19:55,360 --> 00:19:56,445
Sweetly taken.
417
00:19:56,862 --> 00:19:58,155
[fans yelling]
418
00:20:00,115 --> 00:20:02,367
Inside the penalty area.
Maja, onto his left...
419
00:20:02,451 --> 00:20:04,203
-[commentator 2] Yes.
-[Barnes] Scored again!
420
00:20:04,286 --> 00:20:05,245
[crowd roars]
421
00:20:08,373 --> 00:20:12,044
[man] I think, first and foremost,
he's a fantastic young player.
422
00:20:12,127 --> 00:20:14,338
He's working his way up
to being a legend already.
423
00:20:14,421 --> 00:20:17,216
If he could secure enough goals
to help them get promotion
424
00:20:17,299 --> 00:20:19,635
back to the Championship,
he'd be held in high esteem
425
00:20:19,718 --> 00:20:20,594
for a long, long time.
426
00:20:20,677 --> 00:20:22,221
So he's... he's massive for them.
427
00:20:22,304 --> 00:20:23,889
[techno music plays]
428
00:20:28,227 --> 00:20:29,353
[crowd shouting]
429
00:20:31,688 --> 00:20:32,564
[crowd cheers]
430
00:20:37,903 --> 00:20:41,156
-[techno music fades]
-[podcast host 1] I like his arrogance.
431
00:20:42,032 --> 00:20:44,993
{\an8}His confidence is just like,
radiating off him.
432
00:20:45,077 --> 00:20:46,828
[indistinct intercom chatter]
433
00:20:47,871 --> 00:20:49,831
[EFL host] It was Josh Maja
that scored the winner,
434
00:20:49,915 --> 00:20:52,542
a young player that's having
a tremendous season, isn't he, George?
435
00:20:52,918 --> 00:20:53,919
{\an8}Yeah, it's interesting.
436
00:20:54,002 --> 00:20:56,004
{\an8}Some of the data guys said
if he was to continue
437
00:20:56,088 --> 00:20:58,507
{\an8}his current finishing rate,
he'd be the best finisher ever.
438
00:20:58,924 --> 00:21:00,217
He's fearless and he's young,
439
00:21:00,300 --> 00:21:02,761
he's raw, and he just looks like
the real deal.
440
00:21:02,844 --> 00:21:03,971
[techno music resumes]
441
00:21:04,846 --> 00:21:06,848
[Jack] He's a very polite,
humble young man who...
442
00:21:07,224 --> 00:21:08,642
has built a good relationship
443
00:21:08,725 --> 00:21:10,769
with me and my staff
in a short period of time.
444
00:21:10,852 --> 00:21:14,147
I know that Josh will be a player with me
till minimum January.
445
00:21:14,523 --> 00:21:16,358
I think he trusts
that he will get better here,
446
00:21:16,900 --> 00:21:20,195
under our management,
which I hope will encourage him to sign.
447
00:21:22,239 --> 00:21:23,282
[techno music fades]
448
00:21:29,121 --> 00:21:32,082
[host] Hello, everyone, and welcome
to the Roker Report podcast.
449
00:21:32,165 --> 00:21:34,251
We are joined today by Stewart Donald.
450
00:21:34,334 --> 00:21:36,712
Let's jump to contracts and agents
451
00:21:36,795 --> 00:21:37,629
and transfers,
452
00:21:37,713 --> 00:21:39,631
-which is all the juicy stuff...
-Lovely. [laughs]
453
00:21:39,715 --> 00:21:41,717
...that I'm sure everyone's
listening to this for.
454
00:21:41,842 --> 00:21:45,220
So we'll start with Josh Maja
so everyone knows contract offers.
455
00:21:45,595 --> 00:21:47,347
[Stewart] If I'm honest, the...
456
00:21:48,056 --> 00:21:52,060
the contracts that we've inherited
for them are... ridiculous,
457
00:21:52,144 --> 00:21:53,603
from the football club's perspective.
458
00:21:54,604 --> 00:21:57,983
When these lads come into our academy,
they're signing two or three-year deals.
459
00:21:58,358 --> 00:21:59,735
So common sense tells you that,
460
00:21:59,818 --> 00:22:02,946
in the last year of his contract,
he's got a chance of breaking through.
461
00:22:04,489 --> 00:22:08,493
So, surely when we negotiate the contracts
in the first place,
462
00:22:08,910 --> 00:22:11,830
we should protect ourselves
by putting extensions in that say,
463
00:22:12,039 --> 00:22:14,291
"If Josh makes some five first-team games,
464
00:22:14,666 --> 00:22:17,169
then we automatically get
an extra year on his contract."
465
00:22:18,337 --> 00:22:20,839
What we've done is put it
completely the wrong way round
466
00:22:21,256 --> 00:22:22,132
so that, actually,
467
00:22:22,215 --> 00:22:24,343
Josh gets in the first team, in earnest,
468
00:22:24,426 --> 00:22:25,761
playing week in, week out,
469
00:22:26,094 --> 00:22:28,472
and their agents then see
a value to them.
470
00:22:30,140 --> 00:22:34,144
So we're now forced to negotiate...
with the agent thinking,
471
00:22:34,227 --> 00:22:37,189
"I can make more money if he moves away
than he can at Sunderland,
472
00:22:37,272 --> 00:22:39,649
so as an agent, I'm gonna try and make
more money by getting him a move."
473
00:22:39,733 --> 00:22:41,735
-[mellow music playing]
-[birds chirping]
474
00:22:49,534 --> 00:22:50,744
[mellow music fades]
475
00:22:52,996 --> 00:22:54,206
[Luke] Talking about contracts,
476
00:22:54,289 --> 00:22:56,166
you have hundreds of people
477
00:22:56,249 --> 00:22:58,085
telling you what to do
and what not to do.
478
00:22:58,794 --> 00:22:59,878
[grunts]
479
00:23:00,962 --> 00:23:02,297
Footballers, non-footballers,
480
00:23:02,422 --> 00:23:03,799
your parents, your friends,
481
00:23:03,965 --> 00:23:05,217
people you've never met before.
482
00:23:05,384 --> 00:23:08,261
They all give you their opinion,
even if you don't ask for it.
483
00:23:10,764 --> 00:23:13,100
You know, with Maj,
with a million-and-one things
484
00:23:13,183 --> 00:23:14,184
getting told to him,
485
00:23:15,352 --> 00:23:17,521
I think it's nice to speak to someone
about it because,
486
00:23:17,813 --> 00:23:20,107
like I said about emotions,
you shouldn't bottle them up.
487
00:23:20,190 --> 00:23:21,942
[Jack murmurs indistinctly]
488
00:23:22,943 --> 00:23:24,152
[Luke] First game of the season,
489
00:23:24,820 --> 00:23:25,737
I held my hands up.
490
00:23:25,821 --> 00:23:27,864
I was nowhere near
the performance I wanted.
491
00:23:28,490 --> 00:23:30,575
But the gaffer spoke to me
and he said,
492
00:23:30,700 --> 00:23:31,910
"Luke, you're trying too hard."
493
00:23:32,661 --> 00:23:36,957
And it was funny that such simple words
made so much sense.
494
00:23:37,624 --> 00:23:41,586
He told me to remember the strengths
of what got me to where I am today.
495
00:23:41,711 --> 00:23:44,256
"Remember the player that you are,
the strengths that you have,
496
00:23:44,381 --> 00:23:46,133
because that's what we're looking for."
497
00:23:46,216 --> 00:23:49,928
-[crowd chants]
-[players yell indistinctly]
498
00:23:50,011 --> 00:23:51,430
[mellow music resumes]
499
00:23:52,931 --> 00:23:54,850
-[chanting continues]
-[whistle blows]
500
00:23:58,145 --> 00:23:59,146
[mellow music fades]
501
00:24:02,315 --> 00:24:04,609
[Barnes] Emmanuel down the right,
trying to find Holloway.
502
00:24:05,402 --> 00:24:07,571
James is on his shoulder,
he tries to cut inside.
503
00:24:07,654 --> 00:24:08,822
Blocked by O'Nien.
504
00:24:16,788 --> 00:24:17,706
[crowd shouting]
505
00:24:17,789 --> 00:24:19,916
Gooch now,
just outside the penalty area.
506
00:24:20,041 --> 00:24:22,085
-Trying to find O'Nien. O'Nien's shot...
-[crowd oohs]
507
00:24:22,169 --> 00:24:24,171
-[commentator 2] Oh!
-[Barnes] He's made it 2-nil!
508
00:24:24,254 --> 00:24:26,673
-[crowd cheers]
-And surely he's sealed the three points.
509
00:24:27,090 --> 00:24:29,259
Luke O'Nien, a lovely finish.
510
00:24:29,342 --> 00:24:31,595
Just span and smashed it under the keeper.
511
00:24:34,139 --> 00:24:36,433
[Luke chatters indistinctly]
512
00:24:36,600 --> 00:24:39,060
[man] I told ya! [laughs]
513
00:24:40,854 --> 00:24:42,355
[crowd chants]
514
00:24:43,398 --> 00:24:47,402
[Luke] Just pure joy. I, uh...
I just ran for my celebration and, uh...
515
00:24:47,736 --> 00:24:49,571
it was a special moment,
a very special moment.
516
00:24:50,989 --> 00:24:51,865
Get in there!
517
00:24:53,492 --> 00:24:57,120
Very happy. Um...
Nice to get my first goal for Sunderland
518
00:24:57,204 --> 00:25:00,749
and, uh... to get the three points as well
was special,
519
00:25:00,874 --> 00:25:02,209
so, uh... a very good day.
520
00:25:02,292 --> 00:25:03,835
[crowd buzzes]
521
00:25:05,962 --> 00:25:07,005
[crowd shouting]
522
00:25:09,925 --> 00:25:11,343
[crowd applauds]
523
00:25:14,429 --> 00:25:15,555
[crowd cheers]
524
00:25:16,723 --> 00:25:17,933
[Barnes] Maja at the near post!
525
00:25:18,016 --> 00:25:20,852
-[commentator 2] He's done it again.
-[Barnes] Header, bottom corner.
526
00:25:20,936 --> 00:25:22,354
[crowd cheers]
527
00:25:23,688 --> 00:25:24,940
Come on!
528
00:25:25,023 --> 00:25:26,983
[fans screaming]
529
00:25:30,737 --> 00:25:33,156
[Barnes] Three minutes of added time.
530
00:25:35,617 --> 00:25:38,078
O'Nien now,
out to the left-hand side here,
531
00:25:38,161 --> 00:25:41,748
and a break forwards by Oviedo.
He's got Connelly in the middle.
532
00:25:41,831 --> 00:25:44,084
Oviedo's ball into the box,
drops for Maja...
533
00:25:44,167 --> 00:25:46,503
-Maja wins it!
-[commentator 2] Ooh... What a goal.
534
00:25:46,586 --> 00:25:48,129
[Barnes] Maja with his right foot,
535
00:25:48,213 --> 00:25:50,215
-drives it beyond Halstead.
-[commentator 2 laughs]
536
00:25:50,298 --> 00:25:52,467
[Barnes] And in the first minute
of added time,
537
00:25:52,551 --> 00:25:55,345
Josh Maja has surely won the tie,
538
00:25:55,428 --> 00:25:57,347
for his tenth goal of the season.
539
00:25:57,430 --> 00:25:59,182
[crowd applauds]
540
00:26:02,269 --> 00:26:04,229
-You got your number ten!
-[Josh] Eh?
541
00:26:04,312 --> 00:26:05,897
Number ten, mate. Number ten.
542
00:26:05,981 --> 00:26:07,399
That's ten for the season.
543
00:26:13,530 --> 00:26:14,781
[players murmur]
544
00:26:21,663 --> 00:26:22,706
[dishes clatter]
545
00:26:23,540 --> 00:26:24,833
[mellow music playing]
546
00:26:25,834 --> 00:26:27,919
[Stewart] So tell me about that text
from Maja's agent.
547
00:26:29,796 --> 00:26:31,464
[Richard] I've gone back
with a third offer.
548
00:26:31,548 --> 00:26:32,507
Um...
549
00:26:33,174 --> 00:26:36,720
I think we're now getting...
We're at our limit, for me.
550
00:26:37,554 --> 00:26:42,350
And... the agent's come back saying
that he'll discuss it with Josh
551
00:26:42,434 --> 00:26:45,103
and come back to me
as soon as possible.
552
00:26:47,439 --> 00:26:49,357
I'd give him a week to accept the offer,
553
00:26:49,482 --> 00:26:51,443
otherwise, we'll test the market
in January.
554
00:26:53,695 --> 00:26:55,697
[stammers] The thing that bothers me
555
00:26:55,780 --> 00:26:58,116
in all of this,
the agent has experience
556
00:26:58,199 --> 00:26:59,659
of moving players abroad.
557
00:27:00,785 --> 00:27:02,537
If he goes overseas...
558
00:27:03,622 --> 00:27:07,584
he... the agent will get...
will ask and probably get
559
00:27:07,667 --> 00:27:12,088
in the region--
in the region of a million, agent's fee.
560
00:27:12,172 --> 00:27:13,965
He and his family trust his agent.
561
00:27:14,174 --> 00:27:15,717
-Yeah.
-So, like...
562
00:27:16,217 --> 00:27:17,177
[stammers] Yeah, what--
563
00:27:18,470 --> 00:27:20,555
He knows in the summer
he's going to get a payday.
564
00:27:21,514 --> 00:27:24,225
[Richard] This, for me,
isn't about Josh Maja.
565
00:27:26,853 --> 00:27:28,688
100% about his agent.
566
00:27:29,022 --> 00:27:29,856
End of.
567
00:27:30,357 --> 00:27:31,900
-[Neil] And how much.
-Exactly.
568
00:27:31,983 --> 00:27:33,401
-[Neil laughs] And how much.
-Exactly.
569
00:27:33,485 --> 00:27:36,071
[Stewart] But why would you want to leave
Sunderland Football Club?
570
00:27:36,279 --> 00:27:39,240
-Where does it get better for Josh Maja?
-[Stewart] 4,000 mad Sunderland fans
571
00:27:39,324 --> 00:27:42,077
singing your name-- [stammers]
Do you remember when you were a kid?
572
00:27:42,160 --> 00:27:45,205
-It was all you ever wanted, wasn't it?
-[Richard] Yeah, but football's changed.
573
00:27:45,288 --> 00:27:48,291
[Stewart] Their agents are out of control.
They can take them across the border
574
00:27:48,375 --> 00:27:50,669
for a tenth of their value
and we're shafted.
575
00:27:50,752 --> 00:27:52,295
[stammers] What's the football club get?
576
00:27:52,420 --> 00:27:54,255
Now we're
negotiating like bloody idiots.
577
00:27:54,339 --> 00:27:55,340
[Neil] But it--
578
00:27:55,799 --> 00:27:58,301
-But that's what you've inherited.
-[Stewart] Yeah, but it-- Yes,
579
00:27:58,385 --> 00:27:59,844
but it is absolute shit.
580
00:28:01,721 --> 00:28:03,223
If Josh Maja leaves us,
581
00:28:03,306 --> 00:28:05,016
we're going to look like
a bunch of numpties.
582
00:28:06,226 --> 00:28:07,727
[Neil] Without a doubt. [chuckles]
583
00:28:09,979 --> 00:28:14,150
I genuinely think that they've already got
their strategy set out.
584
00:28:17,445 --> 00:28:18,279
[mellow music fades]
585
00:28:18,738 --> 00:28:20,824
[interviewer] So there's a bit of
transfer speculation.
586
00:28:21,324 --> 00:28:23,159
-Transfer speculation?
-Yeah.
587
00:28:23,785 --> 00:28:25,495
-About who?
-About you.
588
00:28:25,620 --> 00:28:26,621
-About me?
-Yeah.
589
00:28:26,996 --> 00:28:28,164
Did you not even see that?
590
00:28:28,748 --> 00:28:30,750
Don't really read newspapers like that.
591
00:28:31,251 --> 00:28:32,085
No.
592
00:28:33,420 --> 00:28:35,004
There was? Hmm.
593
00:28:35,922 --> 00:28:36,965
That's interesting.
594
00:28:38,258 --> 00:28:40,218
-Interesting.
-Yeah, just saying a few clubs
595
00:28:40,301 --> 00:28:43,555
were interested in--
Have you got a new contract yet for...
596
00:28:43,722 --> 00:28:45,724
Hasn't been sorted yet, no, but...
597
00:28:46,433 --> 00:28:50,687
I think it's... it's in the...
It's getting sorted, basically.
598
00:28:51,312 --> 00:28:54,107
-You don't worry so much about that stuff?
-No, I just let my agent
599
00:28:54,190 --> 00:28:57,652
deal with all that stuff, I just--
My head's just focused on football,
600
00:28:57,736 --> 00:28:59,195
playing football, that's it.
601
00:28:59,279 --> 00:29:00,613
[dramatic music playing]
602
00:29:07,078 --> 00:29:09,372
[hums] I'm here right now.
603
00:29:10,290 --> 00:29:12,000
So... that's it.
604
00:29:13,334 --> 00:29:15,003
That's football for you.
605
00:29:15,587 --> 00:29:17,130
That's me. [chuckles]
606
00:29:20,300 --> 00:29:21,926
[dramatic music fades]
607
00:29:24,304 --> 00:29:27,432
[tense music playing]