The row over safc tickets has widened after long-serving Sunderland supporters said they have been priced out of corporate areas and blocked from moving back into general admission. The complaints have emerged during the current renewal period, with fans describing a system that is not treating decades of loyalty fairly. The issue has now drawn pressure from the Red and White Army, which wants the club to pause and address unresolved problems before more supporters are affected.
Supporters say the process is failing loyal fans
Two long-serving season ticket holders, Steven Poppleton and Gary Crosby, have gone public with their cases, and both say their attempts to change seats have been met with resistance. Mr Poppleton, a supporter for 40 years and a season ticket holder for the past two decades, said he was refused a new ticket after asking to move from the premium 76 Yards area back to general admission. His family had previously upgraded their matchday experience to support his father George, who had mobility issues and has since died.
Mr Poppleton said the family accepted a major price increase, moving from £850 to around £2, 300, after shifting into the Black Cats Bar and then 76 Yards. He said they expected to move back after his father’s death, but were told they would need to join the waiting list, which had already been open for three weeks. He added that club liaison officers initially said his case was special and would be reviewed, but the ticket office later refused the request.
Gary Crosby, who has held a season ticket continuously since 1988, has also raised concerns after being priced out of corporate hospitality. He moved into a corporate box during Sunderland’s League One period, but the cost of that package has since risen by around £2, 900.
RAWA pushes for a ticketing delay
The Red and White Army has urged Sunderland to delay releasing unrenewed season tickets while problems remain unresolved. The group says it has been in talks with the club since before last month’s Tyne-Wear derby against Newcastle United, when tickets were rescinded and then returned to sale after what the club described as a large-scale breach of ticketing rules.
RAWA says the club tried to clarify the derby situation in a communication dated 31 March and that discussions are still ongoing. It has listed concerns including seat moves, admin fees and switching between pricing structures, and wants a ticketing-specific meeting as a matter of urgency. The group says supporters should not risk losing a season ticket, or the chance to move, because of issues outside their control.
What supporters are saying now
Mr Poppleton said he felt brushed aside after years of backing the club through difficult times. He said his family had supported Sunderland through the darkest days, including the last 10 years, and that his seven-year-old son Frazer now has to hear why the move back was refused. His complaint has become one of the clearest examples of the wider frustration now surrounding safc tickets.
RAWA says some long-serving supporters are facing the same problem, with the club treating corporate and general admission as separate systems. The group argues that while Sunderland has made progress in many areas, customer service and ticketing outcomes are still falling short. The concern is not just about individual cases, but about the message sent to loyal fans who have backed the club through lean years.
Why the issue matters now
The tensions come at a time when Sunderland’s demand for seats is strong and the waiting list is long. That demand gives the club leverage, but it also makes the current disputes more sensitive, because supporters who stayed through difficult seasons feel they are being left behind just as conditions improve.
The latest complaints suggest the club still has work to do in managing the balance between rising demand and long-standing loyalty. For now, the pressure is on to settle the renewal problems before more fans are pushed out of the process, and before safc tickets becomes the story that defines the club’s relationship with its own supporters.
