For many places, especially for Sunderland, football has a far deeper meaning than just a 90-minute match every Saturday afternoon.
And the sports docuseries Sunderland ‘Til I Die Season 2 (2020) makes that clear as it follows the ins and outs of Sunderland Football Club who were at the lowest point (so far) in their 141 year history. They desperately want to climb back up to wipe the smile off the faces of their flashy Newcastle neighbours, and to bring the city together in pride.
The season was played from 2018-19, but whether you know what happened, or not, you can suffer the ups and downs in a new way. This series takes you from the boardroom, to the dressing room, to the terraces, to spy on what is both a public and a private struggle for significance.
The question both the Netflix and the football season ask is can Sunderland AFC (aka the Black Cats) begin their recovery from two seasons of relegation where they went from the heady heights of the Premier League to England’s third-tier, Division One in just two years.
With the new season comes new owners of the club and so new hope and expectations. And, not to spoil things but, throughout the season they can feel just how close they are to redemption.
What this series does is tell a tale bigger than Sunderland, bigger than football, about a team and a group of businessmen trying to lift an entire city while their fans try to lift the team. But when they put it all out there – and crazily let us sit on our sofas watching – do they have the skills, the tactics, the nouse, the will – both on and off the pitch?
Two great, unexpected stars of the series – and pure Box Office – come from the boardroom: the club’s new owner Stewart Donald and director Charlie Methven who want to Make Sunderland Great Again.
This pair demonstrate plenty of passion and desire to help the club succeed, but they also offer a fair amount David Brent-esque delivery. Mmmm… imagine David Brent, of The Office fame, running a football club – I’d watch that.
In the first episode, Methven meets with the club’s marketing team to discuss the stadium’s PA system, in a truly cringe-worthy meeting with participants straining to stop their eyes rolling around the room. This is comedy gold.
But would you do any better? Sunderland ‘Till I Die gives football supporters an unprecedented look at the amount of effort which goes into successfully running a football club.
With the previous owners having nearly seen Sunderland become the first major club in the country to go bust, the new owners outlined their intentions to drastically change how the club is run.
The duo know getting supporters onside is what they can best do and have a fair amount of success. The question is will this be enough?
As the series draws on, however, it becomes clear how difficult this task is for everyone. They must compete with other determined teams, results are mixed, doubts creep in.
There are disasters – they are “as sick as a parrot”. But by the end they could still be “over the Moon”. This is the heaven and hell that football supporters face.
They lose a key player – their top scorer. Can they win the scramble to sign a decent replacement? Transfer deadline day will decide it, fans stuck to Twitter feeds waiting for news. But will the new man be any good?
No matter your team of choice, if football is your thing, this all-revealing show is for you, as Sunderland’s topsy turvy campaign is a really gripping journey for all.
Available on: Netflix
Genre: Sports Docuseries
Running Time: Approx. 40 minutes each episode, 2 seasons
