Stellar season ticket sales represent a major show of faith from the Sunderland fanbase.

Many people are still struggling, but our achievements last season gave everyone reason to believe again.”

It’s just one of many areas where those in charge of Sunderland’s social media production have made significant progress in recent years. Impactful taglines have become their trademark in recent months, and while the use of ‘Til the End as a playoff rallying cry was not new, it arguably served its most powerful purpose during our eventual promotion run, encapsulating the Lads’ never-say-die spirit against Coventry City and Sheffield United.

Since promotion was confirmed and the season ticket purchase window reopened, a different phrase has taken centre stage, and on Thursday, when the news broke that 38,000 season tickets for 2025/2026 had been snapped up and that there is now a waiting list in place, it felt like the club had nailed it from a marketing standpoint once more.

If anything was guaranteed to raise anticipation for our return to the Premier League even higher than they are now — aside from some promising transfer news — it was the prospect of our home field being packed to the rafters again next season.

The areas surrounding the stadium will be humming in the hours leading up to kickoff, the walk from the car parks and bus stops via the new Keel Crossing will be enjoyable, and the prospect of welcoming the best footballers in the country to Wearside will undoubtedly keep us going during the long summer weeks without football.

Sunderland fans replied passionately to the rallying cry, much as they did at home and away last season, as well as during the playoffs. They filled the stadium, followed the Lads to Wembley, and have now demonstrated amazing faith in our future course of action.

Furthermore, they’ve done so in large numbers, parting with big sums of money and putting a lot of trust in the club’s decision-makers, leaving them with the task of developing a team that can give us a chance of survival.

Many people are still struggling, but our achievements last season have given everyone renewed hope. Sunderland AFC is no longer the punchline for jokes about ‘banter clubs’ or the subject of case studies on how to mismanage a club into the abyss, which is a big relief.

Photo by John Walton/PA Images via Getty Images

During last season’s home draw with Leeds, which took place in searing heat, I remember thinking midway through the first half, “This should really be a Premier League clash” as two sets of fanatical spectators screamed their sides on, with twenty-two players giving their everything in quest of success.

If everything goes as planned, some of the games in 2025/2026 will feel like pre-season friendly in comparison, and as we saw during the relative glory years of seventh-place finishes under Peter Reid and our first top-flight campaign under Roy Keane, the Stadium of Light’s full capacity isn’t mythical.

It is undeniably real and has the potential to significantly improve the Lads’ fortunes, but it must first be awakened.

With that in mind, it is now on to those in charge to do all possible to ensure that the fans’ faith is not misplaced. For a long time, I hoped to see the connection between the club and its supporters restored after some difficult times following 2016, and it’s fair to say that we’re on the right track in that regard, but goodwill isn’t something to be taken lightly — as David Bruce will know all too well. We have the foundation of a promising group, albeit one that need a lot of tweaking and strengthening before the August kickoff.

We have a head coach who has earned the hearts of the supporters, as well as a hierarchy who hopefully has a clear vision for Sunderland AFC, which should centre on establishing ourselves as a top-flight team.

The potential is great; the season ticket numbers speak for themselves, and, as in 2006, I sincerely hope that those in the boardroom make the most of this wonderful chance. Of course, success is never assured, but the best attempt to achieve it should be. That is the least we should expect.

We have a head coach who has earned the hearts of the supporters, as well as a hierarchy who hopefully has a clear vision for Sunderland AFC, which should centre on establishing ourselves as a top-flight team. The potential is great; the season ticket numbers speak for themselves, and, as in 2006, I sincerely hope that those in the boardroom make the most of this wonderful chance.

Of course, success is never assured, but the best attempt to achieve it should be. That is the least we should expect.

Read more on sportupdates.co.uk