676 Miles for a Scruffy Tap-In. I'd Do It Again

Sunderland 0-1 Brighton | Premier League | 14 March 2026

676 miles. Forty-eight people in three minibuses. Before kick-off: Stotty cake. Ham and pease pudding in bread. Sounds like something you'd feed to livestock. But tastes like: West Street grub at 3am. Magnificent.

The Mackems came in fresh off an FA Cup exit to Port Vale. Port Vale. League One. The kind of result that makes you wonder if relegation would be less embarrassing.

Sunderland thought they'd scored first. Rigg bundled it in. The Stadium of Shite erupted.

VAR had a look. Offside. Chalked off. Sit down

Fifty-eighth minute. Yankuba Minteh. Formerly of Newcastle United. Every touch got boos normally reserved for referees who deny penalties. He scored. Was it deliberate? Probably not. Neither is most of what happens in Sunderland's defence.

Diarra went down claiming a push on the goal. VAR checked. VAR cleared. Two lads in Hartlepool (AKA Monkey Hangers) watching on a dodgy laptop also checked. Nothing.

VAR checked it. VAR cleared it - GOAL!!

Lewis Dunk: five hundred games. Born a Seagull, will die a Seagull, made Sunderland supporters wish they hadn't swapped their giro for a match ticket

Arteta was spotted in B&Q buying Brasso this week. Polish in a trophy cabinet draw that's been empty since 2004. So I'm doing what any reasonable person would do, digging out my old voodoo doll.

Anyway back to Brighton. Tenth. Back-to-back away wins. Three minibuses. Six hundred and seventy-six miles. Coffee that had never met a bean. The best Stotty cake of my life. Three points and a few Newcastle Brown ales.............. bliss!

Final Thought: Yankuba Minteh, Newcastle reject, professional pantomime villain, scored the only goal (that counted). The away end lost their minds. The home end lost the plot. Forty-eight Brighton fans who travelled 676 miles and slept in Sunderland were absolutely beside themselves.