Sunderland to close off part of Stadium of Light in readiness for relegation

A sad story this, because Sunderland are effectively becoming the cliché of a club in decline.

It's understood by the local Chronicle that, from next season, the club will be closing its Premier Concourse - the Stadium of Light's highest level - and relocating season-ticket holders to a lower part of the bowl.

It makes sense, of course, because anyone who has watched a game at the ground recently will know just how low the average attendance currently is (average 57% capacity) - and how empty such a big stadium looks when so sparsely populated - but it reads like an admission of defeat.

Maybe that's realistic: unless something dramatically changes, Sunderland will begin 2018/19 in League One after a disastrous season in the Championship. The Black Cats are currently bottom of the table with just 10 games remaining, having most recently lost 3-0 at home to Aston Villa in front of just 26,000 supporters on Tuesday night.

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