SUNDERLAND FANS REVIVE ONE OF THEIR OLDEST CHANTS AS STADIUM OF LIGHT ERUPTS DURING HISTORIC EUROPA LEAGUE WIN
Sunderland supporters created an emotional atmosphere at the Stadium of Light as European football finally returned to Wearside, with the club marking its historic night with a 1–0 victory over AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League.
After 53 years away from European competition, the Black Cats stepped onto the continental stage once again on Wednesday night, and the supporters made sure the occasion felt different from an ordinary match.
The Stadium of Light was filled with noise, colour and nostalgia before and during the match, with Sunderland fans bringing back the kind of traditional terrace atmosphere that has been associated with the club for generations.
One of the biggest moments came when supporters launched into the traditional “Ha’way the Lads” chant, with thousands joining in and creating a powerful old-school terrace atmosphere.
🎶 “HA’WAY THE LADS”
Ha’way the Lads, Ha’way the Lads,
Red and white, the colours we adore,
Sunderland, Sunderland,
We’ll follow evermore.
Ha’way the Lads, Ha’way the Lads,
Let Wearside’s voices ring,
Sunderland, Sunderland,
To victory we sing.
From Roker’s shore to every ground,
Our colours will be there,
The red and white, the lads we love,
We’ll follow everywhere.
Ha’way the Lads! Ha’way the Lads!
Let every voice ring true,
Sunderland, Sunderland,
We’re here to stand with you!
The chant helped give the occasion a sense of history, with supporters celebrating the club’s return to European competition in unmistakably Sunderland fashion.
The significance of the night was impossible to ignore.
Sunderland’s previous European campaign came during the 1973–74 season, when the club competed in the European Cup Winners’ Cup after famously winning the FA Cup against Leeds United in 1973.
That campaign eventually ended against Sporting Lisbon, and Sunderland would then spend more than five decades without another European fixture.
Now, 53 years later, the club has returned.
And this time, the setting was the Stadium of Light.
The ground itself had never hosted Sunderland in a competitive European match before Wednesday night, making the occasion even more historic for supporters who had waited years to see their team compete on the continental stage.
There was an obvious sense of nostalgia among the home crowd.
Generations of supporters who had grown up hearing stories about Sunderland’s previous European adventure were finally able to experience one for themselves.
The atmosphere became even more special as traditional songs and chants rang around the stadium.
Rather than simply treating the occasion as another Europa League fixture, supporters embraced the history behind Sunderland’s return, with the chants helping connect the present team with generations of fans who had followed the club long before the Stadium of Light was built.
The football itself eventually provided the perfect ending.
Sunderland had chances to take control of the match but were unable to find a breakthrough during the opening stages.
AZ Alkmaar also created moments of danger, forcing the Sunderland defence and goalkeeper Robin Roefs to remain alert.
The decisive moment arrived in the second half.
Enzo Le Fée was brought down inside the penalty area after a challenge from AZ substitute Weslley Patati, giving Sunderland the opportunity to finally break the deadlock.
Le Fée stepped forward and took responsibility from the spot.
The midfielder made no mistake.
His penalty found the net in the 66th minute, sending the Stadium of Light into celebration and putting Sunderland ahead on their historic European return.
The goal was particularly significant for Le Fée after he had missed a penalty during Sunderland’s recent Premier League defeat to Arsenal.
This time, however, he delivered when his team needed him most.
Sunderland then had to withstand pressure from AZ during the closing stages, but the Black Cats held on to secure a famous 1–0 victory.
The result means Sunderland’s first European match in 53 years ended with three points and a clean sheet.
It also gave supporters the result they had dreamed about before the match.
For many inside the Stadium of Light, however, the night was about more than the final score.
The return of European football represented another chapter in Sunderland’s remarkable turnaround.
Just a few years ago, the club was playing in League One. The journey back to the Premier League was followed by qualification for Europe, and now Sunderland have begun their Europa League campaign with a victory.
The scenes in the stands reflected that journey.
Traditional chants, red-and-white scarves and thousands of supporters singing together provided a reminder of Sunderland’s deep footballing history.
For older supporters, it was a chance to relive memories of an era when European football was part of the club’s story.
For younger fans, it was the beginning of a completely new chapter.
European football has finally returned to Wearside.
And on a night when Sunderland made history on the pitch, the supporters made sure the Stadium of Light sounded like home.