Key Sunderland figure addresses administration speculation

Sunderland CEO Jim Rodwell has been forced to deny speculation that the club may be heading for administration after rumours surfaced last night.

According to Matt Hughes of the Daily Mail, current Black Cats owner Stewart Donald has told fellow EFL League One bosses that the club face the prospect of administration due to money lost because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bloody hell, if Matt Hughes’ story in tomorrow’s @MailSport correct, here’s hoping the takeover happens sooner rather later #safc @RokerReport pic.twitter.com/AAWUb2jSi4

— Graeme Down (@Graemedown) December 11, 2020

Donald has been in the process of selling the club to current shareholder Juan Sartori and  22-year-old billionaire Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, but the length of time it is taking to go through has worried Sunderland fans.

And Donald’s latest revelations will put even more panic into supporters who are desperate to see good times return to the club, although whether they hold much weight remains to be seen.

Step forward Rodwell, who has moved to quash the claims made in Hughes’ article after speaking to Chronicle journalist James Hunter.

Rodwell told Hunter that there is ‘no truth in the story’ that they could be set for administration, and furthermore Donald is continuing to cover the £1 million per month that the club is currently losing.

The Verdict

It’ll be a crumb of comfort to Sunderland fans that the administration story seems to be not true, but the longer the takeover drag on, the more worried you’d have to be.

The further admission of the club losing £1 million a month is also extremely worrying, and an injection of funds from a new owner is seemingly needed more than ever.

Judging by the reaction from fans to Rodwell’s comments though, many of them don’t trust Donald one bit and have been left extremely confused as to why they are getting two different stories from two different people.