Building Design Northern Limited has worked with Sunderland AFC to recreate distinctive signage from its old Roker Park Stadium, recapturing the energy of the Black Cats’ former home.
“Welcome to Sunderland” was the message emblazoned above the stands of the club’s old stomping ground, which closed in 1997, and now bosses at SAFC have engaged BDN – based at the Old Simpson Street School in Deptford – to support with plans to recreate it at the Stadium of Light.
BDN architect Clinton Mysleyko is a lifelong Sunderland fan, and worked with colleague Paul McDonnell, who is also a red and white faithful, to draw up designs for the signage, which will soon dress the outside of SAFC’s southern stand.
As well as signage placement, BDN supported with engineering services, designing new structural supports to enable it to be fastened to the cladding.
Clinton said: “It was a real honour to work on this project for a club I have supported since being a kid.
“Roker Park still holds such special memories for so many SAFC fans, and playing a part in ensuring the connection with the past comes to life at the Stadium of Light has been really special.”
The sign will greet thousands of fans making their way to the stadium from the city centre, which is now connected by the Keel Crossing, a footbridge crossed by legions of supporters each week.
In the sign’s shadow, a new Legends’ Way will transform the Roker End exterior, giving supporters the chance to secure a permanent place within a new area celebrating the history and people of Sunderland AFC. Fans can purchase engraved stones featuring custom messages, with several sizes and designs available. Prices will range from £99 to £500 depending on the size of the stone, which will vary from 200mm by 100mm up to 400mm by 400mm.
At the heart of Legends’ Way will sit the Wembley Path, linking the statue of Bob Stokoe with a soon-to-be-installed statue of Jimmy Montgomery.
Managing director of BDN, Richard Marsden, said: “Sunderland is a club with such a proud past and we’re thrilled to be playing a part in celebrating an important part of its heritage, supporting with the placement of a sign that will be familiar for so many fans.
“We’re proud to be a Sunderland based business, so commissions like this are really special for us.”
