Sunderland Special MOTD Kickabout

Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside.

The sound of the ocean lapping at the shoreline,

a faint whiff of fish and chips on a bracing breeze but

this is no ordinary seaside town.

This is a proud footballing city, a beacon of light swathed in red and

white.

The sun is out in Sunderland and this is the Stadium of Light!

Welcome to Wearside, a place bursting with footballing pedigree,

passionate fans and some of the most talented youngsters in the land.

Isn't that right?

Yeah!

That's what I thought.

This is a Kickabout Sunderland special.

Let's give it singalong.

THEY SING MATCH OF THE DAY THEME TUNE.

Yes, there's loads to look forward to in our special

including incredible stories from this fantastic footballing city

bus of course goals galore.

We're here at Sunderland's Foundation of Light

soccer school where I hear there are some silky skills on offer.

Is that right?

Yes!

One man putting us through our pieces is also one of

the world's top football freestylers.

It's John Farmworth, everyone!

I wish I could do that.

Good to see you.

What are we focusing on today?

Today we're focusing on goal-scoring.

There's been so many great strikers that

have come from this place so we're going to focus on scoring lots of

goals.

Now when, Jermain Defoe, so we're going to channel that and score

as many goals as possible.

I cannot wait to see that.

Who doesn't love a good goal?

These next two certainly do, they are super fans and there

are about to tell us what it means to be

from this brilliant city and

why once you're from here, it's always in your blood.

I'm Rose.

I'm James, welcome to the Stadium of Light.

The home of Sunderland Football Club.

Sunderland have a great history.

We've won the league six times and the FA Cup twice.

The last time we won the cup was 1973.

Sorry, Ben, but we beat Leeds United 1-0 and we were in the second

division at the time.

This is the manager who led the lads to that victory.

The stadium was first opened in 1997.

It was built on the site of the last coal mine in

Sunderland.

It's called the Stadium of Light to remember all those who

worked hard down the pits and came to the light to watch their team.

Our old ground was our home for 99 years.

It's now a housing estate but football has

not been forgotten.

Would you like to live on Promotion Close?

Our nickname is the Black Cats because years ago

a black cat lived at the

ground and the players looked after it.

My all-time favourite player is Jermain

Defoe because he scores lots of goals like me

and plays in my favourite position.

My all-time favourite player is Jordan Pickford because he's a

great goalkeeper.

We love Sunderland and we're the lads!

Great stuff, thank you so much.

This lot look like they're having a great time, don't

they?

Let's see how John is getting on.

The ball is going to come in, you're going to try and hit the target so

remember, just relax.

Composure, and strike the ball little better.

You want me to have a practice and then

we will leave you to it.

Let's go.

Oh!

You don't have to take it first time.

Just relax, get your touch and strike the ball, the

cleaner, the better.

Keep your head up.

Don't worry.

Can he score?

Well done, buddy, that's awesome.

Sunderland have won it!

He has a go.

He scores.

Super strike into the corner.

A lovely turn, it's a super goal!

How about that on your home debut and how about that for a

celebration?

What a wonderful ball that was.

Great shot, great ball.

Murphy with it.

He scores an absolute cracker.

Sunderland lead at Old Trafford.

Six minutes gone.

Jermain Defoe got there.

This is a chance potentially and he has taken it.

With virtually the last kick of the first half.

Jermain Defoe scores for West Ham United.

Jermain Defoe levels for Spurs.

Jermain Defoe's 100th in the Premier League.

Congratulations.

150 goals in the Premier League.

What was the overriding emotion when that ball hit

the back of the net?

It happened so quickly.

I was so focused and pumped before the game because I

wanted to do it but at the same time, it didn't want to think about

it too much.

I just wanted to enjoy the game.

The chance just came.

The ball came to me and once I got the

yard, I just knew.

It was an unbelievable feeling and I wanted to

do it at home at the Stadium of Light, so even more special.

It's all about the goal.

13 behind Robbie Fowler, 25 behind Thierry Henry, have

you thought about that?

It's like an incentive.

I've always had the list up at home on a piece of paper, or

stuck up at the gym.

Since I've done the 150, I feel like a little kid.

I look at the list and see my name.

The likes of Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney and Alan Shearer at the top,

just to be a part of it, it's crazy.

Sometimes I remember scoring goals

in the school playground and

emulating all these players you see on TV, just hoping you score just

the one goal in a Premier League.

To score 150 is special.

What is your favourite goal?

My best goal was probably the volley against Newcastle.

It's Jermain Defoe!

Oh, my goodness me, what a goal!

My favourite goal was the fifth against Wigan.

It's a fifth goal for Jermain Defoe.

To score five goals in a Premier League

and I did it in one half, it was a brilliant moment.

Cracking stuff.

Here are a couple of our own hotshot strikers to show us around the city.

I'm Ryan.

I'm Liam.

I'm Joe.

This is our city.

If you wanted to visit Sunderland, I would bring you

here to the beach.

I would take you to the Stadium of Light.

Good strike.

Excellent finish.

Richardson with a cracking finish.

I would take you to the monument which is on the

Sunderland badge.

In the past lots of people have made chips here in

Sunderland.

Now lots of people build cars here in Sunderland.

Great to explore a bit more about Sunderland.

Exploring round here, look what I found.

It's foot-darts.

Pretty good, isn't it?

I feel a challenge coming on.

Me versus thee.

What do you think, best of three, closest to the

bullseye wins?

Absolutely, challenge on.

First one.

Does that count?

It should do.

I don't think so.

It has to stay on, Ben.

It has to stay on.

Hit it hard, they said.

It will stick, they said.

Oh.

Oh, come on.

Be gone with you!

You win, I lose.

Let's see some professionals do it, shall we?

That's it, isn't it?

I imagine not many people turn up and say, this is an adventure,

but for you, it's just the next stage in a remarkable career.

It's about giving something back to football.

Obviously football gave me a lot in the last 15 or 20 years.

I still love playing football.

It's incredible.

All of a sudden, one day out trots Julio Arca.

What are the players thinking?

They were quite surprised.

Did they think it was a setup?

They looked at me in a funny way.

It's a different world obviously from playing professional.

We're stood in front of the goal in which you

scored on your debut.

It wasn't the prettiest goal that you have ever

scored?

It was very scrappy.

You've ended up in the North East, did you ever think when

you started 15 years ago for Sunderland that you would still be

here now?

To be perfectly honest, no!

You've played against Manchester United and you've played against

Brandon United and pretty much everyone in between as well.

What do you think the main thing that you've

taken from football has been?

It takes a while to be a footballer.

You need to be consistent, you need to

make sacrifices in life.

I had to leave my home and move to England but

it's about how much you want it and how much you love football.

That's almost full time for us.

We've had a fantastic day.

Thanks to everyone at Sunderland's Foundation of Light.

We'll leave you with a bit more from this brilliant city

but for now, see you.

Bye!