Sunderland AFC joins our United States supporters in celebrating July 4, Independence Day. Gavin Frater from the North America Supporters Association tells his Sunderland story…
My name is Gavin Frater, originating from Tampa Florida, and I have supported Sunderland for over 45 years!
The NASA branch has been a great way to stay in touch with other fans for the last 20 years or more. Having regular online meet ups gives you a feeling of connection, especially when you are living in an area that does not have a lot of other Sunderland fans around.
It is crazy that it all started in a bar in New York in 2002 as the Sunderland Supporters Association USA before most of those members either moved back to the UK or moved too far out of the NYC area to keep things going.
We then rebranded under SAFC NASA and with the birth of social media, it has exploded far beyond what the original members thought it could be. Fortunately, there are still a few originals left and active in the new group.
We still try to keep up with regular monthly online meetings throughout the season (sometimes with a special guest) - and a lot of us got together last year when the club toured the USA. It had been the first time since COVID that we had been together as a larger group, so it was a lot of fun catching up.
Despite being across the globe, I still feel a connection with the city – and I still have family in Sunderland, so I try to get back as often as possible. I was last home in January for the victory over Stoke City. I always stay at the hotel opposite the Stadium of Light and then walk around it daily when I am there.
Last pre-season was truly special. This was the third experience of Sunderland touring the USA, and to date it was my favourite. The growth of social media and the ability to effectively plan meet ups, combined with how welcoming the club were with fans, made for the best tour yet.
We have Independence Day around the corner and the way I can describe it is it’s like Christmas and Bonfire night all rolled into one - great food, friends and family nearby and a brilliant firework display to round things off.
My daughter served in the US military, so we generally go to our local parade. Then it’s back to the house to relax with friends and enjoy a lot of BBQ food. This year it’s mostly ribs and brisket. Then in the evening we’ll let off fireworks before watching the big firework display in New York (although now I watch them on TV rather than in person).
We’re all excited for the season to start. We will all be backing Régis Le Bris. It looks like an appointment that fits the Club’s model. It’s evident to see the success he has had in France so let’s hope we have a good start to the new campaign. Ha’way The Lads.