Quote of the day

"It was a really good idea to move the fans, it means the Sunderland fans fill the stands all around the stadium. You can certainly hear the difference with the atmosphere. A lot of the time when you had the big back row with away fans you could hear them and it maybe gave their team a lift. Now they're at the top tier you don't hear them as much and I'm sure the Sunderland fans will make sure they aren't heard."

Mackem midfielder Jack Colback on how the Great Unwashed have received underhand assistance in their attempts to drown out the visiting fans. They'll certainly need all the help they can get this Sunday.

Meanwhile, it's good to see that Davide Santon seems to appreciate the importance of the derby and Big Lad's talismanic influence over it.