News

Sunderland stalwart Anderson opts to leave the Echo

Eight months after the Sunderland Football Echo ended its 106-year history as a physical entity and went online only – a move no doubt hastened by the fact that it was now printed overnight near Sheffield and had to be delivered to the north-east on Sunday mornings – the paper’s Sunderland AFC writer, Graeme Anderson, is leaving to pursue a freelance career.

Graeme Anderson: moving on from the Echo
Graeme Anderson: moving on from the Echo

Anderson has covered the affairs of Sunderland at both Roker Park and the Stadium of Light for the past 25 years, and is only the third principal writer in 50 years to cover the club for the Echo, following Bill Butterfield (“Argus”) and Geoff Storey in the role.

Writing on the website salutsunderland.com, blogger Pete Sixsmith said: “For a paper like the Echo, it would be terminal to upset the powers that be at SAFC and it would be all too easy to be nothing more than a mouthpiece for whatever the club wanted …

“Graeme avoided this and always gave his readers a reasoned and objective view, supportive when required, critical when needed. He will be, or ought to be, missed by all Sunderland fans … I shall miss Graeme’s sharp and pithy observations in the Football Echo … He has written a series of memories which are on the Echo website and offer excellent reads. I especially enjoyed the one about Roy Keane and his stare.”

Anderson can be found tweeting on @sunechograeme


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