Supporters of Sunderland have spoken and their voice may have been expected. The stadium's south stand will be named after Roker Park, the legendary old stadium of the club.

Following the recent seating replacement at Stadium of Light, one more change is now occuring. This time it's all about identity as supporters voted in favour of renaming the South Stand.

It's worth noting that the vote process was carried out with strong connection to fans. Shortlist of possible names was consulted with fan groups, while the winner was chosen by some 70% of 13,000 participants.

It's of course no wonder that Roker End is the winning name, associated with Roker Park's steep terrace created back in 1912. For decades the vast enclosure was able to accommodate legions of fans, only reaching its end in the post-Hillsborough era. At peak it could hold 23,000 people at a time, though the size was scaled down to just 7,000 by 1982.

The official renaming ceremony will take place ahead of kick-off at the club’s Boxing Day fixture with Bradford City, as a specially-commissioned ‘captain’s mural’ is unveiled within the stand’s main concourse.