New Sunderland owner’s statement to old club could give Black Cats fans cause for optimism

The Ellis Short era is over at Wearside

It was announced today that Sunderland's American owner had left the club, with manager Chris Coleman following him out the door after the club's relegation to League One. Short, who became chairman of the club in 2011, had become a figure of hatred at the Stadium of Light in recent years as consistent mismanagement was combined with clear apathy and an unwillingness to invest in the squad. Fans of the club will now hope that apathy is a thing of the past and a message from new owner Stewart Donald to his former club Eastleigh FC might just give them cause for optimism. Donald enjoyed success during his six years at the helm of the Conference Premier club before becoming involved in Sunderland and his departure is clearly an emotional one, with his message to the club illustrating just how much the side means to him.

"Eastleigh has become, and will always be, extremely close to my heart. I have always tried to look after the club to the best of my ability and this will never be more important than now when considering perspective new owner/s," said the millionaire in his statement. "I would like to assure the fans that I will not charge for the sale of the club and do my very best to ensure that the club is passed to an individual or group that understands these principles and is committed to continuing them. "Thank you all again for making my ownership such an enjoyable experience."

While some Sunderland fans have been dismayed at Donald's decision to part with Coleman before the end of the season, they will surely take heart from the fact that they finally have someone who actually cares about football in charge of the club.