A leading Sunderland fanzine has called for Peter Reid to quit as manger at the Stadium of Light.

In a statement issued by A Love Supreme, they urge the Black Cats boss to resign now and walk away with his head held high after seven years service.

Sunderland narrowly avoided relegation to the First Division on Saturday as Ipswich were thumped 5-0 at Liverpool and the Black Cats drew at home with already-doomed Derby.

And ALS believe that Reid's time at the helm on Wearside should come to an end after a poor campaign. The statement read: "We feel that Peter Reid should resign now. If he does, he will do so with a respectable record at Sunderland, and his reputation intact.

"Even his harshest critics respect the job he has done in rescuing us from the First, and possibly Second Division, and if he goes now he can be remembered fondly for those achievements.

"Seven years is enough to know what sort of manager he is, what sort of football he favours and it is pretty clear he has run out of ideas.

"He looks tired and wary. Now is the time for change."

ALS also revealed they had considered holding a protest during Saturday's game, but decided against such action.

However, in hindsight, the supporters' magazine believe they have 'deprived the fans the opportunity to express their desperate fears' for the future if Reid remains in charge.

ALS editors Martyn McFadden and Peter Daykin also claim that there are a greater number of anti-Reid supporters than there are pro-Reid.

The statement continued: "More worrying has been the manager's well-documented tactical blunders, and inability to keep star names happy. The team Peter Reid built for promotion in 1998-99 contained the nucleus of an exciting, attacking squad that was sadly dismantled before it was allowed to reach its maturity.

"Fall-out after fall-out has seen the departure of many fans' favourites - Bridges, Smith, Makin, Rae, Johnston, Summerbee and Hutchison - as well as people who were never allowed to prove their ability - UEFA Cup-winner Edwin Zoetebier, for example, or Thomas Helmer.''

It went on: "Everyone agrees that the team needs major re-building, and on account of the wasted millions Reid has spent on mediocrity over the course of the last few seasons - Medina, Laslandes, Nunez, Fredgaard, Haas, Kilbane and Oster - many supporters would not trust him as the man to do this."

Read more about Sunderland here.