SUNDERLAND will begin their pre-season schedule ahead of the 2024-25 campaign with a North East non-league double-header against South Shields and Gateshead, with trips to Blackpool and Bradford City also confirmed. 

In a repeat of last summer's start to pre-season, Sunderland will begin their preparations for the new campaign with back-to-back fixtures on Saturday, July 13 against Shields and Gateshead. Sunderland split their squad last summer for an early kick-off at the 1st Cloud Arena before the second half of the squad competed against Gateshead at the International Stadium.

Sunderland are still to appoint their new head coach for the 2024-25 campaign but whoever is in charge will then take the squad for their warm weather training camp in Spain where there remain two fixtures still to be confirmed in Alicante over the weekend of July 20/21.

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The Black Cats will return to the UK following a week in the south of Spain before fixtures with Blackpool and Bradford. The meeting with League One side Blackpool will take place at Bloomfield Road on Saturday, July 27 (3pm) ahead of a visit to Valley Parade to take on League Two Bradford on Tuesday, July 30 (7.30pm) in their penultimate pre-season friendly. 

Sunderland will conclude their pre-season preparations with an unconfirmed fixture on the weekend of August 3, just seven days before their 2024-25 Championship campaign gets underway.

Sunderland's 2024-25 Championship fixtures will be released on Wednesday, June 26 at 9pm.

Sunderland's pre-season schedule in full:

Saturday 13 July – South Shields (A, 12.30pm)

Saturday 13 July – Gateshead (A, 5pm)

Saturday 20 July – TBC

Sunday 21 July – TBC

Saturday 27 July – Blackpool (A, 3pm)

Tuesday 30 July – Bradford City (A, 7.30pm)

Weekend of August 3 – TBC