‘Not there yet’ – Sunderland legend Micky Gray says fans and players over celebrated Play-Off semi-final heroics

Sunderland’s players went wild after booking their play-off final spot, but a little too wild according to one club legend. The Black Cats will face Sheffield United at Wembley for a place in the Premier League after Dan Ballard settled their tie against Coventry with a stunning winner in extra time stoppage time. Sunderland’s fans split onto the pitch at full-time, a step too far according to GrayPA The roof was lifted off the Stadium of Light given their struggles down in League One since being relegated from the top tier in 2017, but things may have gone overboard. Responding to the scenes, club legend and talkSPORT pundit Micky Gray said: “I don’t like to see the Sunderland players go and celebrate. “I didn’t like that at the end, you’re not there yet lads, you’ve got another game to go in the final. “You celebrate because you get to Wembley but I think that’s it, you stay as a group.” Fans also spilled onto the pitch in their final home game of the season, but Gray thinks there could be some regret with a match to go. He continued: “I didn’t like to see all the supporters either, pile onto the pitch, the tannoy came on four or five times telling them to get back in their seats, so it took a bit of time. “They’re overjoyed, they’re overwhelmed, of course they are, but they’ve overcelebrated a little bit. “Players went across to the supporters at the end and they’re all celebrating, jumping around, a couple of them have got sunglasses on, look, you’re not there yet. “It was a brilliant performance over the two legs but there’s still 90 minutes of football lads.” Gray, who played in the 1998 Play-Off final against Charlton and missed the deciding penalty, received some kickback from Sunderland fans. Ballard’s header caused pandemonium at the Stadium of LightGetty Gray softened his stance on the team line upGetty Multiple called into talkSPORT to explain why the club’s struggles provoked such an overflow of emotions. The lateness of the goal was also cited, along with the fact it was the last game of the season at the Stadium of Light and the last chance many fans will get to see the team. Fellow Sunderland legend Kevin Ball also phoned in to give his view, seemingly agreeing with Gray, saying: “Footballers in general shouldn’t celebrate as much as what people say. “I’m with Micky on this one, the team shouldn’t have celebrated, they should’ve gone straight off the pitch and celebrated in the dressing room to look forward to Wembley.” However, before host Ally McCoist could express his shock at the comments, Ball said: “Only joking!” to much laughter. One caller even said Gray was ‘out of order’ and the pundit has since responded on talkSPORT Breakfast. “Dont get me wrong, of course I would’ve celebrated, absolutely 100 per cent,” he said from the perspective of if he was still playing. “The way the game went over the two legs and scoring so late on, it was absolutely incredible, the atmosphere was… I don’t think I’ve ever heard it like that before, certainly before kick off. “It just leaves a bit of a bitter taste in the mouth and I do say this with sour grapes, when the players start celebrating with sunglasses on… I don’t even know where they got them from. “The big line up at the end when they got all the supporters off, that was brilliant, I loved all that, but I think you’ve just got to remember sometimes that you’ve got another game to go before you actually can say you’re in the Premier League.” That game will be against Sheffield United at Wembley on May 24, with the teams battling to join Leeds and Burnley in the top flight. The Blades booked their spot in the decider with a dominant 6-0 win on aggregate over Bristol City.

Musventurenal

0 2

‘Not there yet’ – Sunderland legend Micky Gray says fans and players over celebrated Play-Off semi-final heroics

Sunderland’s players went wild after booking their play-off final spot, but a little too wild according to one club legend.

The Black Cats will face Sheffield United at Wembley for a place in the Premier League after Dan Ballard settled their tie against Coventry with a stunning winner in extra time stoppage time.

Sunderland’s fans split onto the pitch at full-time, a step too far according to Gray

The roof was lifted off the Stadium of Light given their struggles down in League One since being relegated from the top tier in 2017, but things may have gone overboard.

Responding to the scenes, club legend and talkSPORT pundit Micky Gray said: “I don’t like to see the Sunderland players go and celebrate.

“I didn’t like that at the end, you’re not there yet lads, you’ve got another game to go in the final.

“You celebrate because you get to Wembley but I think that’s it, you stay as a group.”

Fans also spilled onto the pitch in their final home game of the season, but Gray thinks there could be some regret with a match to go.

He continued: “I didn’t like to see all the supporters either, pile onto the pitch, the tannoy came on four or five times telling them to get back in their seats, so it took a bit of time.

“They’re overjoyed, they’re overwhelmed, of course they are, but they’ve overcelebrated a little bit.

“Players went across to the supporters at the end and they’re all celebrating, jumping around, a couple of them have got sunglasses on, look, you’re not there yet.

“It was a brilliant performance over the two legs but there’s still 90 minutes of football lads.”

Gray, who played in the 1998 Play-Off final against Charlton and missed the deciding penalty, received some kickback from Sunderland fans.

Ballard’s header caused pandemonium at the Stadium of Light

Gray softened his stance on the team line up

Multiple called into talkSPORT to explain why the club’s struggles provoked such an overflow of emotions.

The lateness of the goal was also cited, along with the fact it was the last game of the season at the Stadium of Light and the last chance many fans will get to see the team.

Fellow Sunderland legend Kevin Ball also phoned in to give his view, seemingly agreeing with Gray, saying: “Footballers in general shouldn’t celebrate as much as what people say.

“I’m with Micky on this one, the team shouldn’t have celebrated, they should’ve gone straight off the pitch and celebrated in the dressing room to look forward to Wembley.”

However, before host Ally McCoist could express his shock at the comments, Ball said: “Only joking!” to much laughter.

One caller even said Gray was ‘out of order’ and the pundit has since responded on talkSPORT Breakfast.

“Dont get me wrong, of course I would’ve celebrated, absolutely 100 per cent,” he said from the perspective of if he was still playing.

“The way the game went over the two legs and scoring so late on, it was absolutely incredible, the atmosphere was… I don’t think I’ve ever heard it like that before, certainly before kick off.

“It just leaves a bit of a bitter taste in the mouth and I do say this with sour grapes, when the players start celebrating with sunglasses on… I don’t even know where they got them from.

“The big line up at the end when they got all the supporters off, that was brilliant, I loved all that, but I think you’ve just got to remember sometimes that you’ve got another game to go before you actually can say you’re in the Premier League.”

That game will be against Sheffield United at Wembley on May 24, with the teams battling to join Leeds and Burnley in the top flight.

The Blades booked their spot in the decider with a dominant 6-0 win on aggregate over Bristol City.