Credit: Imago/Reform.

Ciaran Morrison

Fri 3 April 2026 9:50, UK

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Sunderland are looking for publicity after inviting politician Nigel Farage to the Stadium of Light.

That is according to ex-Everton, Aston Villa, and Aberdeen chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who states that the invitation from Sunderland co-owner Juan Sartori is “not a surprise.”

Farage caused controversy recently when he visited Championship club Ipswich Town, using Portman Road to film a party political video.

Parts of the Ipswich fanbase hit out at the club for allowing Farage to visit, but this has not put Sunderland off wanting to welcome Farage to a Premier League fixture before the end of the season.

Sunderland have enjoyed a successful first season back in the top flight, and currently sit 11th in the table with seven matches left to play.

Nigel Farage controversy a ‘storm in a teacup’

Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes the whole situation has been taken too far.

Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast, Wyness thinks Sunderland “will be talked about” if Farage makes an appearance at one of their final home games.

He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “When I checked into it, Juan Sartori actually ran for election as the head of the right-wing party in Uruguay. So it’s not really that big a surprise when you actually look into the facts.

“I still think the whole thing is still a bit of a storm in a teacup, everybody being so upset by Reform and their theory. So what happens when somebody from the opposite side of the political spectrum visits a club? Does everybody on the right side, do they all start moaning, and complaining and we become political footballs?

“Reform will be laughing because they’ve had attention. Ipswich actually in the end will be looking at getting some press coverage. They always say it doesn’t matter what it is, as long as they spell your name right, as long as you’re getting some sort of coverage.

“Ipswich are being talked about and Sunderland want to be talked about. It’s all a social media game right now.”

Sunderland on course to earn £130m reward

Sources have told Football Insider that Sunderland look set to smash their club revenue thanks to their success in the Premier League this season.

The club’s 2024-25 financial accounts recorded revenue to be at £40.3million last season after securing promotion to the Premier League from the Championship.

Remaining 11th in the Premier League table would hand Sunderland more than £130m in prize money, meaning they would comfortably beat the £126m in revenue they recorded in the 2016-17 season.