Black Cats' Red and White is country's best (From The Northern Echo)

Black Cats' Red and White is country's best

8:40pm Friday 19th March 2010 in

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THE match programme of the North-East's sole surviving Premier League club has been rated best in the country.

Sunderland AFC's Red and White match-day publication has been named Programme of the Year by the national Programme Monthly magazine.

It was judged Best Read in the Premier League for the past two seasons by Programme Monthly, but the latest award surpasses those accolades.

Red and White has now picked up the main award in its division four times, after previous success in the 1985/86 and 1997/98 Division One and 1999/00 Premier League seasons.

It is one of two independent national Programme of the Year awards in the UK.

The other, awarded by the Northern Programme Club, is also held by Sunderland, after beating Tottenham Hotspur into second place last season.

Making the latest award, John Litster (CORRECT), of Programme Monthly, said: "This season Sunderland has seen off all the competition.

"The club has further improved its packed programme while retaining the format which has served Red and White, and its readers, so well for so many years.

"It's almost beyond criticism."

Sunderland AFC's publications editor, Rob Mason, said: "I'm thrilled to pick up the award on behalf of the club this season.

"There are some fantastic programmes available in the Barclays Premier League so to have been selected as the best is very rewarding."

He added that the club "constantly strives" to make the programme, "a value for money, essential match-day item".

The club now hopes to cement a national double by scooping this season's Northern Programme Club award, to be announced in coming months.

Red and White is available at club outlets and from sellers around the Stadium of Light on match-days, or can be ordered via www.safc.com, followed by clicking on 'shop' and then 'publications'.