Sunderland's majority shareholder Kyril Louis-Dreyfus has confirmed the club have concluded their internal investigation process into what was identified as a 'serious error in judgement' with regards to the Black Cats Bar incident ahead of the FA Cup third round tie with Newcastle United in January.
Swiss-French owner Louis-Dreyfus addressed fan groups earlier this year at a supporters' collective meeting to signal the club's intentions of getting to the bottom of an incident which caused severe anger at the Stadium of Light ahead of the Wear-Tyne derby.
After the club had relocated a number of season ticket holders in the North Stand to accommodate an increased away following of 6,000 Newcastle supporters, fans were left aghast by images circulating online after it was confirmed the club would also grant Newcastle fans access to the club's premier hospitality suite, The Black Cats Bar.
SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE: Win pair of hospitality tickets for Sunderland vs Sheff Wed
Prior to the fixture, which took place on January 6, images emerged of renovation works inside The Black Cats Bar which appeared to pay tribute to Newcastle supporters with a number of signs, slogans and black and white paraphernalia at the expense of Sunderland's own signs, slogans and red and white interior.
Supporters vented their dismay before the club saw fit to return The Black Cats Bar to its regular state ahead of the visit of arch rivals Newcastle. The images of those works remain, however, which were heightened by the club's meek 3-0 defeat in the game itself, before Newcastle players and staff members posed for a post-match photograph on the Stadium of Light pitch in front of the travelling supporters who occupied both the upper and lower tiers of the North Stand in what turned out to be a day to forget for Sunderland.
The incident led to a meeting with fan groups, including the Red And White Army (RAWA) who opened the meeting back in January with the following statement:
“In light of the significance of this meeting, RAWA have felt compelled to make an opening statement prior to the main agenda. A huge amount of feedback has been collated by RAWA from member emails, social media, message boards and via an open meeting held last week. We are not swayed by extreme points on social media - that should never be the barometer of fan feeling – but we are very confident in what the mood of the majority of the fanbase is.
"The Emirates FA Cup third round tie was a complete mess, and whilst this debacle alone has had an impact on how supporters perceive the way our club is run, it has also brought into focus what are now long-standing concerns. The message from fans to the owners and decision makers at the club is very clear: We have had enough. We have had enough of being taken for granted. We have had enough of being an afterthought. We have had enough of "pound-shop" merchandise - when it's actually in stock. We have had enough of a level of customer service that would make a League Two club blush. We had enough of the lack of pride in the stadium and in the institution that is SAFC. We have had enough of decisions that walk all over the sensibilities and pride of generations of Sunderland supporters.
"RAWA has attempted to push matters relating to all these issues for two years. There was some initial acceptance that you inherited a mess, and the academy and other football matters were the priority. But now we are tired of raising the same issues and sadly, we are at the point now where if you cannot illustrate progress and make firm commitments to change, with deadlines, RAWA must question whether it is worth continuing to engage with the club and walk away.”
READ MORE: Financial sustainability and bridging the gap to the Premier League: Can it be done?
Having held an immediate board meeting in the aftermath of those images emerging prior to the FA Cup tie, Louis-Dreyfus accepted responsibility via his own social media post before addressing fan groups by suggesting an internal investigation was already under way.
That internal investigation has now reached its conclusion, with Sunderland's owner confirming in the most recent supporters' collective meeting in mid-March the appropriate action had been taken.
Louis-Dreyfus' statement read: "Following the conclusion of an internal investigation requested by the club’s board of directors, we identified that a serious error in judgement was made in relation to the Black Cats Bar. We now understand how this error in judgement was made and have identified where accountability sits, confirming that the action taken was inexcusable and more importantly preventable.
"Although employment law prevents us from sharing any information, all staff involved in the matter were interviewed and following the conclusion of a detailed internal enquiry, the appropriate levels of action have now been taken to conclude this process."
The 27-year-old, who recently confirmed a 'multi-million-pound investment' into the Stadium of Light over the summer, continued by offering his commitment to supporters with regards to where the club needs to improve in the future admitting fans can expect change.
"At the last meeting with supporters’ groups, we made a commitment to putting fans at the heart of all that we do. That commitment is unwavering and, as supporters, you will soon start to see meaningful change.
"We understand where we need to improve, and this includes an ongoing requirement to continually develop our people and refine our processes. In the coming months, we are excited about bringing that commitment to life and embracing it throughout all levels of our club."
Read the rules here