Sunderland fans shun play-offs with less than half tickets sold for Portsmouth clash

SUNDERLAND fans are shunning the play-offs - with less than half of their tickets sold for their clash with Portsmouth.

Pompey travel to the North East on Saturday night for the showdown.

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The Black Cats attracted the biggest attendance in the EFL this season when 46,309 came to their Boxing Day match with Bradford.

But they have so far only sold 21,000 tickets for the first leg of their League One play-off semi-final at the Stadium of Light.

Jack Ross’ side won just one of their last seven games as they finished the season in a disappointing fifth place.

And the Black Cats boss admits that poor run of form seems to have turned supporters off.

Ross said: "It feels like we’re the only club in the country - and I don't mean internally - that isn’t embracing that we have these play-off games when they usually create excitement.

“Clubs find themselves in the play-offs for all sorts of different reasons.

“The question is, do you sit and feel sorry for yourself, or do you embrace the next two or three games and get excited by them?

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“That’s where we’re at because they’re big games to be involved in and there’s a big prize at stake, which is only three games away.”

Sunderland will head to the South Coast for the return leg next Thursday where they hope to seal a place at Wembley on their quest for an immediate return to the Championship.

They or Portsmouth will play either Doncaster or Charlton at the national stadium on Sunday 26 May for promotion.