Sunderland fire will not halt game

SUNDERLAND’S crucial Cham-pionship clash with Burnleytomorrow night goes aheaddespite a fire at the Stadium of Light yesterday.

Eleven emergency crews headed to the ground after the alarm was triggered at 6.10am. Firefighters, six wearing breathing equipment, fought the blaze which destroyed the director’s suite in the West Stand.

It is understood an electrical fault in the bar sparked the blaze, with damage estimated at tens ofthousands of pounds.

Lesley Callaghan, Sunderland AFC’s marketing and communications director, said: “It won’t affect the game on Friday night.The fire was contained in one area, where the fire doors were in place. The other areas were unaffected. The club is working with the fire brigade and we will know more in due course as to how the firestarted.”