Sunderland-United exhibition excites Brits in Albuquerque

In England, one doesn’t choose one’s soccer allegiance as much as he or she is born into it.

Such is the case for Adam Churchill, an assistant football coach and physical education teacher at La Cueva High. He came to the United States in 2007 and moved to Albuquerque in 2009 after meeting his wife. Long before Sunderland A.F.C. became a mainstream sensation thanks to an ongoing Netflix documentary entitled “Sunderland Til I Die,” Churchill was chanting “Ha’way the Lads” at Black Cats games with his father.

“I’m from a place called Hartlepool, Northeast England. I was born there and lived there until I was 8 years old,” Churchill said. “My dad was a Sunderland fan. I had no choice in the matter, really. He started taking me to games as a young boy. I got addicted. It’s a way of life in the Northeast. It’s like a religion.

“A lifetime of misery, really,” he added. “(With some) good times here and there.”

Despite his best efforts, Churchill’s attempts to share his passion in the Land of Enchantment aren’t always so well received.

“Adam is a lifelong fan and he’s a diehard,” said La Cueva head football coach Brandon Back. “He’s always asking me if I saw the latest match and I’m like, ‘No, Adam, I’m not from England.’ Doesn’t matter. He’s not letting up.”

The interest level should rise somewhat this week, when the New Mexico United hosts Sunderland for an exhibition — a “friendly” — at Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park on Wednesday night.

For some, like Churchill and United broadcaster Chris Hurst, it’s a dream come true.

“I was joking with my wife and I was joking with (fellow United television commentator Tyler Ortega) as well, I’m worried that this might be the peak at the ripe old age of 41,” Hurst said. “This might be it. As good as it gets. Obviously when I found out, it was a huge shock because I never thought I’d see the day when my team would be coming to town.”

Hurst and Churchill are part of a small group of Sunderland diehards in Albuquerque and the surrounding area that follow the club’s games religiously and communicate in a chat via WhatsApp.

In some cases, connections were made by chance. For example, Hurst met one fellow fan while playing indoor soccer when he noticed the Sunderland shorts on his opponent.

“Since this has all come about, I’ve known of two other Sunderland fans in New Mexico,” Hurst said. “We had a little group therapy chat going on. Since this has all been announced, we found two more. Our group has almost doubled. I would love more.”

While there might not be a massive contingent of local support for Sunderland, it is expected that some fans will be traveling from overseas to see the club in person — and that the game will generate a fair amount of interest outside of the state. According to Hurst, the Sutherland fan section could total between 100 to 150 on game day. Making matters more interesting is that the support group will be seated in proximity of The Curse, the United’s most rabid fan base, on Wednesday night.

“I think the atmosphere is gonna be good,” Hurst said. “The soccer should be really good as well, even though Sunderland is only about two-and-a-half to three weeks into their preseason right now. They are a young and exciting team as well, so anyone who just likes soccer in general and likes to see good soccer, they’ll be able to see a team that plays it in ‘the right way.’”

For some Albuquerque-based England natives, Sunderland isn’t as close to the heart. That includes United midfielder Daniel Bruce, who hails from Warrington, England, and grew up supporting the Wolverhampton Wanderers — a fandom that was, of course, passed down through his family. With that being said, Bruce is well aware of the magnitude of having a team like Sunderland in the Duke City.

“I love English football and (grew) up watching it, playing in the lower leagues, watching it all the time,” Bruce said. “So to be able to play against a team with that much history and a team that was very prevalent on the Premier League side when I was growing up —just really, really looking forward to it. It’s an amazing thing.”

The English influence in New Mexico extends beyond the Sunderland-United friendly. It extends into the state’s club soccer scene with a handful of prominent figures such as Chris Brennan, who serves as the director of soccer operations for the Rio Rapids Soccer Club; Josh Groves, the founder of the New Mexico Soccer Academy; and Simon Rothman, coach and director for New Mexico Youth Soccer. Hurst and Bruce also coach in the state.

Brennan thinks that influence has positively affected New Mexico soccer over the years.

“I believe that the coaches from the UK who were here in town in the early 2000s raised the bar in terms of professionalism in youth soccer coaching,” Brennan said. “They brought a passion, a commitment and love for the game that has absolutely shaped the youth soccer community we see today.”

While the New Mexico soccer culture has grown over the years, it still has a ways to go before it reaches the fervor from across the pond.

Churchill recalls a time when a Sunderland defeat would linger well beyond the end of a game.

“When I’m in Albuquerque, of course, I care. I might be upset for a few hours. It’s not as bad as when I was living in the Northeast,” Churchill said. “You take it home and it ruins your week. You go to work and all your colleagues just talk about it.

“I tell my wife: the most important thing in my life is my family, and I put Sunderland close to that. It means a lot to me.”

— Ken Sickenger contributed to this report