Sunderland set for staggering away following after biggest away day yet sells out

The trip to the North West was one of the most anticipated fixtures of the season and Sunderland fans have moved quickly to snap up the club's allocation.

After an initial batch of tickets sold out, the Black Cats were handed an increased allocation of 7,759 - and all of these tickets have now been sold.

That means that the Wearsiders are set for their biggest away day of the season so far with a backing which will be among the biggest - if not the biggest - in the third tier this season.

The club are also encouraging supporters to 'turn Blackpool red and white' when they make the journey to the seaside town on January 1 - with prizes up for grabs for those which make the biggest contribution.

A statement read: "Branches, families and individuals will go head to head to compete in separate categories to find out who has made the biggest contribution

"Stewart Donald, Charlie Methven and Tony Davison will then judge the winning branch, family and supporter. The ‘winners’ will get the opportunity to travel to a future away game with one of the directors and a crate of beer.

"On the day, simply send your red and white photos to @SunderlandAFC on Twitter and use the hashtag #turnblackpoolredandwhite to be in with a chance of winning an exclusive prize."