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Sunderland says its players have offered to refund the ticket of every fan who attended its humiliating 8-0 defeat at Southampton in the English Premier League on Saturday.
Captain John O'Shea says on the club website that "we win and lose as a team, players, staff and fans, however we wanted to acknowledge and thank the supporters who travelled such a long way to give us their backing, and despite everything, stayed with us until the final whistle."
More than 2,500 supporters made the 1,000-kilometer round-trip from the north-east of England to the south coast, with tickets costing 24 pounds ($39). Fans who do not take the club up on the offer will have the cost of their ticket donated to a local children's charity.