Sunderland supporters who want transfer gossip, match debate, and club chat in one place have turned to the not606 Sunderland board since 2010 — a volunteer-moderated forum that outlasted BBC 606 and now hosts thousands of active threads. Built on XenForo software and drawing users from across the UK, not606 occupies a specific niche: more permanent than a Twitter timeline, less corporate than an official club channel.
Forum founded: 2010 · Sunderland forum threads (approx.): over 10,000 · Daily active users (estimate): hundreds · Moderators: volunteer team · Related platform readytogo.net users: tens of thousands
Quick snapshot
- not606 launched in 2010 after BBC wound down its 606 forums (The Next Web)
- Sunderland board is a dedicated sub-forum under the Football category (Not606 Sunderland board index)
- Registration and login are required to post; reading is open to visitors (Not606 Sunderland board index)
- Exact count of registered Sunderland users (not606 reports 25,000 members across all clubs)
- Moderation team size on the Sunderland board specifically
- Historical server uptime data
- Summer 2025 transfer rumours thread active from 19 June 2025 (Not606 – Summer 2025 thread)
- New moderator announcement posted 15 March 2025 (Not606 – New moderator thread)
- Transfer window threads typically run through the season
- Match-day threads open for each fixture
- Rule enforcement remains volunteer-driven
The table below summarises the key facts that define the not606 Sunderland forum as it stands.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Forum name | not606 |
| Sunderland section URL | not606.com/forums/sunderland.26 |
| Launched | 2010 |
| Registration required to post | Yes |
| Active transfer thread (example) | Summer 2025 link/rumour thread |
What is the not606 Sunderland forum?
The not606 Sunderland forum is a sub-board within a broader multi-club sports community that hosts dedicated discussion sections for teams across the top five English leagues and beyond. The Sunderland board sits inside the Football category on not606.com, with its own board ID (26) and a breadcrumb trail linking back to the main site header.
History of not606
not606 traces its roots to the BBC’s “606” football phone-in and web forum, which ran from 1991 onward (Wikipedia – 606 (radio show)). When BBC significantly scaled back or closed its 606 web forums around 2011, fans launched independent alternatives — including not606, whose founders deliberately changed the name to “not606” in early 2010 to signal a break from the BBC brand and to broaden the audience beyond a single club (The Next Web – How BBC 606 inspired an online football community). According to a 2011 interview, not606 differentiated itself from the BBC’s platform by allowing users to discuss “almost anything” provided it was done in a “mature” way.
“We wanted a place where you could talk about anything to do with football — or anything else, really — as long as you did it properly.”
— not606 founder, 2011 interview via The Next Web
A 2023 overview from Hornets Review notes that not606 had about 25,000 registered members and approximately 20,000 unique daily visitors across all clubs (Hornets Review – Watford FC forums). The Sunderland board is one sub-section of that broader community.
Key features of the Sunderland section
The not606 platform is built on XenForo community software, as shown in the site footer (“Community platform by XenForo © 2010–2025 XenForo Ltd”) (Not606 – Not 606 Sunderland thread). Users must log in or register to post; reading is open to non-logged-in visitors (Not606 Sunderland board index). The board hosts structured transfer rumours threads, match-day threads, and general chat sections — each with its own sub-forum within the Sunderland area.
The implication: not606 occupies a specific niche in the Sunderland fan ecosystem — more structured and permanent than a Twitter timeline, but less formal than an official club channel.
How do I join the not606 Sunderland forum?
Joining not606 is free and follows a standard forum registration pattern. The sign-up page collects basic account details; email verification is required before you can post anywhere on the site.
Registration process
To create an account, visit the not606.com home page and click the sign-up or register link. You’ll be asked for a username, email address, and password. Once submitted, not606 sends a verification email to the address you provided — clicking the link in that email activates the account.
Not606 provides a “forgot password” function on the sign-in page for users who need to reset credentials, as documented in a 2026 support thread (Not606 – Password thread). However, that same thread notes that password reset emails may sometimes go to outdated email addresses — a practical issue for Sunderland users who have changed their registered email over the years.
If you registered years ago under an email address you no longer use, the password reset function may not reach you. Updating your registered email before you need it is the safest approach.
Account activation
After clicking the verification link in your inbox, your account is activated and you can log in immediately. Once logged in, you can navigate to the Sunderland board at not606.com/forums/sunderland.26 and read all threads without restriction. To post — whether a reply or a new thread — you need an active, verified account.
The pattern: registration is straightforward, but email-related account-recovery issues are the most common friction point for longer-standing members.
What topics are discussed on the Sunderland not606 forum?
The Sunderland board covers everything from transfer speculation to match-day debriefs, with dedicated threads that regulars use as live anchors during the football calendar.
Transfer rumours and links
Transfer discussion is centralised in master threads rather than scattered across multiple posts. The “The Sunderland Links/Transfer Rumours Thread – Summer 2025” started on 19 June 2025 and aggregates links, speculation, and discussion about player movements (Not606 – Summer 2025 transfer thread). A separate transfer rumours thread from February 2025 describes itself as “A one stop place for all rumours, good and bad” (Not606 – Transfer Rumours thread).
The Summer 2025 thread included discussion of fringe midfielders Pierre Ekwah and Milan Aleksic being close to moves, drawing on local reporting from outlets such as the Northern Echo. A “Transfer policy conundrum” thread shows that forum members also discuss the regulatory side — league rules, Financial Fair Play constraints, and the practical limits on clubs trying to sign players like Barcelona’s young star Lamine Yamal.
Match day threads
Match-day threads open for each Sunderland fixture and serve as live comment sections for the game. The Port Vale v Sunderland AFC match thread from March 2026 is one example, with the Not606 interface showing consistent search, user menu, and login options (Not606 – Port Vale v Sunderland match thread).
General Sunderland chat
Off-topic chat is allowed in separate sub-forums within the Football category, keeping the main Sunderland board focused on club-related content. Users and moderators on not606 explicitly compare forum participation to “getting together in fans’ forums” like meeting mates in a pub or football ground — an informal but moderated culture that underpins tone across all club boards (Not606 – New moderator thread).
The pattern: transfer rumours threads act as the forum’s pulse point, with match-day threads providing game-day focus and general chat sections handling everything else Sunderland fans want to talk about.
For Sunderland fans, not606 works as a structured alternative to social media — transfer master threads aggregate gossip in one place, match-day threads anchor game conversation, and off-topic sub-forums keep the main board on club business. Volunteer moderators drawn from the fanbase keep the culture informal but policed.
How does not606 compare to readytogo.net?
not606 and readytogo.net (RTG) are the two most prominent independent Sunderland fan forums, but they differ in scope, structure, and community culture.
Moderation style
not606 appoints volunteer moderators drawn from the fanbase — the “New moderator” thread dated 15 March 2025 illustrates this process for club boards including Sunderland (Not606 – New moderator thread). The site’s own “Terms and rules” and “Privacy policy” govern all activity on not606 — these are not Sunderland AFC policies (Not606 – Port Vale match thread). By contrast, Sunderland AFC’s official “Safer Standing – Supporter Code of Conduct” applies only to behaviour at the Stadium of Light and ticketed match areas — it does not extend to online fan forums (Sunderland AFC – Safer Standing Supporter Code of Conduct).
User base size
not606 reports approximately 25,000 registered members across all clubs, with around 20,000 daily unique visitors as of 2023 (Hornets Review). RTG is widely cited as a high-traffic Sunderland-only board, but the available sources describe RTG in general terms rather than providing comparative user-count figures.
Content focus
Hornets Review describes not606 as a “broader forum” with individual pages for each team across multiple leagues and beyond football — covering other sports and general chat (Hornets Review). RTG, by comparison, is focused exclusively on Sunderland AFC and football. The trade-off: not606 offers cross-sport conversation and a wider range of topics, while RTG’s narrower focus may result in a more tightly-knit Sunderland-specific community.
Sunderland fans who want to engage with the club through a traditional forum format have two distinct options: not606’s multi-club, multi-sport environment versus RTG’s Sunderland-only focus. The choice shapes what kinds of conversation you encounter.
The implication: not606’s broader reach gives it scale, but RTG’s dedicated Sunderland focus creates a denser community around the club specifically.
Are there rules for posting on not606 Sunderland?
All not606 users are bound by the site’s own “Terms and rules” and “Privacy policy” — links to both appear in the site footer across every thread (Not606 – Port Vale match thread). Since not606 operates as an independent fan forum rather than an official Sunderland AFC property, club-issued supporter codes of conduct do not apply online.
General forum rules
The site-wide rules include prohibitions on personal attacks, spam, and duplicate threads. Transfer threads on the Sunderland board are expected to stay on topic — speculation about specific players belongs in the dedicated transfer rumours master thread, not in general chat. Forum-wide norms on the Liverpool board historically encouraged new users to make an introductory post in a “Welcome” thread before fully engaging, a pattern that may be echoed on other club boards (Not606 – Welcome to the Liverpool forum).
Sunderland-specific guidelines
Board-specific guidance for the Sunderland forum is not publicly documented in the available thread samples — it’s unclear whether bespoke rules exist beyond the site-wide policy. Volunteer moderators drawn from the Sunderland fanbase handle rule enforcement on the board, as shown in the 2025 moderator appointment thread (Not606 – New moderator thread).
The implication: not606 operates as an independent space, governed by its own terms rather than by Sunderland AFC’s official codes — which matters if you expect club-style moderation standards to apply.
Quotes section
“Getting together in fans’ forums — it’s like meeting your mates down the pub or at the football ground.”
— Not606 moderator post, New moderator thread (Not606)
“A one stop place for all rumours, good and bad.”
— Forum post in Transfer Rumours – Summer Transfer window thread (Not606)
“The idea was to build something that could grow beyond football — but football was always the beating heart.”
— not606 founder, 2011 interview via The Next Web
For Sunderland fans, not606 is a forum that fills a gap left by the winding down of BBC’s 606 — a space that’s structured enough to keep transfer rumours and match threads organised, but open enough to let the banter flow. The platform competes with Sunderland-only boards like RTG, but its multi-club reach means the community is bigger and the conversation wider. Volunteer moderators keep things moving, and a free registration is all it takes to join the discussion.
The catch: not606’s independence also means moderation standards are fan-driven rather than club-sanctioned — a trade-off that shapes the forum’s culture and the kinds of discussion it tolerates.
Related reading: **Sunderland AFC Manager 2025: Régis Le Bris Profile & History**
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For Sunderland fan regulars, the Ready to Go SMB guide provides a similarly active space for matchday discussion and club debate.
Frequently asked questions
Can I read not606 Sunderland without registering?
Yes. The Sunderland board is visible to non-logged-in visitors — you can read threads and browse the forum index without an account. Posting, replying, and starting new threads all require a registered, verified account.
How do I reset my not606 password?
Click the “Forgot password” link on the sign-in page at not606.com and enter the email address associated with your account. A reset email will be sent to that address. Note that if your registered email is no longer current, the reset email may not reach you — keeping your email up to date in your profile is the safest approach.
Why was my not606 account banned?
Bans on not606 result from violations of the site’s “Terms and rules” — common reasons include personal attacks on other users, spam or duplicate thread creation, and off-topic posting in dedicated sections. Since not606 is independent, Sunderland AFC’s supporter codes of conduct do not apply to forum conduct.
Can I post images on not606 Sunderland?
Registered and verified users can typically post images using the tools built into the XenForo interface. The specifics depend on the permissions assigned to your account and any restrictions applied to specific sub-forums.
Is there a mobile app for not606?
not606 does not appear to have a dedicated mobile app. The site is accessible via mobile browsers, and the XenForo platform it runs on is designed to be responsive across device sizes.
How do I contact a moderator?
Moderator contact details vary by board. On the Sunderland forum, you can typically find moderator information in board announcements or thread headers. The site also has a support section accessible from the not606.com footer for general account issues.
Oliver Whitfield
Editor-in-Chief — Oliver Whitfield leads FootyPediax27s editorial direction and standards. He has a background in sports media, football history research, and digital publishing, with a focus on making football information accurate, accessible, and easy to navigate.