If there was one thing Sunderland fans could be proud of, it was that in an age of faceless corporate bean-counters running football clubs to the detriment of the modern fan, they could at least look up to the director's box and see a man like David Miliband sat there instead. Symbolising a lot of what the North East itself stands for, Miliband was a young (for a politician anyway) and ambitious Labour MP who, from the near-by borough of South Shields, looked like becoming the new leader of the party on a ticket of solid socialist principles and a respect for the common working man. A great bloke by all accounts, and one who was doing great work as the club's vice-chairman and non-executive director. However, following the appointment of Di Canio, Miliband felt that he couldn't work in the same institution as a man who held such public right-wing principles and resigned on the spot. This had the domino effect of the region's historic Miners' Association ending their association with the club as well, as his appointment became a hugely political issue for Sunderland's fanbase. Something any future chairmen will have to keep in mind when looking over his CV.