Sunderland have won a total of six Football League Championships including three in the space of four seasons, along with being runners-up five times. [154], According to a YouGov poll in 2014, supporters of Sunderland showed a tendency towards left politics. [132] In recognition of the historical importance of the mining industry in the club's main area of support, a Davy Lamp currently stands outside the stadium. [210], The first kit manufacturer to appear on Sunderland kits was Umbro, between 1975 and 1981. [34][39][40] The following year, Sunderland were relegated from the highest division for the first time in their 68-year league history. To find out more click here, Former player, manager and chairman, Niall Quinn. competition on each and every occasion, winning honours along the way. The celebrations, which are likely to be seen in the third series when it airs, will be a far cry from what the Sunderland 'Til I Die programme had covered at the Stadium of Light to date. In 1973 and then in the old Second Division, they stunned Don Revie's all-star Leeds United team. [26] In 1898, the club moved to what would become their home for almost a century, Roker Park. Built with an original capacity of 42,000, it hosted its first game against Dutch team Ajax. Football's oddest closed cup competitions", "Sunderland's Foundation of Light launches North Durham Football Scholarship", "The famous Sunderland v Aston Villa painting that hangs in the lobby of the SoL a history of", "North East's top Tweeters revealed: No 50 to 35", "daydream believer (cheer up peter reid) | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company", "Martyn: Cheer Up Peter Reid | Mr Draytons Human Jukebox", "House of Commons Hansard Debates for 14 May 1997 (pt 5)", "First Day: 14 May 1997: House of Commons debates", "Sunderland's Premier Passions remembered 20 years after fly-on-the-wall TV came to Roker Park", "Sunderland AFC Netflix documentary gets a release date and a title too", "Sunderland: Jack Ross on Netflix, promotion & his legacy", "Sunderland find new identity as The Black Cats", "Entire Sunderland squad told to isolate and warned to stick to strict rules as Christmas effectively cancelled", "Sunderland AFC news and transfer rumours: Championship winger linked as former coach joins Sam Allardyce at West Brom", "Sunderland Covid-19 outbreak: Wearsiders postpone next three matches", "Why are Sunderland called the Black Cats? [192] Other nicknames used by the media and include the Mackems (believed to be related to the ship building industry and a name for inhabitants of Sunderland) or the Wearsiders, as a reference to the river that the city and broader region of Wearside sits alongside, and in contrast to their Tyneside rivals Newcastle United. [21] Also notable in the attack at the time, and important to Campbell's success in attack, were other "Team of all Talents" players Jimmy Hannah and Jimmy Millar. [22][23] As goalkeeper, Ned Doig set a 19th-century world record by not conceding any goals in 87 of his 290 top division appearances (30%). [16] The club shared this period of success with Aston Villa; the battles between these clubs were the subject of a Thomas Hemy painting of the two clubs during the 189495 season This is one of the earliest recorded paintings of a competitive Football League match; entitled A Corner Kick, the painting now stands in the doorway of Sunderland's current stadium, the Stadium of Light. [15], They came close to winning three successive League championships in the 189394 season, when they finished as runners-up to Aston Villa. [123] Sunderland's board turned to Peter Reid as temporary manager, in the hopes of keeping Sunderland clear of relegation. [25] From 1886 until 1898, Sunderland's home ground was in Newcastle Road. [146] Later, the foundation came to be known as the Foundation of Light. [91] Billy Elliott, a former Sunderland player, took over after Brown's second departure,[92] but managed the team for only four matches before former Newcastle United player Bob Stokoe was appointed as permanent manager.[92]. [34][81] In the aftermath of the event, manager Bill Murray was replaced by Alan Brown. [20], On 5 December 1908, Sunderland achieved their highest ever league win, 91 against north-east rivals Newcastle United. [172] The appointment of Di Canio also sparked opposition from the Durham Miners' Association,[173] which threatened to remove one of its mining banners from Sunderland's Stadium of Light, which is built on the former site of the Wearmouth Colliery, as a symbol of its anger over the appointment. Wearsiders' nickname explained", "Sunderland break transfer record to sign Rennes striker Asamoah Gyan", "Sunderland steps up African partnership", "Sunderland AFC announce new shirt sponsor will be eGaming operator Dafabet", SAFC Stats and Season Reviews from 18901891 to date, The last pass The role of football clubs in WW1 including Jimmy Seed, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sunderland_A.F.C.&oldid=1152181018, Seasons spent at Level 2 of the football league system: 30, Seasons spent at Level 3 of the football league system: 5, Seasons spent at Level 4 of the football league system: 0, This page was last edited on 28 April 2023, at 18:08. In 2016 Roker Report started a podcast called RokerRapport which has three or four episodes weekly. The biggest transfer fee paid by Sunderland is 13 million for Asamoah Gyan, who was bought from Rennes on 31 August 2010. [200] Their heaviest defeats in the league were 80 against Sheffield Wednesday in 1911, West Ham United in 1968, Watford in 1982 and Southampton in 2014[200] Sunderland joined the top division in England, The Football League, in the 189091 season and were not relegated until 195758 (a span of 67 years, although 'only' 56 seasons, given that there was no league football between 1915 and 1919 due to World War I, nor between 1939 and 1946 due to World War II). [184], In 2018, Netflix released an eight-part documentary called Sunderland 'Til I Die. [117] The takeover was completed on 18 February 2021. [24] They also came close the following season, finishing third. [13] In their second season in the Football League, Sunderland won the title, by five points over Preston North End. Nike's first stint as kit manufacturer came between 1983 and 1986, before kits from Patrick (198688), Hummel (198894), Avec (199497) and Asics (199700). [8] Founder James Allan left Sunderland in 1888 because of his dislike for the "professionalism" that had been creeping into the club, and subsequently formed Sunderland Albion. [110], Lawrie McMenemy was brought in as manager in 1985,[110] but Sunderland reached the lowest point in their history in 1987, when they suffered relegation to the Third Division after losing a two-leg play-off to Gillingham. Last time Man City won the FA Cup. The Wrexham owners Rob McElhenney, left, and Ryan Reynolds with the National League trophy. [202], The biggest transfer fee Sunderland have ever received for one of their players is 30 million for Jordan Pickford, who moved to Everton in July 2017. Sunderland's absence from the top flight lasted six years. [208] On 25 June 2012, Sunderland announced the strengthening of their partnership with the Invest in Africa initiative, with the initiative becoming the club's shirt sponsor for two years. [99], In July 2016, Allardyce left the club to be announced as manager for the England national team,[100] and David Moyes was appointed as his replacement. Sunderland won their last major trophy in 1973, in a 1-0 victory over Don Revie 's Leeds United in the FA Cup Final. After a gap of nearly 25 years, Sunderland won the league again in 1935- 1936, and followed that up with the first of their two FA Cup successes in 1937. [42] Other prominent players of that period's Sunderland was George Holley, who was league top scorer in the season before the title, and Scottish Charles Thomson who captained the club. [104] Mick Docherty was brought in as caretaker manager until the end of the 198081 season, and helped them avoid relegation. It was the first time in their history that they had fallen into the Third Division. Sunderland's record home attendance is 75,200, set during a sixth round FA Cup replay against Derby County on 8 March 1933.[201]. [54] The following season Sunderland managed to win their sixth League title, by a margin of eight points. [185], Sunderland finished the 201617 season 20th in the Premier League and were relegated to the Championship. 1: Due to financial irregularities, Swindon Town (play-off Final winners) were prevented from taking their place in the top division, which was awarded to the losing finalists, Sunderland. Sunderland also share good relations and a mutual friendship with Dutch club Feyenoord; this was developed after Wearside shipbuilders found jobs in Rotterdam during the 1970s and 80s. [102] In 1979, after Elliot ended his spell, Ken Knighton took the vacant manager's position. [48], In April 1925, Sunderland completed the signing of centre forward Dave Halliday, after Buchan left for Arsenal. This was in reference to the club's spending in the transfer market at the time, which saw the transfer-record broken twice. McCarthy left the club in mid-season, and he was replaced temporarily by former Sunderland player Kevin Ball. A special constable was killed while patrolling the stadium. Irish-American tycoon Ellis Short completed a full takeover of the club from the Irish Drumaville Consortium,[165] and Steve Bruce was announced as the new manager on 3 June 2008. [87], In 1964 Brown left his managerial post at Sunderland on appointment as manager of Sheffield Wednesday. The competition formerly known as the EFL Trophy was won by Sunderland . [61], Bill Murray was appointed Sunderland's manager in 1939. The Stadium of Light has been Sunderland's home ground since 1997. [10] On 5 April 1890, the Football League's founder, William McGregor, labelled Sunderland as "the team of all talents" stating that they had "a talented man in every position". Sunderland beat leading amateurs Corinthians 30. [126] In 1972 the badge was changed,[127] removing the black cat but still including a ship, a football and the background of red and white stripes. Media related to Sunderland AFC at Wikimedia Commons, "SAFC" redirects here. It documented the events around Sunderland's 201718 season which saw them relegated from the EFL Championship. [55], Despite winning the league, the seasons did not go without tragedy. [2][3][4], Competitive matches only. April 24, 2023, 11:01 a.m. [45], To consolidate themselves in the First Division, Sunderland made several large money signings, including a world record fee of 5,500 (320,000 today) for the signing of Warney Cresswell from South Shields. [151] A day after the Final, the song re-entered the UK Dance Chart at number 19. Sunderland's win came 24 hours after Salford City had beaten Portsmouth in the 2020 final, a cup triumph 557 days in the making. An intriguing interlude came about in 1967, when Sunderland spent a summer in North America playing in the United Soccer Association, a league which imported various international clubs. French brand Le Coq Sportif produced kits between 1981 and 1983. Ryehill Football", "England List of FA Charity/Community Shield Matches", "Sunderland AFC - Statistics, History and Records - from TheStatCat", "Ricky Alvarez on his time at Sunderland and the controversial costly exit", Sunderland AFC Statistics, History and Records, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_Sunderland_A.F.C._records_and_statistics&oldid=1141597616, 6 million (added to 6M loan fee received previously), Winners (11): 1919, 1923, 1924, 1927, 1929, 1931, 1932, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1939, Most Hat Tricks: Dave Halliday 12 (11 league and 1 cup), Most league goals scored in a season: 109 (in 42 matches in the, Fewest league goals scored in a season: 21 (in 38 matches in the, Most league goals conceded in a season: 97 (in 42 matches in the, Fewest league goals conceded in a season: 26 (in 34 matches in the, Two points for a win: 61 (in 42 games in the, Three points for a win: 105 (in 46 games in the, Two points for a win: 23 (in 22 games in the, Three points for a win: 15 (in 38 games in the. They last won the Premier League title in the 2003-04 season, the famous 'Invincibles' campaign as they didn't lose any of their 38 games that season. Jack Wilshere 's side produced two superb comeback wins and two separate last-minute winners helped . The young goalkeeper of the team, Jimmy Thorpe, died as a result of being kicked after he had picked up the ball following a backpass against Chelsea. SUN 31 Mar 2019 EFL Trophy - Final Portsmouth Sunderland AET HT 0-1 FT 1-1 82' Portsmouth win 5-4 on penalties Relive Portsmouth's Checkatrade Trophy final win 31 March 2019 Summary. In 2021 we began publishing opinion pieces on wisemensay.co.uk with a team of writers producing a wide range of features and informative articles. Attendances at Newcastle Road, and in the seasons prior to 1925 at Roker Park were usually approximations. [23], Two seasons later the First World War brought the league to a halt. [3] However, evidence suggests that the club was not formally created until a year later, on 25 September 1880. Former player, manager and chairman, Niall Quinn. Find out with YouGov's Premier League profiles", "Viva Il Duce? [157] A Love Supreme has its base opposite the Stadium of Light, where its staff design the magazine, update their website, social media and create and sell their own range of fan related merchandise and provide coach travel for SAFC fans to every away game. [5][64] Former Ireland manager Mick McCarthy took over at the club, and, in 2005, he took Sunderland up as champions for the third time in less than 10 years. [53] Sunderland's next success came in the 193435 season when they finished as runners-up to Arsenal. In 1958, with Brown in charge, Sunderland were relegated from Division One for the first time in their history,[82] bringing their 68-year stay in England's top division to an end. Explore each and every one of the trophies won by the club in the grid below. Sunderland looks to the future, not the past, and we shall soon be back in the Premier League. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. in Italy and FC Porto in Portugal. ", "Sunderland break League One attendance record", "What is Sunderland's home attendance record? They returned to Roker and set up home in Roker Park. [119] Smith had quit as manager during the season, and was replaced by his assistant Malcolm Crosby. [5] Roker Park suffered a bombing in 1943, in which one corner of the stadium was destroyed. [102] The club was relegated for the first time in 10 years at the end of 201617, finishing bottom of the table,[103] and Moyes resigned. [124] Reid's first full season as Sunderland manager, 199596, was successful; the club won the Division One title and gained promotion to the Premier League for the first time since the League restructuring which had taken effect in 199293. The club has also won the FA Cup twice (1937 and 1973) and been runners-up twice (1913 and 1992), as well as winning the FA Charity Shield in 1936 and being finalists the following year. Their first kit was an all blue strip, a contrast to the red and white stripes they play in currently. [72], One of Bruce's first signings, Darren Bent, cost a club record fee of 10 million, broken a year later when they bought Ghana international Asamoah Gyan for around 13million. seasons ). [116], After just one season in the First Division, Sunderland were relegated again. [34][136] Near the turn of the 20th century, Sunderland needed a bigger stadium. Sunderland won the cup in 1973, Southampton repeated the feat in 1976, and West Ham United won in 1980, the most recent victory by a team from outside the top division. Their other honours include two Charity Shields, in 1902 and 1935. [58] Their FA Cup success looked set to continue in the 193738 season, when they reached the semi-finals, but they were beaten 31 by Huddersfield Town, to end their chances. [14] This success was repeated in the following season, when Sunderland won their second League title, this time 11 points ahead of their nearest contenders. think the last time we won at Wembley was . [187], Sunderland's official nickname is "The Black Cats". [75] This, along with record-breaking transfer fees to secure the services of Len Shackleton and Welsh international Trevor Ford, led to a contemporary nickname, the "Bank of England club". The club has won six top-flight titles (1892, 1893, 1895, 1902, 1913, and 1936) in the First Division, and has finished runners-up five times. On 1 June 2015 Sunderland announced a new sponsorship with Dafabet to appear on the kits for the following season. On 8 October 2013 when Gus Poyet was appointed manager of Sunderland. [205] Sunderland were sponsored by the Irish bookmaker Boylesports, who signed a four-year contract with the club in 2007 estimated to be worth 8million. [17] Sunderland achieved their third League title in four seasons in the 189495 season,[16] and after their League championship success took part in a game with Heart of Midlothian, the champions of Scotland. [13] From 1886 until 1898, Sunderland's home ground was in Newcastle Road. [73] In the 195051 season, Sunderland paid a world record transfer fee when signing Welsh striker Trevor Ford from Aston Villa, for 30,000 (1,090,000 today), during a time when Sunderland were known as the "Bank of England club" because of their large money signings.[34][74]. The young goalkeeper of the team, Jimmy Thorpe, died as a result of a kick in the head and chest after he had picked up the ball following a backpass in a game against Chelsea at Roker Park. ", "Sunderland record biggest attendance outside of Premier League with EFL crowds reaching 60-year high", "Sunderland AFC chants: Memorable songs from supporters of the Black Cats", "Campaign to get 1990s Sunderland anthem Things Can Only Get Better to No1", "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40 02 March 2014 08 March 2014", "Netflix Sets Premiere For Season Two Of Soccer Doc Series 'Sunderland 'Til I Die', "Are you an average fan? [154] The 200506 season was poor for Sunderland, as they failed to win a home game before Christmas and were eventually relegated with a new record lowest points tally of 15, breaking their own previous record of 19. [25] The club escaped relegation from the First Division by one point in the 192728 season despite 35 goals from Dave Halliday. After Sunderland had played through three months of the 196465 season without a manager, George Hardwick took over on a caretaker basis,[88] until Ian McColl was appointed on a permanent basis at the end of the season. They played an "England XI", featuring players from Newcastle United and from Middlesbrough; they lost the game 20. [209] However, after a year the club announced a new sponsorship deal with South African company Bidvest. [205][206] The club was sponsored by the Vaux Breweries between 1985 and 1999, with drink brands such as Lambtons sometimes appearing on kits. [142][143] Despite relegation from the Premier League in 2017 the club has continued to post large annual average attendance figures, recording over 30,000 for the 2019 and 2020 seasons, enough for 16th in the country. The club were rivals with fellow Sunderland-based team Sunderland Albion in the 1880s and 1890s, a breakaway club formed by Sunderland's founder James Allan,[167] until the club was made defunct. [183], The following season was less of a success for Gus Poyet, with Sunderland just above the bottom three after a 40 defeat to Aston Villa on 14 March 2015. After a disappointing start to the following 201920 season, Ross was sacked. [50] Under new chairman Bob Murray and new manager Denis Smith, the club was promoted the following season. In 1995, they faced the prospect of a return to the third-tier of English football. Although both are generally geographically close, Newcastle are considered their main rivals. [34][81] The investigators uncovered a string of similar accounting glitches; contract companies were purposely charging Sunderland excessive fees for services, and later sending credit-notes to redress the balance. They were finalists in 1913 and 1992, where they were beaten respectively by Aston Villa and Liverpool. Sunderland Association Football Club (/sndrlnd/ (listen), locally /sndln/) is an English professional football club based in the city of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear. [7] They turned professional in 1885, the same year that the club recruited a number of Scotsmen, their first internationally capped players. [129], To coincide with the move from Roker Park to the Stadium of Light in 1997, Sunderland released a new crest divided into four quarters; the upper right and lower left featured their traditional red and white colours, but the ship was omitted. Streaming is available through desktop and through the SAFSEE mobile app. He went on to captain the "Black Cats" for ten years and gain his eleven England caps, making him Sunderland's second most-capped England International behind Dave Watson. [155] McCarthy was sacked in March and replaced by caretaker manager Kevin Ball. [81] The FA sent an investigation team, which found evidence of illegal payments in the Sunderland accounts, including a 3,000 (77,000 today) bill, supposedly for straw to cover the pitch. ", "Former Liverpool chief explain Jordan Henderson transfer cost him his job", "Inside story of what happened on night of Liverpool's CL final win", "Martin O'Neill sacked as Sunderland manager after Manchester United defeat", "Paolo Di Canio appointed Sunderland head coach", "Di Canio: David Miliband quits Sunderland role", "Miners' Di Canio protest 'will only end with Sunderland campaign support', "Durham Miners' Association: Our Issues With Di Canio at Sunderland Now Resolved", "Sunderland miners demand return of banner after Paolo Di Canio's arrival", "Miners join opposition to Paolo Di Canio's appointment at Sunderland", "Paolo Di Canio: Sunderland reign that lasted only six months", "Gus Poyet: Sunderland name Uruguayan as new head coach", "BBC Sport Man Utd 2-1 Sunderland (1-2 on pens)", "Sunderland supporters vote with their feet after Aston Villa run riot", "Jordan Pickford: Everton confirm 25m, rising to 30m, deal with Sunderland", "Sunderland AFC Netflix documentary gets a release date and a title too", "This is when season two of Sunderland 'Til I Die is set to be released", "Who is Stewart Donald? In 1976 Sunderland were again promoted to the First Division, as Division Two champions. In 200102 Sunderland narrowly avoided relegation. By Richard Fay Manchester United Writer Updated 21:42, 13 OCT 2021. [143] They clinched promotion at Bury by winning 52. [16] Campbell did not achieve the same playing success as Watson, as Sunderland failed to win any titles in his three seasons at the club. Cheer Up Peter Reid was released by fans in 1996 after the terrace chant about the manager became popular. The ground was close to the place where Sunderland formed, at Hendon Board School; at that time the rent for use of the ground was 10 (1,100 today). '[56] The tragic end to Thorpe's career led to a change in the rules, where players were no longer allowed to raise their foot to a goalkeeper when he had control of the ball in his arms. Sunderland soar back to Championship with playoff final win over Wycombe Ben Fisher at Wembley Sat 21 May 2022 12.01 EDT Last modified on Sun 22 May 2022 00.34 EDT Alex Neil walked into his. In the 198485 season Ashurst led Sunderland to their first League Cup final, where they lost 10 to Norwich through an own goal from Gordon Chisholm, after Clive Walker had missed a penalty for Sunderland. "[149][150] Also, during Gus Poyet's tenure, Sunderland supporters started singing "Things Can Only Get Better" by D:Ream. They have also been runners-up on a further five occasions: in 1894, 1898, 1901, 1923 and 1935 (see Sunderland A.F.C. [5] However, the club's stay in the top flight was short-lived as Sunderland were once again relegated, this time with a new record-low total of 15 points. [16] Robert Campbell replaced him. Sunderland AFC began life as "Sunderland & District Teachers Association Football Club", and was announced to the world on 27 September 1880 by The Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette. [47] They beat Vasas Budapest but then lost on aggregate to Sporting of Portugal in the second round. Sunderland reached the fifth round where they were beaten by Birmingham City. [77][78], Short replaced Quinn as chairman in October 2011, with Quinn initially becoming Director of International Development;[79] he left the club with immediate effect in February 2012. [172][173], Sunderland were the subject, together with Aston Villa, of one of the earliest football paintings in the world possibly the earliest when in 1895 the artist Thomas M. M. Hemy painted a picture of a game between the teams at Sunderland's then ground Newcastle Road. [60] The stadium bears a similar name to the Portuguese club Benfica's ground Estdio da Luz, albeit in a different language. statistics and records, Sunderland A.F.C. Sunderland's biggest ever win in the FA cup was against Fair field (a non-league team) and the final score was 111. 12. Things Can Only Get Better! The last time the Magpies were champions of England was all the way back in 1927, with Hughie Gallagher's 34 goals that season being key to the team's success. [37] Billy Hogg and George Holley each scored hat-tricks, while Arthur Bridgett scored two.[38]. [150] Former Republic of Ireland manager Mick McCarthy came to the club in March 2003, but could not prevent relegation. [174][175] The background to the opposition was past statements made by Di Canio supporting Fascism. [120] After finishing fifth in League One at the end of the season, Sunderland qualified for the playoffs. [62] At the end of the season Sunderland finished seventh, with Kevin Phillips winning the European Golden Shoe in his first top-flight season, scoring 30 goals. The original ground capacity was 42,000 which was increased to 49,000 following expansion in 2000.