[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]. [111] The return of 1973 FA Cup winning manager Bob Stokoe,[112] appointed caretaker manager following the sacking of McMenemy, could not help Sunderland avoid relegation. Manager Sam Allardyce was sacked during the season and replaced by David Moyes, but that did not change the club's fortunes. ", "Sunderland break League One attendance record", "What is Sunderland's home attendance record? Sunderland finished in eighth place in 191415 Division One season,[43] before World War I forced the break-up of the team as men went off to fight on the continent. In each of them, their fans had been given the north end at. [36] The club finished third in the First Division in 1950,[37] their highest finish since the 1936 championship. French brand Le Coq Sportif produced kits between 1981 and 1983. [47] After spending six seasons in the Second Division, Sunderland were promoted to Division One in the 197576 season, but were relegated again the following season, despite a late-season comeback which saw them win two matches 60 and 61. 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? Since 2013 an independent podcast called Wise Men Say was created and was initially one episode weekly, however it has since grown in popularity and now does three episodes weekly. [44] After the resumption of the Football League following the war, Sunderland finished fifth in the 191920 season. Sunderland 1 Tranmere Rovers 0 Gooch (57') FT HT 0-0 McGeady (57') Assists Relive the 2020-21 EFL Trophy final as it happened 14 March 2021 Summary Sunderland beat Tranmere to win 2020-21. [55] Peter Reid was brought in as manager, and quickly turned things around. Can socialist Sunderland AFC learn to live with self-proclaimed 'fascist' Paolo di Canio", "A Love Supreme The Independent Sunderland Football Club Fanzine", "Roker Report shortlisted as a finalist in Football Blogging Awards - we need YOUR votes! Why are Sunderland fans called black cats? In October 2015, Sunderland defeated rivals Newcastle United for the sixth consecutive time, a new record. seasons ). [25] Robert Campbell replaced him. The Stadium of Light has been Sunderland's home ground since 1997. [50] Under new chairman Bob Murray and new manager Denis Smith, the club was promoted the following season. [72] They also had the League's top goalscorer, Dickie Davis with 25goals. [138] In January 1990, the Taylor Report was released after overcrowding at Hillsborough Stadium resulted in the deaths of 97 Liverpool fans. [160] Sunderland secured their Premier League status for the 200809 season after a derby victory over Middlesbrough, and with teams below failing to win. [144][145] Following relegation from the Championship at the end of the 201718 season, Sunderland subsequently broke the League One division attendance record on 26 December 2018 in a match against Bradford City with a total of 46,039 fans. [71] However, Sunderland's next season was more successful; they finished third in the League, and were its top scorers with 83goals. [120] He in turn resigned after less than a year, and was replaced by the ex-England player Terry Butcher. During the second leg of the semi-final at St. James' Park, some Newcastle fans, seeing their team down 20 with only five minutes remaining, invaded the pitch in the hope of forcing an abandonment. A special constable was killed while patrolling the stadium. [139] The report recommended that all major stadiums must be converted to an all-seater design. They played an "England XI", featuring players from Newcastle United and from Middlesbrough; they lost the game 20. [104] Mick Docherty was brought in as caretaker manager until the end of the 198081 season, and helped them avoid relegation. [3] However, evidence suggests that the club was not formally created until a year later, on 25 September 1880. It's been 15 years since Tottenham last won some silverware, with Juande Ramos leading them to Carling Cup glory with a 2-1 victory over London rivals Chelsea. Subsequently, the club were sponsored by Sunderland car dealership company Reg Vardy from 1999 to 2007. These achievements earned Poyet a new two-year contract with the club on 28 May 2014. The club's records showed further breaches of the League's financial rules. [113] Sunderland finished the season in 8th place, their lowest ever league position, with the final standings ultimately being determined by points per game due to football's suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 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. [113], Two years later, Sunderland reached the Second Division play-off final, after beating Newcastle United in the semi-final. [161], According to the club there are over 70 branches of official Supporters' Clubs in England and around the world, including North Korea. [96] In 1973, Bobby Knoxall recorded "Sunderland All The Way" for the 1973 FA Cup Final record.[97]. [8] Sunderland successfully defended the title the following season, aided by their Scottish centre forward John Campbell, who broke the 30-goal mark for the second time in consecutive seasons. [59] Sunderland competed in the Charity Shield for a second successive season, this time against Manchester City who had won the League title in 193637; Sunderland were beaten 20. [121], Before the end of 1993, Butcher's reign as manager came to an end after 45games in charge, and he was replaced by Mick Buxton. Magnificent. [33], After 214matches in charge of Sunderland, Mackie left the club as a result of the "McCombie affair". They scored 109goals during the season, with Raich Carter and Bobby Gurney each scoring 31. On 8 October 2013 when Gus Poyet was appointed manager of Sunderland. [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. Their other honours include two Charity Shields, in 1902 and 1935. [98] They were first drawn against Hungarian side Vasas Budapest, who they beat 30 on aggregate. In 200102 Sunderland narrowly avoided relegation. [149] Wilkinson's reign was unsuccessful, and he left the club after only six months in charge. [114], Parkinson was sacked in November 2020 and was replaced by Lee Johnson the following month. Sunderland were nearly bankrupted by the cost of renovating the Main Stand, and Roker Park was put up for sale but no further action was taken. 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. [51] With Cochrane in charge, Sunderland reached the 193031 FA Cup semi-final, where they lost to Birmingham City. [83][84] O'Neill was sacked in March 2013[85] and Italian Paolo Di Canio was announced as his replacement the following day[86] to widespread controversy. [155] They sometimes sing a version of "The Red Flag" during games.[156]. [54] The following season Sunderland managed to win their sixth League title, by a margin of eight points. For instance a 2019 by the International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES) showed that over the prior 5 seasons (2013 to 2018) Sunderland recorded the 38th highest average attendance in world football with an average of 39,249 fans at the Stadium of Light. [120] After finishing fifth in League One at the end of the season, Sunderland qualified for the playoffs. Since 2010 the online fanzine Roker Report has operated on the SB Nation blogging network. [55], Despite winning the league, the seasons did not go without tragedy. [25] From 1886 until 1898, Sunderland's home ground was in Newcastle Road. [63], Another seventh-place finish in the 200001 season was followed by two less successful seasons, and they were relegated to the second-tier with a then-record low 19 points in 2003. He was subsequently replaced by Chris Coleman. [6], On 16 October 1880 the Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette announced that the club's name had been changed to Sunderland Association Football Club; and non-teachers were allowed to join. [155] McCarthy was sacked in March and replaced by caretaker manager Kevin Ball. [34][46] In the 192223 season they came close to another League championship title, finishing runners-up to Liverpool by six points with Buchan breaking the 30goal mark. [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. [68] In the 194748 season the club finished in twentieth place, on the brink of being relegated from the League's Division one for the first time. Between 1891 and 1939, "The Black Cats", as they are known in addition to their six league titles finished in the bottom half of the league only ten times, and finished in the top seven 28 times. Each column contains appearances in the starting eleven, followed by appearances as substitute in brackets. Richard Tovar City have won the FA Cup twice in the Premier League era, with Roberto Mancini's 2011 final win over Stoke City the club's first major title following their 2008 . [7] They turned professional in 1885, the same year that the club recruited a number of Scotsmen, their first internationally capped players. In 1973, as a Second Division side, Sunderland reached the FA Cup Final, where they beat the cup-holders Leeds United. [15] That season also included an 81 win over West Bromwich Albion. They returned to Roker and set up home in Roker Park. [65] During the war Roker Park suffered damage from bombs which destroyed the Roker End clubhouse; a police constable was killed while patrolling the stadium's perimeter. Cheer Up Peter Reid was released by fans in 1996 after the terrace chant about the manager became popular. [176][177] The fans recorded the song due to the fact the manager often had a dour demeanour, whilst the team was doing well, and even won promotion at the end of the season.[178][179]. [132] Fans reaction was mixed, and following the demolition of Roker Park, playwright Tom Kelly and actor Paul Dunn created a one-man play called "I Left My Heart at Roker Park" about a fan struggling with the move and what Roker Park meant for him the play originally ran in 1997, and had a few revivals since. [2] Originally organised by James Allan, a teacher at Hendon Board School. 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. [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. The name was made official in a public vote in 2000. [24], After taking Sunderland to three English League championship titles manager Watson resigned at the end of the 189596 season, in order to join Liverpool. [210], The first kit manufacturer to appear on Sunderland kits was Umbro, between 1975 and 1981. [4] It was renamed as Sunderland A.F.C. [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. [187], Sunderland's official nickname is "The Black Cats". [81] In total, just over 5,000 (128,000 today) was handled in this way. [160] Others in the past have been It's The Hope I Can't Stand, Sex and Chocolate, Wise Men Say, and The Roker Roar (later The Wearside Roar). [124] They assumed the current strip of red and white stripes in the 188788 season. It documented the events around Sunderland's 201718 season which saw them relegated from the EFL Championship. Photographs exist of players holding a black cat which made Roker Park its home in the 1900s and 1910s, and which was fed and watered by the football club. [108] In April 2018, after a second consecutive relegation, this time to League One,[109] the club was sold to a group led by Stewart Donald and Coleman was released from his contract. After the league's resumption, Sunderland came close to winning another championship in the 192223 season, when they were runners-up to Liverpool. [199] Dave Halliday holds the record for the most goals scored in a season: 43in the 192829 season in the Football League First Division. Attendances at Sunderland's grounds prior to Newcastle Road were rarely recorded. Find out with YouGov's Premier League profiles", "Viva Il Duce? [164] Despite promising early results, the team continued to struggle and narrowly avoided relegation from the Premiership on the last day of the season, after which Sbragia resigned from his post. [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. [130] A colliery wheel at the top of the crest commemorates County Durham's mining history, and the land the Stadium of Light was built on, formerly the Monkwearmouth Colliery. [193] In their first season in League One, the team finished 5th and reached the playoff final, but lost to Charlton Athletic at Wembley. It's been a barren six months since. They occasionally interview current and former footballers, managers, owners and prominent fans of Sunderland. 12. [34][81] In the aftermath of the event, manager Bill Murray was replaced by Alan Brown. [31], In December 1902, Sunderland joined Arthur Bridgett. Di Canio was sacked after a poor start to the 201314 season, and reports of a complete breakdown in relations with his players. [6] During the late 19th century, they were declared the "Team of All Talents" by William McGregor,[7] the founder of the league, after a 72 win against Aston Villa. - BBC Sport", "Sunderland beat Morecambe to secure play-off spot", "Roberts goal sends Sunderland to play-off final", "Sunderland back in Championship after play-off win", "Views divided on Sunderland AFC's new badge", "Lord Taylor's final report on the Hillsborough stadium disaster (zipped pdf)", "Sunderland harnessing fanbase bigger than Valencia, Porto and Juventus", "CIES Football Observatory Monthly Report n44 - April 2019 Attendances in football stadia (2003-2018)", "The amazing Sunderland attendance statistic which shows how loyal Black Cats fans are", "The astonishing average attendances of England's biggest clubs - where do Sunderland AFC rank? However, in that season Sunderland embarked on a run leading to the FA Cup final, where they lost 20 to Liverpool,[118] They had previously beaten Chelsea in a quarter-final replay. For a statistical breakdown by season, see, Early years and "The Team of all Talents": 18791913, Further titles and the move to Roker Park: 18961913, First World War and inter-war period, 19131939, Second World War and postwar period, 19391959, harvnb error: no target: CITEREFMalam2004 (, "Sunderland AFC Statistics, History and Records", "Happy Birthday Sunderland AFC 136 Years Old! At the end of the decade, they were again relegated to the Second Division after finishing 21st.[42]. [49] In his second season Halliday scored 38 goals, helping Sunderland secure a third-place finish in the League. [19], In December 1902, Arthur Bridgett joined Sunderland. Reid's time in charge had a stabilising effect; he remained manager for seven years. Sunderland", "Peter O'Toole Dies Sunderland Most Famous Supporter is Dead", "Stadium of Light casts a dark shadow over Sunderland", "McCarthy set to take charge as Wilkinson goes", "Keane eyes Mido and Gordon as Ranieri backs Black Cats to surprise", "Premier League new boys face uphill task", "Steve Bruce set for Sunderland talks while Ellis Short completes takeover", "Sunderland AFC's academy graduates where are they now? [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. [34][70] In the 194849 season, Sunderland visited Yeovil Town in the fourth round of the FA Cup. [140] As a result, Roker Park's capacity was reduced. [18] They have only appeared once in European competition, during the 197374 season where they reached the second round. [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. [34] Broadis was also Carlisle's manager at the time, and this is the first instance of a player transferring himself to another club. [52] They stayed up for one year before being relegated on the final day of the following season. [18] Following a second-place finish in 190001, the club won their fourth league title in the 190102 season,[18] and followed this up with victory in the Sheriff of London Charity Shield. [156] He took Sunderland to their first home win of the season, a 21 victory over Fulham.[157]. [122] In a period which included six managers in ten years, Buxton was sacked in 1995. during the 199697 season, in which the club was relegated from the Premier League, the year after winning promotion from the Football League First Division, and the move to Stadium of Light. It took time to achieve the blend at Roker Park". The club has had a historically large and passionate following, with the club seeing attendance figures larger than other more fashionable clubs. Watch Sunderland vs Tranmere Rovers in the 2020/21 Papa John's Trophy final at Wembley, live on Sky Sports Football from 2.30pm on Sunday; Kick-off 3pm Monday 15 March 2021 08:39, UK. On 1 June 2015 Sunderland announced a new sponsorship with Dafabet to appear on the kits for the following season. [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. Years won: 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1995, 2001, 2003, 2012 Liverpool, finalists in 2022, sit top of the chart with regards to all-time Carabao Cup trophies, claiming the tournament eight times. They have also been runners-up on a further five occasions: in 1894, 1898, 1901, 1923 and 1935 (see Sunderland A.F.C. [21] Under Irish manager Bob Kyle and with Scottish Charles Thomson as captain, the club won the league again in 1913,[22] but lost their first FA Cup final 10 to Aston Villa. In June 2017, goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, a product of Sunderland's academy who joined the club aged eight, was transferred to Everton for a fee of 25 million, rising to a possible 30 million, a record for a British goalkeeper.