Peggy Charltons Sunderland

Looking for stuff to buy the kids, I came accross a stall in the Bridges in Sunderland. We all know how much the kids love their sweets.

I came home after finding out they had a website so I had a quick look to see what they offered online. I was pleased to see that they even offer Sunderland AFC related products. While I will not openly advertise individual products , I would suggest you take a look at the Peggy Charltons website to see what they offer for yourselves.

Or you can visit the Peggy Charltons stall in The Bridges, Sunderland.

Len Shackleton Clown or Genius?

In keeping with the Great history of the Sunderland Association Football Club - Blog, I have decided to focus on some of the greatest players of Sunderlands past.

First into the lime light is the late great Len Shackleton. Many Sunderland supporters when asked about great players from Sunderland Football Clubs past will utter the name Len Shackleton.

Instead of providing an in depth profile or biography of this great football player, I will offer up extracts taken from an interview given to John Thompson of Charles Buchans Football Monthly (October 1955 issue) with the headline Clown or Genius?

John Thompson starts the article;

If I was an average footballer I would not be overjoyed to be asked to partner Leonard Francis Shackleton, I would not know what to expect from this self-styled Clown Prince of Soccer.

Sometimes he shocks his own supporters with performances that would not earn him a place in a Third Division team. Often though he is such a genius that he would clearly be too brilliant for pedetrian members of the England team.

He is a shocking fellow altogether, brimming over with impudence, uncanny skill and assorted humours. He is a charactor in a game which generally lacks charactors and he provokes feelings which are as strong as those which he feels himself.

He is Leonard Shackleton of Sunderland and England and he is Unique.

John continues....

His charactor is a strange mixture and his experiences have been mixed too,
blending the man that he now is for good or ill. As a boy he had high dreams.

There we were sitting in Sunday School, when our teacher asked each member of the class in turn, "what do you want to be when you grow up"? It came to my turn and I told him outright, "I am going to be a professional footballer." he was not impressed.

There was the thrill of signing for mighty Arsenal and the day he learned his dreams were in vain.

Years later he prepared for an international match in Glasgow Shackleton met Arsenal Manager George Allison again.

On entering the lift to go to ny room, I noticed the only other occupent was Allison. It was a big temptation to point out to him, "I shall be playing for England against Scotland in a few hours time, do you still think I`ll never make the grade as a professional footballer?" Instead I just looked at him wondering if recognised is fellow lift-traveller.

England were beaten 1-0 and I had had a poor match, perhaps endorsing what the Arsenal managers original opinion about mt footballing ability.

Selected for an international match, Shackleton pondered whether to play or not....

I decided to play and it still amuses me to imagine what the feelings of the Football Association would have been had they known that I represented England for the sake of the publicity as much as for the honour of wearing the international shirt!"

John continues.....

He buzzes around England selectors like an angry wasp, stinging sometimes with bitter irony and sometimes he hits out with a sledgehammer. Once a selector was asked why Shackleton was consistently left out of the team.

len Shackleton replies...

The answer was smart enough; in fact, I suppose I should have been flattered: "because we play at Wembley Stadium, not the London Paladium!"

But perhaps the most scathing comment of all is a blank page in Len Shackletons book, it is headed;

Chapter 9. The Average Directors Knowledge of Football.
and underneath the white space;

This chapter has been deliberately left blank in accordance with the authors wishes

John Thompson concludes;

It was typical of Shackleton that he should write a shocking book and ask Bill Murray to write an introduction to it soon after the Sunderland manager had given him a dressing-down.

Need to know more about Len Shackleton? try;

ic newcastle Bradford (Park Avenue) AFC SAFC

Sunderland AFC Season - 2004/05

Before I compile the full review for Sunderland AFC`s 2004/05 Season I was searching the internet for a reliable resource that could provide this site with an accurate record of statistics, I found one.

The statistics compiled include (all stats are for 2004/05 Promotion winning Season);

• Sunderland Home wins
• Sunderland Away wins
• Sunderland Overall Record
• Sunderland Championship Match Results
• Sunderland FA Cup results
• Sunderlands Leading Scorers

There are even more statistics available for Sunderland AFC as well as all other Premiership and Championship Clubs.

The Players Union

The Players` Union

The first attempt to form a players` Union was made in October, 1893, by W. C. Rose, this player who at the time was the goalkeeper for Wolerhampton Wanderers sent letters to all the captains of First Division Clubs, proposing the formation of a union "to protect professional interests."

A union was formed some time later but it soon became defunct.

The present, more powerful and fully recognised football Players` and Trainers` Union was formed at a meeting held on December 2nd, 1907 and registered as a trade union on March 10th 1908.

Away Game Route Planner

Premiership Away Game Route Planner

The Away game route planner available at All Things Footie a great tool for planning your routes with printable maps and routes to that all important Sunderland AFC away match.

Start Planning My Route

Sunderland Ups and Downs

Ups and Downs

If you followed Sunderland AFC from the early days you wouldn’t believe what would be in store for them after their first relegation in 1958. It is little wonder that I recall older supporters criticising the team during the 1980’s. Some had been used to watching one of the best teams in the land, when the club would buy the best players in the land.

To date Sunderland Association Football Club have moved from one division to another 16 times, averaging a move either up or down every 3.06 seasons since 1958. To think that in the first 68 years of Sunderland AFC`s existence we had never been relegated from top-flight football!

Laws of the Game

Football of sorts was played under various rules at Public Schools in the middle of the 18th century. Each school had it`s own rules which often varied considerably from other schools. There was certainly none which bore much resemblance to the modern game.

It is generally considered that it was at Cambridge University that the first proper rules were compiled. This code of rules was found necessary because the boys from various Public Schools, who went up to Cambridge found it impossible to enjoy a game of football when they had been accustomed to so many variations elsewhere.

The date of the first rules is believed to have been 1848, but although the existence of such rules has definately been established, unfortunately no copy has ever been traced.

Enough is known of them, however, to judge that the major differences between those rules and the original Football Association rules, published in 1863, were-that at Cambridge handling was permitted to a greater degree and the offside rule was more stringent.

One of the earliest set of rules, details of which have been traced, were those drawn up by a master, Mr J. C Thring, at Uppingham School in June 1862.

Clubs outside the Public Schools became more numerous about this time and each had their own code of rules. A further effort was made at Cambridge to draw up a uniform code of rules more acceptable to all clubs in October 1863.

These rules were published just about the time when the Football Association were holding their inaugural meetings and getting down to business of drafting their own rules for the game.

Their is no doubt that they were greatly influenced by the Cambridge rules, but the fact that these rules did not permit "Hacking" nor handling the ball while in play, caused much argument in the newly formed ranks of the Association. Although there was a major vote in the favoyr of the ban on "Hacking," they did not feel inclined to dispense the use entirely of "Hands".

Many other points were given due consideration, but it was not without more than one resignation that the rules were eventually agreed and published in December 1863.

For the sake of briefness and easy reference here is a short list of how the Laws of the Game were slowly evolving;

» 1865: Tape to be stretched across the goals 6ft from the ground.

» 1866: Offside rule altered to allow a player to be on-side when three of the opposing team are nearer their own goal line.

» 1866: Fair catch rule omitted. Kick out rule altered and goal kicks introduced.

» 1871: Goalkeepers mentioned in the Laws for the first time.

» 1873: Corner Kick adopted.

» 1874: Umpires first mentioned.

» 1875: Tape may be replaced by a crossbar.

» 1877: The London Association and the Sheffield Association agreed to use the same rules.

» 1881: Referees mentioned, the referee was enpowered to give a goal against a player attempting to prevent the ball crossing his goal line.

» 1882: Handling rule of 1881 rescinded. Two-handed throw in introduced.

» 1883: The four home countries F.A`s agreed on uniform set of rules.

» 1890: Penalty Kick introduced after suggestion by the Irish F.A.

» 1891: Linesman replaced Umpires

» 1892: Penalty Kicker nust not play the ball twice. Extra time allowed for the taking of a penalty.

» 1894: Referee given complete control of the game. No longer necessary for players to appeal to him for a decision. Goalkeeper could only be "Charged" when playing the ball or obstructing opponent.

» 1897: The word "intentional" introduced into the Law on "Handling".

I am prohibited in reproducing the up to date Laws on this website but I can direct you to the official websites of FIFA and the Football Association which provide all the Laws as well as changes and when they will take effect.

FIFA Laws of the game The FA Laws of the Game

Common sense prevails over hostilities

I would like to give a mention to our bitter enemy briefly, not in the context that you think but rather on a positive note.

Great things are being said about this blog Take a look and make your own mind up

B&W&RAO is worth a visit even as a Mackem they do suffer as well !

Sunderland AFC Quizzes

Sunderland AFC Quizzes

At last I have got the Sunderland AFC quizzes together. First out the traps is the

Sunderland AFC Grounds Quiz

General Football Quiz

You do not have to register to leave a comment so just click on comment below this paragraph and tell me what you think.

The Homes of Sunderland AFC

The Homes Of Sunderland AFC

The Sunderland Stadium Of Light is the football club’s 7th home. The move in 1997 saw The Black Cats travel a mere few hundred yards from their former ground Roker Park. In doing so perhaps a million dreams went with it. Whilst Roker will long remain in the memory it is interesting to recount “the homes of Sunderland AFC”.

In telling this story we are indebted to the legacy left by Arthur Appleton (RIP), the club’s finest ever historian.

Blue House Field, Hendon – 1879 to 1881

It was appropriate and probably inevitable that the Blue House Field Ground was close to Hendon Board School where the club’s founder James Allen taught. Raich Carter, perhaps the finest Sunderland player
ever to wear the red and white stripes also attended the School as a child. Hendon Board School however is no more, replaced by The Valley Road Infant School on the now Commercial Road. The present Blue House pub that replaced the original is now some 200 yards down the road.

The rent charged was £10 per annum, which at the time was a fairly steep sum for the Sunderland & District Teachers Association.

In 1888 when Sunderland’s founder broke from his beloved club to form the rival Sunderland
Albion he took his new favourites back to the Blue House Field and the club set up home there, playing football league sides at Hendon until their demise in 1892. The HQ for Albion was in nearby Norman Street.

The field incidentally was boarded in, a cycling track was laid and a grandstand surrounded both the East Side and the “footpath side”. The field was nearly as long as Roker Park, although narrower, measuring 110 x 60 yards.

The Grove, Ashbrooke – 1881 to 1883

By the time the club took up residency at Ashbrooke the “Teachers” had been dropped from the
name and it was now the familiar Sunderland Football Club. The Grove, Ashbrooke stood between Percy Terrace and The Cedars.

It is generally accepted that the ground formed part of the current Ashbrooke Sports Ground,
which hadn’t at that stage been planned and didn’t open until 1887, long after the football club had departed the scene.

Horatio Street, Roker – 1883 to 1884

Sunderland moved over the River Wear to the North side of the City where they remain to this day. Horatio Street was an open field with a claypit and brickworks at the North End. Also know as the “Clay Dolly Field” only the South side of Horatio Street was fully built then and ran along the line of Givens Street. Appley Terrace now covers much of the old pitch.

There were no changing facility and therefore the players got kitted out at The Wolseley Hotel
on the sea front at Roker, on the bottom corner of Gosforth Street. This is probably the closest Sunderland Football club ever got to Roker beach.

Abbs Field, Fulwell – 1884 to 1886

Abbs Field was a significant move for Sunderland AFC. For the first time the club was able to charge gate money and it was not unusual for attendances of up to 1,000 to arrive, paying the sum of threepence.

At first the club rented the ground fairly cheaply, some £2.50 in today’s money, however, by 1885/86 it had risen to £15.

It was at Abbs field on 20 December 1884 that Sunderland recorded their highest ever victory, against Castletown 23 v 0 in the Durham Challenge Cup. The club’s founder James Allen scored 11 times!

Newcastle Road – 1886 to 1898

The move to Newcastle road would have far reaching consequences for the Football club. It would be the venue for their entry into the Football League in 1890, mainly as a result of the 7 v 2 thrashing of Aston Villa by “The Team Of All Talents” on 5 April 1890. In truth we recorded some mammoth victories here.

The ground stretched along Crozier Street to Eglington Street North. Netherburn Road and ewlington Court are built over it.

A high wall surrounded much of the ground. It had a grandstand. Sunderland favoured attacking the top end or Hood Street, facing the sun.

It is a sign of the times that 2 of the Sunderland players were each paid 5 shillings (about 25
pence) to tar the fencing and clubhouse (roof); the latter had been bought for £2.50. The pitch was massive, some 120 x 75 yards, much bigger than Roker Park.

The land was owned by the Thompson sisters, who charged the football club £15 per annum in ent. So impressed were they by their new tenants that they refunded this sum in the first year.

In the close season the football club let the ground out for grazing, charging £1.50. By now te rent had doubled to £30. Mainly supporters employed at the Thompsons North Sands yard built the stand on the North side.

The football club’s headquarters became the Royal Hotel on North Bridge Street, some half a mile from the Newcastle Road ground. The players would change at the hotel and travel onwards for the home matches, arriving by brake. Later on in our tenancy the football club used tents to change in, until a final solution was arrived at, they purchased number 37 Ellerslie Terrace, over the road from the ground. This became the club’s office and committee meetings were held there. The house next door was also bought and this became a billiards and card room for the players. “The Team” changed here and walked over the road into the ground!!

In 1889 a clubhouse was built, the ground admittance was increased to 1 shilling (about 5p). It was now the best stadium in the North East and boasted a capacity of some 15,000.

Sunderland’s first ever Football League game was played at Newcastle Road and ended in a 2 v
3 defeat by Burnley on 13 September 1890. The stadium recorded the highest ever attendance at an English football ground in January 1891 when 21,000 spectators witnessed the first round FA cup-tie against Everton. People sat on the roof of the stand!

Perhaps the grounds most famous representation is in the Hemy painting of 1894/95, which portrays Sunderland in action against Aston Villa. The world’s first painting of a football match now hangs in the main reception area of the Stadium Of Light.

In July 1896 the old club was wound up and Sunderland became a limited liability company. The
rent was now £100 per annum.

The last league match at Newcastle Road was on 23 April 1898 when The Black Cats routed Nottingham Forest, the English Cup holders, 4 v 0. James Chalmers scoring the final goal.

As a postscript to the story of Newcastle Road it is worth noting that in the 1960’s Ellerslie Terrace was demolished and a car sales business took it’s place.

From Newcastle Road Sunderland AFC moved onto one of Britain’s most famous sporting venues; Roker Park.

Roker Park, Sunderland - 1898 to 1997

It was the Henderson Brothers, one of whom was the Sunderland AFC Chairman who recognised the need for a bigger ground. They negotiated farmland belonging to a Mr Tennant. The agreement was conditional on Sunderland agreeing that house could be built on part of the land that became Fulwell Road, also, until the houses were built SAFC had to pay the ground rent on all of the land. The Henderson’s agreed.



Roker Park was built within a year; the wooden stands within 3 months. The Clockstand as it would become known had 32 steps, no seats and crush barriers for safety. The turf for the pitch was brought from Ireland and was of such quality that it lasted for 37 years. There was a slight drop of about 1 foot from the centre to each side for drainage purposes.

The Marquis of Londonderry officially opened the ground on 10 September 1898, the then President of Sunderland AFC, turning a gold key in a locked gate that led onto the playing field. He also had a pub named after him “The Londonderry” in the City Centre. The opponents for The Black Cats that day were Liverpool, the game kicked off at 3.30pm, and a goal by James Leslie, who had been signed from Clyde, gave Sunderland a winning start at their new home. The winning strike came just 6 minutes from time.

In 1905 Sunderland AFC bought the land. Fred Taylor or “Mr Sunderland” as we was often referred to, the chairman, along with Sir Theodore Doxford and other businessmen put up the money.

In 1912 the Roker End was concreted and by 1913 the capacity rose to 50,000. Originally the Roker and Fulwell Ends were known as “North” and “South”. Indeed a 1924 picture of Roker Park still refers to them as such.

In 1929 the old wooden grandstand was demolished and replaced by a new “Main stand”. Archibald Leitch, whose influence can still be seen today at Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow, designed it. His criss cross latticework was also evident at Aston Villa.

The 1929 improvements nearly bankrupted the football club and at a meeting of the Directors in 1932 they decided to offer the ground for sale to the Sunderland Corporation for £40,000. The purchase was approved by the council but called off at the 11th hour after a change of heart by SAFC. Roker Park still remained a prized possession.

Whilst the official capacity of Roker Park was now 60,000 an incredible 75,118 was present to witness the FA Cup 6th round replay defeat by Derby County in March 1933.

Building work however continued at a relentless pace and in 1936 the Clock stand was rebuilt. The 375 feet long structure was officially opened by Lady Raine, whose husband Sir Walter Raine was the chairman, on 2 September, prior to the game against Derby County, incidentally won by Sunderland 3 v 2.

During the war a policeman was killed just outside the ground; a bomb fell in the middle of the pitch. A similar devise fell in the car park, damaging the old clubhouse on the corner of Roker Baths Road. The Germans of course targeted Sunderland’s industrial workplaces, such as the mines and more importantly the shipyards on the River Wear.

In 1950 the Main Stand was given its “shelf” that was positioned in between the top seats and the paddock. By 1952 Roker Park had floodlights; “christened” for a friendly match against Dundee.

As the 1966 world cup loomed, Sunderland AFC were chosen as a venue ahead of St James Park
and received substantial grants and loans from the Football Association to both install permanent seats in the Clockstand and temporary ones in the Fulwell End. The famous Kop was also roofed over and the Roker Park suite was added.

The 1970’s witnessed even more improvements with the floodlights upgraded to European standard lux value. A year later an underground sprinkler system was laid. By the late ‘70’s electronic crowd monitoring systems and roofs were re-sheeted.

The 1980’s brought about a downturn in the clubs fortunes and in truth we began to see a parallel demise with Roker Park. The capacity was reduced considerably with the Roker End suffering the most.

By the 1990’s it was evident that another home was required. Roker Park, hemmed in on allsides gave no room for expansion. With football now moving at an incredible pace, both on and off the field we had to keep up.

Roker Park “died” in 1997.

Summary

The homes of Sunderland AFC tell a story of progress. They tell of a sporting institution moving from one side of its City to another, across a great River, The Wear. At its centre is Roker Park.

The Sunderland Stadium of Light is the 5th of the club’s homes on the Monkwearmouth side of
the River; all were roughly within a one-mile radius. The 4rth, Roker Park, became synonymous with, and reeked of, history and passionate support. After 99 years The Grand Old Lady, Roker Park, had had her day and time caught her up.

Sunderland moved onwards and upwards…into the light

(Source:safc.com)

Safc Quiz

I have been working hard over the past week trying to get the script to work on this blog for the Sunderland AFC quizzes. I will have them all up before the end of the week.

The quizzes

Fa Cup Quiz ....... Derby Games ......... Safc Grounds ............ Laws of the game ......... Managers ........ Memories ........... and Players and more if I get time to research and code them!

Sunderland AFC Championship Champions Victory Parade 2004/05

Today is the day that the lads get to parade the trophy themselves and all the achievements that Sunderland AFC have manged this season.

If you had asked me at the beginning of the season if this was possible I would have quite simply said no. Like the rest of us at the beginning of the Sunderland AFC 2004/05 season on the back of the season before I said play-offs, I am not normally this pessimistic.

To get Sunderland Afc back to the promised land on a shoe-string budget I would easily acclaim Mic Mac as one of the Managers of the season (in any division) that includes the achievements of David Moyes and what he has managed to achieve after the departure to Manchester Utd of Mr Rooney, to get Everton FC to qualify for the champions league above their bitter merseyside rivals is a great accolade to the skills of David Moyes management style. When it comes to a no nonsense approach to football management you can only sit back and admire.

Skilled British FC managers are still around, but they are still nothing without their team, supporters and chairmen.

Once again congratulations to Sunderland AFC on the promotion back to the premiership and I will look forward along with my daughter and better half seeing you along the victory parade tonight.

You can see the victory parade tonight live on Sky Sports News from 6pm

Sunderland AFC FA Cup History

Every Sunderland supporter is aware that Sunderland won the cup in 1973 and Ian Porterfield scored the winning goal after 31 minutes.

The majority of Sunderland fans, some who weren’t even born at the time, can name the Sunderland team:

Sunderland: Jimmy Montgomery; Dick Malone, Ron Guthrie, Micky Horswell, Dave Watson, Ritchie Pitt, Bobby Kerr, Billy Hughes, Vic Halom, Ian Porterfield, Dennis Tueart

Sub not used: Dave Young
Result: Sunderland 1 Leeds Utd 0 (Sunderland:Porterfield 31)

The FA Cup is very special and it is every little boys dream to lead his hometown team out in an FA Cup Final. Sunderland won the cup in 1937 for the first time and the little boy who had grown into a fine man who captained his hometown team to success was Horatio (Raich) Stratton Carter.

The Sunderland team that performed so well to come from a goal behind in the first was:

Sunderland: Johnny Mapson, James Gorman, Alex Hall, Charlie Thomson, Robert Johnson, Alex McNab, Len Duns, Raich Carter, Bobby Gurney, Patsy Gallacher, Eddie Burbanks.

Result: Sunderland 3 Preston North End 1 (Preston North End ; Sunderland Gurney, Carter, Burbanks)

The exact results of the rest of our FA Cup games

Statistics at a glance

Finalists: 4 times, Winners: 2 times (1936/37 and 1972/73), Semi-Finalists: 8 times.

Bogey Teams: Everton FC (lost 7), Aston Villa FC (lost 7), Blackburn FC (lost 6).

Highest Aggregate Score: Everton 6 - 4 Sunderland (1934/35 4th round replay).

FA Cup Memories?

Add your memories by way of the comments.

Thank you to the SMB

Thank you to all the members of the SMB who managed to get at this Sunderland AFC website before it got pulled from the threads.

If you have been a member of the SMB Quiz either from the start in December of last year (05) or if you have just signed up to it then life will be made easier by accessing it here I will make it a permalink amongst the navigation to the right.

Like I was saying on the SMB I still need a review of the Sunderland AFC season 2004/05, so if you would like to become a contributing member email me @ Dean Cruddace Yahoo Addy

Legends of Sunderland AFC

Legends of Sunderland AFC

Teddy Doig

Goalkeeper 1890-19045’9”
12st. 9lbs
b. Letham, Fordshire, 29th October 1866
d. Prescot, Lancs, 7th November 1919

Career: St Helens FC (Arbroath)/Arbroath FC 1883 (1 app/ for Blackburn Rovers Nov 1889)/SUNDERLAND Sept 1890/LiverpoolAug 1904/retired 1908 but had a final spell, from cs 1909, with St Helens Recreation, Lancs, when past his 42nd birthday.

Sunderland debut v West Bromwich Albion (a) 20/09/1890

Appearances

League: 421 appearances Goals: 0 goals
FA Cup: 35 appearances Goals: 0 goals
Total: 456 appearances Goals: 0 goals

Honours:

5 Scot caps/(Sunderland) FL champs 1892, 1893, 1895, 1902/(Liverpool) FL Div 2 champs 1905.

John Kay

Full-back 1987-94
5’10” 11st. 6lbs
b. Great Lumley, Co. Durham, 29th January 1964

A no nonsense full back that was well respected by Sunderland fans for his desire and dedication to compete and win.

John broke his leg during a game at Roker Park and whilst being carried off on a stretcher he jokingly pretended to row the stretcher as if it was a canoe.

Career: Chester-le-Street Schoolboys/Durham Schoolboys/Arsenal assoc. s’boy 1979, app 1980, pro Aug 1981/Wimbledon July 1984 (Middlesborough loan Jan 1985)/SUNDERLAND July 1987 (Shrewsbury Town loan Mar 1996)/Preston North End Aug 1996/Scarborough Sept 1996, released May 1999.

Sunderland debut v Brentford (a) 15/08/1987

Appearances

League: 196(3) appearances Goals: 0 goals
League Cup: 19 appearances Goals: 0 goals
Total: 233 (3) appearances Goals: 0 goals

Honours: (Sunderland) Div 3 champs 1988.

Charlie Hurley

Centre-half 1957-69
6’1” 13st.5lbs
b. Cork, 4th October 1936

Player of the Century! Older supporters talk about Charlie as if he was the ‘greatest centre half the world has eve seen’, and he talks about the Sunderland fans as the best supporters in the world.

When Sunderland gained promotion in 1964 Charlie stated that people down South didn’t know what football meant to people of the North East after he had witnessed 6 foot shipyard workers and miners crying for joy.

Even today King Charlie, as he his known to many, talks about Sunderland AFC with a real sense of belonging and desire for the club to reward the fans he regards as the best in the business.

Career: Essex Schools/Rainham Youth Club (Essex)/Millwall am May 1953, pro 1953/SUNDERLAND Sept 1957 £20,000/Bolton Wanderers June 1969/retired Jan 1972/Reading manager Jan 1972-Feb 1977.

Sunderland debut v Blackpool (a) 05/10/1957

Appearances

League: 357(1) appearances Goals: 23 goals
FA Cup: 26 appearances Goals: 3 goals
League Cup: 17 appearances Goals: 0 goals
Total: 400 (1) appearances Goals: 26 goals

Honours: 40 Eire caps.

Gary Bennett

Central Defender 1984-95
6’0” 13st.0lbs
b. Manchester, 4th December 1961

That header against Gillingham might not have been enough to stop Sunderland being relegated to old division 3 in 1987 but it sent the Fulwell End into wild celebrations that those present will never forget.

A fierce competitor (ask David Speedie) who typified the desire to win, found in all supporter. Gary was an icon an a big favourite with the fans.

Career: Ashton United/Manchester City Sept 1979/Cardiff City Sept 1981/SUNDERLAND July 1984/Carlisle United Nov 1995/Scarborough player-coach July 1996/Darlington July 1998.
Sunderland debut v Southampton (h) 25/08/1984 (scored)

Appearances

League: 367 (7) appearances Goals: 24 goals
FA Cup: 17 (2) appearances Goals: 0 goals
League Cup: 34 (1) appearances Goals: 2 goals
Other: 16 appearances Goals: 0 goals
Total: 434 (10) appearances Goals: 26 goals

Honours: (Sunderland) FAC finalist 1992/FLC finalist 1985/Div 3 champs 1988.

Nick Pickering

Full back/Midfield 6’0”
11st.10lbs
b. South Shields, 4th August 1963

Oh Nicky Nicky, Nicky Nicky, Nicky Pickering. Local lads who played for this boyhood heroes. Many believe if Nick had played for a London Club he would have collected more than the solitary England cap he received in 1983. A hard working full back who could also play in midfield.

Career: Harton Comprehensive School/North Shields Schoolboys/SUNDERLAND assoc s’boy Sept 1977, app, pro Aug 1981/Coventry City Jan 1986/Derby County Aug 1988/Darlington Oct 1991/Burnley Mar 1993-Jun 1994.

Sunderland debut v Ipswich Town (a) 29/08/1981

Appearances

League: 177(2) appearances Goals: 18 goals
FA Cup: 10 appearances Goals: 0 goals
League Cup: 18 appearances Goals: 0 goals
Other: 2 appearances Goals: 0 goals
Total: 207 (2) appearances Goals: 18 goals

Honours: 1 Eng cap 1983/Eng Yth 1982/15 Eng U-21 apps. 1983-86/(Sunderland) FLC finanlist 1985/Coventry City FAC winner 1987.

Bobby Kerr

Midfield 1966-79
5’5” 9st.3lbs
b. Alexandria, Dumbartonshire, 16th November 1947

Career: Dumbarton Schools/Dumbarton Castle Rovers/Balloch Juniors/SUNDERLAND app cs 1963, pro Nov 1964/Blackpool Mar 1979/Hartlepool United July 1980-1982.

Sunderland debut v Man City (h) 31/12/1966 (scored)

Appearances

League: 355 (13) appearances Goals: 56 goals
FA Cup: 29 (1) appearances Goals: 5 goals
League Cup: 14 appearances Goals: 1 goal
Other: 15 appearances Goals: 5 goals
Total: 413 (14) appearances Goals: 67 goals

Honours: (Sunderland) FAC winner 1973/Div 2 champs 1976.

Len Shackleton

Inside-forward/outside left 1947-58
5’8” 11st. 5lbs.
b. Bradford, 3rd May 1922

According to those lucky enough to have seen Leonard Francis Shackleton play football he was described as genius that was magical with the ball. The ‘Clown Prince’ as he was known could control a ball as if it was on a piece of elastic.

Apparently his skills were not just confined to the football field but you could even witness his ability trying to buy a packet of cigarettes in his shop. Rather than pass then to customers in their hands, on occasions he would juggle them and kick them straight into people’s hands.

Len Shackleton is probably the most talked about play along side Raich Carter that people talk about today despite having never witnessed either of them play.

Career: Bradford Schools/Kippax United/ Arsenal ground staff Aug 1938 (loaned to London Paper Mills and Enfield for development)/returned home on outbreak of WW2)/pro Bradford Dec 1940 (guest for Bradford City and Huddersfield Town during WW2)/Newcastle United Oct 1946 £13,000/SUNDERLAND Feb 1948 £20500, a then record/retired through injury Sept 1957.

Sunderland debut v Derby County (a) 14/2/1948

Appearances

League: 320 appearances Goals: 98 goals
FA Cup: 28 appearances Goals: 3 goals
Total: 348 appearances Goals: 101 goals

Honours: 5 Eng caps/2 Eng ‘B’ apps.l/3 Eng sch. Apps./2 FL apps.

Kevin Arnott

Midfield 1976-82
5’10” 11st. 12lbs
b. Gateshead, 28th September 1958

Career: St Aidan’s, Sunderland/Sunderland Schoolboys/SUNDERLAND assoc s’boy Oct 1973, app July 1975, pro Sept 1976 (Blackburn Rovers loan Nov 1981)/Sheffield United June 1982 (Blackburn Rovers loan Nov 1982)(Rotherham United loan Mar 1983)/Vasalund (Sweden) June –Oct 1987/ Chesterfield Aug 1988-1991/Playing in Sweden again in 1991/Nykarbley (Finland) 1992-94/Hebburn FC 1994/Jarrow Roofing Boldon CA player coach 1995 subsequently asst. manager/coach.

Sunderland debut v Wrexham (a) 12/01/1977 (sub) (FAC)

Appearances

League: 132 (1) appearances Goals: 16 goals
FA Cup: 6 (1) appearances Goals: 0 goals
League Cup: 7(1) appearances Goals: 1 goal
Other: 1 appearance Goals 0 goals
Total: 146(3) appearances Goals: 17 goals

Gordon Armstrong

Midfield 1984-96
6’0” 12st. 11lbs
b. Newcastle Upon Tyne, 15th July 1967

Gordon Armstrong was a left sided, strong running, hard tackling, and goal scoring midfielder. Comfortable on the left hand side or in central midfield Gordon was considered as one of the best young midfielders in the country when he broke into the Sunderland side as a teenager but in reality his lack of pace made him a very good second tier player able to hold his own in the top flight.

His one footedness was cancelled out by his relentless bravery and the fact he we was one of the best headers of the ball in the modern game. A regular scorer of great-headed goals and strikes in vital games, his longevity and commitment to the cause make him a Roker great.

Career: Newcastle Schoolboys/Northumberland Schoolboys/SUNDERLAND assoc s’boy June 1982 app, pro July 1985 (Bristol City loan August 1995)(Northampton Town loan Jan 1996)/Bury July 1996/Burnley Aug 1998.

Sunderland debut v West Bromwich Albion (a) 24/04/1985

Appearances

League: 336 (18) appearances Goals: 50 goals
FA Cup: 18 appearances Goals: 4 goals
League Cup: 25 (4) appearances Goals: 3 goals
Other: 13 appearances Goals 4 goals
Total: 392(22) appearances Goals: 61 goals

Honours: 1 FL app./(Sunderland) Div 3 champs 1988/(Bury) Div 2 champs 1997

Horatio Stratton Carter ‘Raich’

Inside- forward 1932-39
5’7”Weight: 10st.61bs
B.Hendon, Sunderland, 21st December 1913
Died: Hull, 9th October 1994

Raich was proud to captain his hometown club and lead them to cup glory in 1937 when the unfortunate Alex Hastings was unable to make the line up due to injury. One of rare specious of footballers that were equally comfortable on either foot.A true gentlemen who was natural gifted Raich was also a very good cricketer who played Minor Counties standard and was awarded his cap by Durham CCC in 1993.

Career: Hendon School/Sunderland Schools/Whitburn St Mary’s/Leicester City trial/Sunderland Forge/Esh Winning/SUNDERLAND am Nov 1930, pro Nov 1931/Derby County Dec 1945 £8,000/Hull City player-asst. manager Mar 1948 £6,000, player-manager May 1948-Sept 1951, player only to Apr 1952/Cork Athletic Jan-May 1953/Leeds United manager May 1953-June 1958/Mansfield Town manager Feb 1960/Middlesbrough manager Jan 1963-Feb 1966.

Sunderland Debut: v Sheffield Wednesday (a) 15/10/1932

Appearances

League: 245 appearances. Goals: 209
FA Cup: 31 appearances. Goals: 9
Total: 276 appearances. Goals 127

Honours: 13 Eng caps/17 Eng wartime int apps./4 Eng Sch apps./4 FL apps./(Sunderland) FL champs 1936/FAC winner 1937/(Derby County) FAC winner 1946//(Hull City) FL Div 3 Nth champs 1949/(Cork Athletic) FA of Ire Cup winner 1953.

Marco Gabbiadini

Forward 1987-92
5’10”Weight: 13st.4lbs
B. Nottingham, 20th January 1968

It had been a long time since Sunderland had a genuine 20+ goals a season man and when Marco ‘Goalo’ came along he was an instant hit with the Roker faithful.

Marco’s strike partner was Eric Gates and they were referred to by the local press as the ‘G’ force. Eric would lay them on for Marco and together they were a lethal combination who are remembered fondly on Wearside, especially for their goal a piece in the 1990 play off semi final at St James Park.

Career: Nunthorpe G.S./York City app Nov 1984, pro Sept 1985/SUNDERLAND Sept 1987/Crystal Palace Oct 1991/Derby County Jan 1992 (Birmingham City loan Oct-Nov 1996)(Oxford United loan Jan 1997)/Stoke City Dec 1997/York City Feb-May 1998/Darlington July 1998./Northampton Town 2000./Hartlepool 2003.

Sunderland Debut: v Chester City (h) 26/09/1987

Appearances

League: League: 158(2) Goals: 75
FA Cup: 5 appearances. Goals: 0
League Cup: 14 appearances. Goals: 9
Other: 6 appearances Goals: 3
Total: 183(2) appearances. Goals 87

Honours: England ‘B’ International.

Any comments about my 11 Sunderland AFC legends are welcome.

Sunderland AFC Supporters Memories

Safc Link Love

Sunderland AFC Forums
SMB
SAFC Forum
SAFC Fans
SAFC.com Forum

Sunderland AFC Statistical
Statcat

SAFC Supporters Associations

Sunderland SAFCSA (Headquarters)
George Forster
Association Office
1-2 Monk Street
Sunderland
SR6 0DB
Tel: (0191) 567 0067
e: s.landafcsuppassn@amserve.com

More Sunderland AFC Supporters Associatons

Charitable SAFC
Give4Strips

Sunderland AFC Fanzines
A Love Supreme

Sunderland AFC Videos
Sunderland AFC on Youtube

Sunderland AFC Chants
Sunderland AFC Chants

Sunderland Womens FC
Sunderland Womens FC

We love hearing the stories of Sunderland AFC supporters young and old why not add yours using the comments link below our other supporters memories.

---

Anonymous Sunderland AFC Poster wrote:

Well where do I begin, was it those stories from granddad or my dad and his brothers, going back to the thirties, right up to the fifties. No, I think it will be my days, the promotion of the greatest team in the land. In 1964, I stood in Fawcett Street to see my team (not dads or his brothers) do a lap of honour after promotion to the first division. To get a better view I got on some scaffolding outside the Vestry, these were the heady days of the sixties, when everything seemed to be going our way, it was short lived and back down we came.

Except for a good cup win in 1972-73 in which we beat Leeds 1-0 in the final, most of my time as a supporter has been a yo-yo time.

One of my best memories was a game against Man City as it was the last match when I would be there with my dad and his brothers. The Roker Roar was back and it was the first time I had stood in the Fulwell.

In 1985 I took my daughter to see Sunderland play at Wembley in the Milk Cup Final and on the way we picked up some supporters off another bus that had broken down. We missed the kick off and then Sunderland conceded an own goal and we missed a penalty. Despite the disappointment it was a good day to make friends with fellow football fans.
My worst memory is relegation to division 3 but Denis Smiths promotion campaign made up for the disappointment the following season.

The 1992 FA Cup campaign was enjoyable and Peter Reid’s days, which have not been all that bad. At least we are still in the premiership.

---

Carlos Van Doogle wrote:

Having a really poor memory doesn’t really help when writing about favourite memories whilst supporting Sunderland. To start with I can’t even remember my first game but I know I was taken by my dad (a supporter for a number of years). I started going regularly from about 1983-84 season and was a regular in the Roker End.

My first sunderland match came through my 'Uncle Mush'(Ray) taking me to watch sunderland as he did on many occasions through out the years, i remember being s#!t scared when the almighty Roker Roar went up! but after about 10 mins and a quick coaching lesson in a song was joining in and loving the experience. I can still remember the song, it was really difficult to learn....... something like: Sun-der-lund, SUN-DER-LUND etc etc!this was a start to (as many SAFC supporter will know) a relationship that provides as much tears as joy!!!!! if not more tears!!weather it's a case of relegation to the old 3rd division (i'll always hate Lawrie McMenemy for that) or the rise to the dizzy heights of 7th 2 years in a row in the premiership, it is a passion that I still love and always will.

---

Add your Sunderland AFC memories to this page forever by clicking on post a comment below.

---

Football History

History of Football

Ancient China – 250 BC

The earliest mention researchers have found of a football like game states that balls made of animal skin were kicked through a gap in a net stretched between poles 30 feet high. It is believed that tsu chu was played as part of the emporer’s birthday celebration. The Chinese also played some form of the game to prepare soldiers for battle during the Ts’in Dynasty (255 BC – 206 BC). Records indicate that tsu chu was played a lot during the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD).

Japan

Legend has it that slightly later than the Chinese, the Japanese started playing a football game called Kemari. Official records show the game of Kemari may have started a few hundred years later but it is highly likely that some type of game existed earlier. The game of Kemari was, and is, for all intense purposes a game of keepy-uppy. It involved a ball, which was made of deerskin and stuffed with sawdust. The ball was about 8 inches in diameter and was kicked between players.” www.footballnetwork.org

“There could be a varying number of players (anywhere from 2 to 12 players) and the game was not competitive but '..a more dignified and ceremonious experience..' requiring great levels of skill.” www.footballnetwork.org

“Some researchers believe that Marco Polo (1254 - 1324) found Kemari and brought it back to Europe as a forerunner to football. However football was already in Europe at that time so I am afraid we cannot give Marco Polo any credit for the discovery of football.” www.footballnetwork.org

Pacifica Islands

Using hands and feet, inhabitants of the Pacific Island used coconuts, oranges and pig bladders as balls. Natives of Polynesia are known to have played a variety of the game with a ball made of bamboo fibres.

The English Game develops
"Prior to the first meeting of the Football Association in the Freemasons` Tavern in Great Queen Street, London on 26 October 1863, there were no universally accepted rules for the playing of the game of football". (Wiki)

The English game developed through a hybrid of both FA Rules and Rugby football, where one half they would play rugby and the other half they would play the "FA" version, hence the half time break.

Gradually the games and rules for both Rugby and Football seperated and developed their rules further to become the game we know today. However this process was not instant as you can see for yourself by reading the Laws of the Game.

Early Sunderland

EARLY SUNDERLAND

Sunderland was once asunder-land that is land cut asunder, separated or put to one side. Sunderland is not mentioned in the Doomsday Book of 1086. Nevertheless by 1100 there was a fishing village at Sunderland.

Sunderland was made a town in 1154 when it was granted a charter. (A document granting the townspeople certain rights such as the right to hold a weekly market). Sunderland slowly grew. However it only had a population of a few hundred in the Middle Ages. It would seem tiny to us but settlements were very small in those days.

Sunderland like all other towns in England suffered severely from the Black Death in 1348-49 when perhaps half the population died but it soon recovered.

By the 14th century salt was being made in Sunderland. Seawater was heated in iron vats until it evaporated leaving behind the salt. Shipbuilding also began in the 14th century.

However Sunderland was small and unimportant until the 17th century. In 1565 a writer described it as: 'a fishing town and landing place which has 30 householders and is governed by Robert Bowes and the Bishop of Durham and ships and boats are loaded and unloaded but there are neither ships nor boats (belonging to the town) and only 7 fish cobbles that belong to the town occupying 20 fishermen. This town is in great decay of building and inhabitants'.

THE GROWTH OF SUNDERLAND

Sunderland changed after 1589 when Robert Bowes and John Smith started making salt at Sunderland. the salt was made in iron pans at the place later called Panns Bank. They owned their own coal pit at Offerton. They used the poor quality coal for evaporating seawater. The better quality coal was exported to London and East Anglia. Bowes Quay was built for this purpose. Soon Sunderland became famous for exporting coal. It was second to Newcastle, of course, but exports of coal and salt grew rapidly.

There was also an industry making lime for fertiliser and building in the 17th century. Alum and copperas were made in Sunderland and exported to be used in dyeing. By the end of the 17th century there was also a glass making industry in Sunderland.

The town grew rapidly. By the mid 17th century Sunderland had a population of around 1,500. By 1700 the population of Sunderland, Monkwearmouth and Bishopwearmouth was about 5,000.

In 1717 a body of men called the Wear Commissioners was formed. In 1723 they built a pier on the south bank of the Wear. In 1797 another pier was built on the north bank. Wearmouth Bridge was built in 1796.

In the 18th century the shipbuilding industry in Sunderland boomed. Sunderland also had a flourishing rope making industry. In 1798 for the first time a steam engine was used to power rope making equipment in Sunderland.

SUNDERLAND IN THE 19th CENTURY

In 1801, at the time of the first census, Sunderland had a population of 12,412. By the standards of the time it was a fairly large town. Furthermore the population of Sunderland soared in the 19th century. By 1901 it had risen to 146,000.

The building of a bridge over the Wear in 1796 led to the growth of a middle class suburb north of the river in the early 19th century but in Sunderland itself horrid working class slums were created. Like all towns in the 19th century Sunderland was dirty, overcrowded and unsanitary. Cholera struck in Sunderland in 1832 and in 1849.

However there were some improvements in the town during the 19th century. Gas was first used to light the streets in 1824. The first modern police force in Sunderland was created in 1837. The Penshaw Monument was erected in 1844.

Sunderland Water Company was formed in 1846. A network of sewers was built in the 1850s and 1860s. The Theatre Royal was built in 1855. Mowbray Park opened in 1857. Sunderland Museum, Library, and Art Gallery opened in 1879.

Also in 1879 horse drawn trams began to run in the streets of Sunderland.
Roker Park opened in 1879. A Town Hall was built in 1890. In 1895 Sunderland gained an electricity supply.

During the 19th century ship making boomed in Sunderland and the town became world famous for this industry. Other important industries were glass, pottery and rope making. Exports of coal also boomed.

In the 19th century large amounts of coal were mined in Wearmouth. The first colliery at Monkwearmouth opened in 1835. It was followed by Ryhope Colliery in 1859, Silksworth Colliery in 1873 and Hylton Colliery in 1900. The port continued to flourish and Hudson North Dock opened in 1837. The South Dock was added in 1850. Hendon Dock followed in 1868.

SUNDERLAND IN THE 20th CENTURY

By 1901 the population of Sunderland was 146,000. In 1900 the first electric trams ran in Sunderland. However in the 1940s and 1950s they were replaced by buses. The last trams ran in 1954.

Sunderland Technical College opened in 1901.
The Bede Memorial was erected in 1904. The Wear Commissioners Offices were built in 1907. The Empire Theatre also opened in 1907.
Barnes Park opened in 1909. Backhouse Park followed in 1923. Thompson Park opened in 1933.
Roker breakwater was built in 1902. South breakwater was built in 1914. In 1928 the boundaries of the borough were extended to include Fulwell and Southwick. A new Wear bridge was built in 1929. Also that year a General Hospital opened. Deep Water Quay was built in 1934.
In the 1930s the council set about slum clearance. New council houses were built to replace the slums in Ford Hall, Leechmere and Marley Pots.

Then during World War II 267 people were killed in Sunderland by German bombing. About 1,000 houses were destroyed and about 3,000 were damaged.

Many more council houses were built in the 1950s and the early 1960s. (This was partly to replace slums that were demolished at that time). In 1967 the boundaries of Sunderland were extended to include Ryhope, Silksworth, Herrington, South Hylton and Castletown.
Sunderland Polytechnic was founded in 1969. It was made a university in 1992.

A new town hall and civic centre was built in 1970. A new police station was built in 1973. Monkwearmouth Station Museum opened in 1973. The North East Aircraft Museum was founded in 1974. A new General Hospital opened in 1978. The Bridges Shopping Centre was opened in 1988 and at the end of the century it doubled in size.

Silksworth Leisure Centre was built in 1976. Crowtree Leisure Centre opened in 1978. Northumbria Sports Centre opened in 1987. The Seaburn Sports Centre opened in 1989.

Sunderland suffered severely in the depression of the 1930s when up to a third of the men were unemployed. Joblessness was much lower during the 1950s and 1960s but it was always considerably higher than the national average. Mass unemployment returned in the 1980s.

Shipbuilding came to an end in Sunderland in 1988 after a long decline. Coal mining declined rapidly in the late 20th century and Sunderland's exports of coal plummeted. No more coal was exported after 1986. The last colliery in the area, Wearmouth colliery closed in 1993.

However new industries came to replace the old ones. Sunderland is now noted for its car making industry. (Nissan began making cars there in 1986). Other industries include electronic engineering, mechanical engineering, textiles and paper making.

Sunderland was made a city in 1992. Sunderland City Library and Arts Centre opened in 1995. The Stadium of Light was opened in 1997. The National Glass Centre opened in 1998. Today the population of Sunderland is 280,000.

Thankyou to Mr Tim Lambert for his permission to use his hard work.

Mr Lambert has exhaustively researched almost every town and city in the UK and Ireland you not supprisingly he even ventures into writing short histories about entire countries!

You can visit his website at Local and National Histories

History of Sunderland AFC

In 1879 Sunderland AFC was born and a journey of wonderful and interesting tales began.The journey started in Glasgow, and has so far travelled as far as the present day to the Sunderland Stadium Of Light.

Many supporters have enjoyed watching Sunderland AFC over the years and perhaps, even enjoyed telling stories to younger generations about great players even more. Most of us will have heard the stories of Leonard Francis Shackleton who used to be one of the greatest entertainers in football or the superb play of Horatio Stratton Carter.

How many can remember listening to grand parents saying “…footballers today they don’t know how to kick a ball.” or “They are not fit enough to lace Shacks boots.” We have not commented on which group of footballers from different eras are better than the others, that is for you to discuss with fellow supporters but it aims to improve your knowledge and appreciation of the history of Sunderland AFC.

If you don’t already know, the important role that Sunderland AFC plays in the lives of its supporters. How many supporters know why they support Sunderland AFC? Most will more than likely support Sunderland AFC because their father did, and he supports them because his father did. In a changing society a lot more female supporters are attending matches and these days attending football matches is a real family occasion. To be honest though as the song goes we may support Sunderland AFC because

“Something’s were meant to be”
WISE MEN SAY ONLY FOOLS RUSH IN
Wise men say, only fools rush in
But I can't help falling in love with you..

Wise men say, only fools rush in
But I can't help falling in love with you..

Shall I stay?
Would it be a sin?
Cause' I can't help falling in love with you...

As the river flows, Gently to the sea
Darlin so we go, something’s were meant to be..
Take my hand, take my whole life too
Cause' I can't help fallin in love with you...

As the river flows, Gently to the sea
Darlin so we know, something’s were meant to be
Take my hand, take my whole life too
Cause' I can't help fallin in love with you...

I can't help...falling in love with you
I can't help...falling in love with you
I can't help...falling in love with you...

In 1997, Doug Weatherall, a well respected journalist and self-confessed Sunderland fanatic was talking to a room full of Sunderland legends and Sunderland supporters. He mentioned how his father took him to see Sunderland AFC, and how from the first time he saw Horatio Stratton Carter play he was in love with Sunderland AFC and Horatio Stratton Carter was his hero.

Doug talked about prior to the success of winning the FA Cup in 1973 how he was criticised by a director for raising the hopes of the fans by writing critical articles about the club. He replied to the director saying how despite the low attendances at the time Roker Park could be full again.
He stated that not only could we be competing with Newcastle but we could be up there with Barcelona! Some may say, that like any fan, Doug has a dream and that it is only a dream to see Sunderland AFC competing with Barcelona, but when you develop an understanding of the history of Sunderland AFC you might be forgiving for thinking it is more than a dream.

After you have finished your journey in time you will no doubt be ever grateful to James Allen, the creator of the “grandest club in football”. (Leonard Francis Shackelton)

Next read the History of Sunderland AFC 1879 - 1900 era.

Safc - (2000 - 2006)

“Sunderland's first game of the 21st Century ended in much the same way as 100 years ago, with defeat, in fact 4 of them. The year 2000's first opponents were Wimbledon and the Selhurst Park reverse set the scene for a run of 12 games without victory. The sequence ended on 25 March and a 2-1 success against Everton at The Stadium of Light. Ironically our first league victory of the 20th Century had been at home to Liverpool.

Things however got better and the eventual finish of 7th was the club's best since 1954/55 when we ended 4th.

Almost 790,000 spectators witnessed league competition on Wearside, the 7th highest in the club's history. Not only did this ‘off the field’ statistic sum the club's progress up, but of course the team on it gave some sterling performances. Stability was the name of the game on Wearside and as the travelling hordes left White Hart Lane, following the campaign’s final day, a bright future looked assured. We'd missed out on Europe but that hadn't been the aim. Sunderland were back with the big boys and competing on level terms. No end of season jitters, no relegation fight. That, we hoped, was a thing of the past.

The 2000/2001 season started in success and controversy. The 1-0 home victory over North London's Arsenal saw both Frenchman Vieira sent off after a clash with Darren Williams and their Manager carpeted by the Football Association after an alleged tunnel incident with the referee.

The campaign was remarkably similar to the previous one. Ending with 57 points, just 1 less than 1999/2000, and 7th place. The last day saw us miss out on Europe again, as Chelsea won at Manchester City, Sunderland drew with Everton at Goodison.

Kevin Philips became only the third Sunderland player since the war to score 100 goals. This season saw the opening of the extension of the North Stand which increased the capacity of the Stadium of Light to 48,300. It also saw the Black Cats achieve their second highest average crowd in the Club’s history and was the first season where every single League attendance topped 44,000.

Boss, Peter Reid signed a new contract having managed Sunderland through more than 300 competitive games, topping 300 mark when the Black Cats welcomed Newcastle United to the Stadium of Light.

The fact that Sunderland had attracted the second highest crowd average in the Club’s history, 46,832 and the third highest in the country lead to increased expectation that the Black Cats could start to compete with the more well established elite.

Disappointing is perhaps how the Club’s 2001/02 season could be described. With two seventh place finishes many fans hoped for Europe instead Sunderland hovered around mid table before sliding into the lower end in the final few weeks of the campaign. Following a poor start to the 2002/03 season Sunderland parted company with Manager Peter Reid, who had been with the Club for seven years.

Reids replacement came in the form of the FA’s Technical Director Howard Wilkinson. Wilkinson brought with him Steve Cotterill from Stoke who he described as a bright young talent and orchestrated the return of former payer and fans favourite, Kevin Ball in a coaching role. The Club moved into their state-of-the-Art training facility, the Academy of Light, and everyone hoped these changes would bring about a turn in fortunes.

Unfortunately the run of bad form continued and with nine games remaining Howard Wilkinson was succeeded by former Republic of Ireland boss, Mick McCarthy.

McCarthy was a popular appointment with supporters however even the luck of the Irish couldn’t turn the Black Cats fortunes and following a 2-0 defeat by Birmingham City at St. Andrew’s Sunderland were mathematically relegated to the First Division.” (safc.com)

This was a sign of things to come in the forthcoming chapters of Sunderland AFC. Under Mick Macs reign as manager we were to see a whole host of records broken, for all the wrong reasons. The biggest humiliation came in the guise of being relegated (again) from the Premiership with an all time record points tally of just 15.

It was not long before the head of the irishman was called for, shortly followed by a show of strength from Sunderland supporters campaigning for the resignation of the then Chairman Bob Murray.

It was yet another era in Sunderland AFC`s past we will not remember with any fond emotion.

The appointment of Kevin Ball as caretaker manager was a popular one amongst supporters amid growing rumours of a consortium led by Niall Quinn, to take over Sunderland AFC.

Eventually Niall and his Drumaville consortium took over the club with an initial bid of £10 million, after months of speculation we had secured a much needed injection of cash and a new direction with fresh eyes.

One of the first acts of the board was to seek a manager of a calibre that would steady the sinking ship as well as attract the players the Sunderland support and following deserved. The rumour mill being as it was got it right first time round with the appointment of Roy Keane.

Roy Keane dived right into the transfer market and brought much needed experience to the club. This now brings us to our present campaign within the Coca Cola Championship where nothing less than a play off place after recent seasons debacles will do.

One more time: Sunderland AFC "I can`t help falling in love with you......"

Safc - (1980 - 2000)

“Managers came and went in rapid succession during the eighties: promoted again under Ken Knighton in 1980, three years of struggle with Alan Durban in charge, relegated in 1985 under Len Ashurst. The same season they lost 1-0 (an own goal) to Norwich City at Wembley in the Milk Cup Final. This was bad enough but then in 1987 they were relegated to the third division through the play-off system after two years under Lawrie McMenemy. To try to make matches more interesting near the end of the season the league had introduced play-offs for promotion and relegation, and Sunderland were among the first victims.

This said it all about Sunderland AFC. If you were a cynic you could perhaps have indicated that this was inevitable. Lessons dating as far back as the 1950's hadn't been learnt. A lack of investment, instability, dithering leadership. Basically all that this famous club had left were its fans.

On the face of it the third division championship in 1988 does not seem an achievement when set against Sunderland's great past, but the team and manager Denis Smith did all that could be asked of them, winning more points and scoring more goals than any team in any division. Marco Gabbiadini was everyone's hero.

Promotion to the top flight was achieved via a remarkable sequence of events that included a play off victory over arch rivals Newcastle United, despite a St James Park pitch invasion; Wembley defeat in the final against Swindon Town turned to joy with the Wiltshire club's illegal payments scandal and demotion.

So Sunderland were back, but for how long?
Throughout the eighties ground capacity was seriously reduced due to new safety regulations. In 1982 half of the Roker End was demolished, taking capacity below 40,000. A fire at Bradford had killed 86 spectators during a match in 1985. Four years later overcrowding on the terraces at Hillsborough in Sheffield led to 96 deaths. The government made new laws to try to improve safety. Large football grounds would have to be all seating by 1994, a move which was unpopular with supporters (who traditionally prefer standing), and terrifying to football clubs (because of the immense cost of rebuilding). Sunderland began to plan a future away from Roker Park.

The start to the decade was a struggle with too many drawn games and narrow defeats, and it ended in the club's sixth relegation in 33 years on the last day of the season at Manchester City. Off the field Sunderland won a national award as Community Club of the Year, leading a growing movement towards greater involvement in coaching and education among local people.

Another poor season in the league 1991/92 almost ended in fairy tale success. Malcolm Crosby rose from reserve team coach to manager to lead his team out at Wembley for Sunderland's fourth FA Cup Final. Sunderland had the better of the first half, but the strength and experience of Liverpool secured a 2-0 win with two second half goals.

There was now a growing gap in football between the big, wealthy clubs and the rest. It led to the first division clubs breaking away from the Football League to set up the FA Premiership for the 1992/93 season. Terry Butcher had been appointed and took charge for 1992/93 but the promise once more nearly ended in disaster as Sunderland avoided the dreaded now 2nd division by only 1 point.

1993/94 with Mick Buxton witnessed a mediocre season. Our mid table finish was perhaps progress from the previous seasons disaster but Sunderland were still struggling in the wilderness. The future looked grim, but help was just around the corner.

Sunderland AFC revealed an ambitious plan for a new stadium with up to 48,000 seats, a huge car park, private boxes, restaurants and lounges, to be built on a green-field site in Washington. The £120 million project would include leisure, retail and hotel facilities intended to provide a major venue for sporting and conference events for the region. Supporters voted 96% in favour. However, the Washington stadium plan met planning objections and the club set its sights on the former Wearmouth Colliery land less than a mile from Roker Park. There seemed to be better prospects for planning approval for this site.

Peter Reid arrived at Sunderland AFC with just 7 games remaining of the 1994/95 season, relegation hanging over the club and an investigation into The Black Cats fielding an ineligible player. We survived by the skin of our teeth. Then the tide turned for Wearside.

With basically the same squad that had only just survived relegation the previous season, 1995/96 brought about the Football League Championship. Good news on the stadium front as the club looked forward to a new home.

1996/97 would be our last season at Roker Park, as a Premier League ground. Sunderland took their leave from Roker Park after 99 years and in doing so said farewell to one of the most famous grounds in British football. It also ended in the tears of relegation on the final day of the season in South London, with defeat by Wimbledon. What would the future hold at our new home?

The Stadium Of Light was immense. The inaugral game against Ajax of Amsterdam saw supporters stare in disbelief at their new home. Once more however the campaign ended in tears, at Wembley Stadium, as one of the all time classic matches ended 4 v 4. Football's own game of Russian roulette was witnessed as Charlton Athletic pipped Sunderland for promotion on penalties. 1997/98 was an historic season for the club, but things were about to reach new heights.

In 1998/99 Sunderland not only reached the Worthington Cup semi final but swept all before them in the league. A record 105 points saw them deservedly enter the promised land of the FA Carling Premiership.

Sunderland's infrastructure was the envy of all as 40,000 plus crowds became common place as The Black Cats settled excellently to life back with the Big Boys. No relegation, no heartaches, just a brilliant and solid season, which saw the club end 7th, their highest placing in over 40 years. We had the European Golden shoe winner in 30 goal Kevin Phillips. A bright future lay ahead for the club.

The 20th Century ended at home to Manchester United. The present Kings of English football against the past...and perhaps future? No one knew...as the excitement rose....” (safc.com)
2000 - Present

Sunderland's first game of the 21st Century ended in much the same way as 100 years ago, with defeat, in fact 4 of them. The year 2000's first opponents were Wimbledon and the Selhurst Park reverse set the scene for a run of 12 games without victory. The sequence ended on 25 March and a 2-1 success against Everton at The Stadium of Light. Ironically our first league victory of the 20th Century had been at home to Liverpool.
Things however got better and the eventual finish of 7th was the club's best since 1954/55 when we ended 4th.

Almost 790,000 spectators witnessed league competition on Wearside, the 7th highest in the club's history. Not only did this ‘off the field’ statistic sum the club's progress up, but of course the team on it gave some sterling performances. Stability was the name of the game on Wearside and as the travelling hordes left White Hart Lane, following the campaign’s final day, a bright future looked assured. We'd missed out on Europe but that hadn't been the aim.

Sunderland were back with the big boys and competing on level terms. No end of season jitters, no relegation fight. That, we hoped, was a thing of the past.

The 2000/2001 season started in success and controversy. The 1-0 home victory over North London's Arsenal saw both Frenchman Vieira sent off after a clash with Darren Williams and their Manager carpeted by the Football Association after an alleged tunnel incident with the referee.

The campaign was remarkably similar to the previous one. Ending with 57 points, just 1 less than 1999/2000, and 7th place. The last day saw us miss out on Europe again, as Chelsea won at Manchester City, Sunderland drew with Everton at Goodison.

Kevin Philips became only the third Sunderland player since the war to score 100 goals. This season saw the opening of the extension of the North Stand which increased the capacity of the Stadium of Light to 48,300. It also saw the Black Cats achieve their second highest average crowd in the Club’s history and was the first season where every single League attendance topped 44,000.

Boss, Peter Reid signed a new contract having managed Sunderland through more than 300 competitive games, topping 300 mark when the Black Cats welcomed Newcastle United to the Stadium of Light.

The fact that Sunderland had attracted the second highest crowd average in the Club’s history, 46,832 and the third highest in the country lead to increased expectation that the Black Cats could start to compete with the more well established elite.

Disappointing is perhaps how the Club’s 2001/02 season could be described. With two seventh place finishes many fans hoped for Europe instead Sunderland hovered around mid table before sliding into the lower end in the final few weeks of the campaign. Following a poor start to the 2002/03 season Sunderland parted company with Manager Peter Reid, who had been with the Club for seven years.

Reids replacement came in the form of the FA’s Technical Director Howard Wilkinson. Wilkinson brought with him Steve Cotterill from Stoke who he described as a bright young talent and orchestrated the return of former payer and fans favourite, Kevin Ball in a coaching role. The Club moved into their state-of-the-Art training facility, the Academy of Light, and everyone hoped these changes would bring about a turn in fortunes.

Unfortunately the run of bad form continued and with nine games remaining Howard Wilkinson was succeeded by former Republic of Ireland boss, Mick McCarthy.

McCarthy was a popular appointment with supporters however even the luck of the Irish couldn’t turn the Black Cats fortunes and following a 2-0 defeat by Birmingham City at St. Andrew’s Sunderland were mathematically relegated to the First Division.” (safc.com)

Next read about Sunderland AFC 2000 - Present day.

Safc - (1960 - 1980)

“Charlie Hurley is a name that thousands of people my age have heard stories from their fathers about. While it might be argued whether he is the greatest player of the century there is no doubt that the feeling of genuine respect is reciprocated by both player and fans alike.”

Sunderland AFC kicked off the 1958-59 season for the first time in the clubs history in the second division and many of the fans from previous years were missing for the opening game of the season.

A poor start to the season showed that Sunderland might not get promoted but they should be worried about back-to-back relegations. In their first season in division 2 Sunderland finished fifteenth.

The following season Sunderland finished sixteenth and the decade ended with the club once dubbed “Bank of England Club” in real trouble. Manager Alan Brown was relying heavily on a youth policy to get Sunderland back on track.

Sunderland were still in the second division at the beginning of the 1960’s and manager Alan Brown was investing heavily in young players to help Sunderland push for promotion.
Blending homegrown talent with some shrewd buys, players such as Stan Anderson, Jimmy McNab, Jimmy Montgomery, Cecil Irwin, Nick Sharkey and of course Charlie Hurley would write themselves into the history books as Sunderland greats.

Harry Hooper and Willie McPheat were signed in September and it was hoped they along with the rest of the lads would guide Sunderland to promotion. Unfortunately, they went thirteen games without a victory.

46,000 spectators watched Sunderland draw 1-1 against Sheffield United on Boxing Day when Willie McPheat scored his 7th goal in 11 games. The Lads beat Arsenal in the third round of the FA Cup and followed this up with a win against Liverpool in front of 46,000 for a place in the fifth round.

A 1-0 victory in the fifth round away to Norwich set Sunderland up with a quarter final against Tottenham Hotspur. Sunderland were one goal down at half time but soon after the restart Willie McPheat scored the equaliser and the Roker Roar could be heard for miles. Danny Blanchflower was quoted as saying this was the loudest noise he had heard from a crowd when the ball hit the back of the net!

The game finished 1-1 and Sunderland were well beaten in the replay at White Hart Lane 5-0. Spurs would go on to win the 1st division and the FA Cup and achieve the double.
Two days before the end of the season Sunderland signed George Herd and Brian Clough from Middlesbrough for £40,000.

Sunderland finished 6th in the league 11 points from a promotion place.
The start of the1961-62 season saw Sunderland change their strip much to the annoyance of many fans. Traditional black shorts were replaced by white
At the end of the season Sunderland had achieved a remarkable 37 points out of 42 at home but Sunderland needed to beat Swansea on the last game of the season to go up but could only manage a 1-1 draw. Leyton Orient were promoted along with champions Liverpool.
The 1962-63 began full of optimism after narrowly missing out on promotion the previous season. New signings George Mulhall and Johnny Crossan were added to the squad, and with Brian Clough in attack Sunderland were title contenders.

Boxing Day brought nothing but misery for Brian Clough and Sunderland when the star striker (who had scored 28 goals in 28 games) charged in for a rebound after Hurley had missed a penalty against Bury and damaged his cruciate ligament that would keep him out for 2 years and eventually end his career.

Sunderland lost the game against Bury and Nick Sharkey would emerge as Cloughs replacement and in his fifth game he scored 5 goals in one game.

The Lads needed to draw their game against Chelsea on the last home game of the season but lost 1-0 and when Chelsea beat Portsmouth 7-0 Sunderland missed out on promotion on goal difference.

Brian Usher emerged during the 1963-64 season from the clubs youth system. After two seasons of missing out on promotion everyone hoped it would be third time lucky.
The season started well with wins against Huddersfield (2-0) and Portsmouth (3-0) and despite a slip up against Northampton at home the lads would continue with good wins against Newcastle, Man City, Leeds, Leyton Orient and Derby.

Sunderland flirted with the idea of winning the FA Cup but lost a quarter final tie to Manchester United after drawing 3-3 at Old Trafford and drawing 2-2 at Roker Park.

“The game against Manchester United at Roker Park saw gates into the Roker End collapse under the pressure of fans trying to attend the game. In fact, people have even said how they weren’t intending going to the game but were dragged in by the volume of the crowd.” (Graeme Thorpe, 4 August 2004) Sunderland lost the 3rd game 5-1 at Leeds Road (Thanks go to Nemo and Onlyfoolsrushin of the SMB for correcting me on the correct venue of Leeds Road NOT Old Trafford, firstly to Nemo who suffered the match and secondly to Onlyfoolsrushin for restoring Nemos sanity).

Nearer the end of the season Sunderland needed 3 point from 3 games and as you can imagine there was a lot of apprehension as Sunderland had come close in previous seasons. A draw against Southampton and a 2-1 win over Charlton saw Sunderland promoted back where they belonged.

Only 17 players had been used throughout the season and Len Ashurst, Johnny Crossan, George Mulhall and Jimmy Montgomery were ever presents in the side. Similar to Cochrane’s successes of the 1930’s, Alan Brown had heavily relied on youth to achieve promotion.

Alan Brown had spent 5 years in achieving promotion to top-flight football and then shocked everyone by announcing he was leaving to manage Sheffield Wednesday.

Youth team goalkeeper Derek Forster made his debut aged 15 years and 185 days breaking he record for the youngest player ever to play as a keeper in the football league.

In November Sunderland appointed George Hardwick as their new manager at a time when the lads had only won one game against Blackburn at home. Two victories followed after his appointment against Burnley (3-2) and Everton (4-0).

Brian Clough had retired and Hardwick was given no money to spend. During the middle period of the season Sunderland hit a bit of a purple patch and showed what they could potential achieve .

Ian McColl replaced Geroge Hardwick before the start of the 1965-66 season and one of the first signing he made was Jim Baxter who was a regular in the Scotland side. Ironically, both men had played for Rangers and in a pre season friendly against Celtic, Sunderland were beaten 5-0.
Sunderland started of well but their performance dipped nearer the end of the year and there was a lack of firepower up front. Neil Martin a Scottish International was signed for £50,000.

Five defeats in a row in March & April meant that relegation back to the second division was a possibility. The Lads turned things around and finished 3 points above a relegation place in 19th position.

The end of the season wasn’t the end of competitive matches at Roker Park because it was a venue for World Cup matches. Temporary seating was added to the Fulwell End for the games and Roker hosted a group that consisted of Chile, Italy, USSR and South Korea. Roker Park also hosted a semi final game between USSR and Hungary.

Sunderland got off to a bad start in the 1966-67 season when they were defeated 3-1 by Arsenal in front of 38,304 at Roker Park. Results didn’t improve and Sunderland were grateful to Bobby Kerr when he emerged in the New Year to score 7 goals in 11 games. Sunderland remained unbeaten in the first 2 months on the New Year.

Booby Kerr broke his leg during a cup time against Leeds United and Sunderland were dumped out of the cup by Leeds in the replay. After Kerr’s injury Sunderland’s form slumped and they finished seventeenth in the league.

Colin Todd and Colin Suggett emerged from the youth team during the season and there was plenty of hope for the following season.

Ian McColl was sacked after a cup exit to third division Norwich in the third round of the FA Cup. The new manager was previous manager Alan Brown and ironically his first game back in charge was a 1-0 win against his former club Sheffield Wednesday.

New faces during the 1967-68 season saw Gordon Harris, Brian Chambers, Denis Tueart and Ian Porterfield come to Roker.

Alan Brown steered the club clear of relegation with only 1 defeat in their last 12 games and although it was hardly the season fans wanted there was at least hope due to the good finish.
Sunderland started the 1968-69 campaign with 2 wins, 1 draw and 2 defeats. Supporters were unsure what type of season lay ahead. By the end of October Sunderland had lost a lot of games including an 8-0 hammering off the Hammers.

A last day win against Burnley meant the lads survived relegation finishing seventeenth and 4 points from relegation.

1969-70 saw another run of poor results throughout the season and a 1-0 defeat against Liverpool on the last day of the season meant Sunderland were relegated to the second division.
“You could say that Sunderland's yo-yo period started from here. Promotions and relegations would now become common place, although the 1970's did have two very bright moments.
New manager Bob Stokoe, a former Newcastle player who took over with the team struggling in the league, produced the most dramatic revival with a second cup final victory in 1973. After beating Manchester City and Arsenal they overcame Leeds United, the cup holders, by one goal, the first time a second division team had won the cup for 40 years. The match is remembered for Ian Porterfield's goal and Jimmy Montgomery's brilliant double save. It was also a triumph for captain Bobby Kerr, the team's ‘little general’ who had twice recovered from leg fractures. Dave Watson and Dennis Tueart went on to play for England.

So Wearside entertained Europe for the first time in the shape of Vasas from Budapest and Sporting Lisbon. The interlude was brief but exciting.

Sunderland were second division champions in 1976 with a team which included the evergreen Bryan "Pop" Robson. They seemed to be on the way back towards real success, but poor results led to manager Stokoe resigning the next season and the club was relegated again under manager Jimmy Adamson. Goalkeeper Montgomery, the only survivor from the 1973 team, went on to set a new appearance record with 537 league games.

The year of the club's centenary, 1979, should have seen great celebrations, but they were still in the second division and crowds were declining. However the Supporters Association held a vote for ‘Player of the Century’ and Charlie Hurley was the man chosen.

New manager Ken Knighton boldly brought an Argentinian player to Roker at a cost of over £300,000. His name was Claudio Marangoni, but he disappointingly failed to impress, although he did have his moments, and he returned to South America.

A dramatic decade ended on a high with promotion against West Ham United at Roker Park. On a barmy Wearside evening Stan Cummins and Kevin Arnott sealed our place back in the big time with thousands locked out.

The 1980's however were not for the faint hearted.” (safc.com)

Next read the Sunderland AFC 1980 - 2000 era.

Safc - (1940 - 1960)

The 1940’s were dominated by the events of WW2 and in contrast to WW1 professional football was suspended as soon as war was declared. A special war time cup competition ran and Sunderland finished runners in 1942, when Wolves were victorious.

The first full season after the war was 1946-47. In a symbolic display the fixture list for the 1939-40 season was used with the lads starting off against the 3 team they played in 1939. These were Derby, Huddersfield and Arsenal. Only 3 player that took part in the fixture against Derby that played the fixture in1939. They were Johnn Mapson, Len Duns and Eddie Burbanks. 50,000 fans watched Sunderland defeat Derby 3-2. A good start to post war football!

Sunderland lost against Huddersfield and then earned a draw against Arsenal. So the first 3 games after the war read:

Played 3 Won 1 Drawn 1 Lost 1 For 5 Against 7 PTS 3

A 3-0 win against Brentford earned praise from Bees manager Harry Curtis who said “You made us look a poor lot today. You have the best side I have seen for many a day”
With a good home record Sunderland were looking good to win the championship and the board sanctioned the puchase of Jackie Robinson from Sheffield in October. Unfortunately his debut was a 2-1 defeat off Grimsby.

November saw a Sunderland fall to fourteenth in the league after a lot of defeat and it looked as though the lads wouldn’t finish in the top half of the table. A 2-1 win against Brentford at home saw only 12,000 watch as the lads finished the season in ninth.

The 1947-48 season didn’t start off well and there were four defeats in the first four weeks of the season. Ronnie Turnbull was signed from Dundee and he made a big impact scoring 4 goals on his debut against Portsmouth. Turnbull would go on to score only four more goals all season.
During this season Sunderland suffered a 5-1 hammering against Derby County with a certain Roker favourite called Raich Carter scoring a hat-trick against his hometown club.

In the 1940’s the board sanctioned a number of big deals and none more memorable than the purchase of Len Shackleton for a world record fee of £20,500 in 1948.

Nearer the end of the 1940’s Sunderland’s buying policy was appearing to pay off as all start line-ups were challenging for honours. The 1950’s would test out Sunderland’s buy to win policy.

“Upon meeting Leonard Francis Shackleton I felt a great admiration for him because he was held in such esteem by my grandfather. I just wished that my grandfather had still been alive so I could have shared my experience with him.” (Graeme Thorpe, 20 April 2004)

“The second time I met Len Shackleton I asked him about his tricks and immense ability to play the game in such a wonderful and entertaining way. I asked him if it was true he took a perfect corner after running down a pile of snow and he replied ‘Some stories are exaggerated, the corner wasn’t perfect!’ I had heard that story numerous times and to hear many of the stories again, from the man himself is something I will remember for the rest of my life.” (Graeme Thorpe, 20 April 2004)

Dickie Davis who was signed on schoolboy terms shortly after the war emrged during the 1947-48 season and scored 12 league goals in twenty-six games. He would go on to finish the leagues top goalscorer in the 1949-50 season.

During a season of huge disappointment it was a surprise that gates averaged over 42,000 with receipts a record £77,006 for the Club. Over £32,000 had been spent on players over the course of the season and the board would expect to see the benefits the following season.
Amazingly, after the close shave with relegation the season before the first game of 1948-49 season saw 48,000 fans watch a 2-0 win over Bolton at Roker Park. Hopes were raised when Sunderland went to Wolves and won 1-0, however as supporters of the Club from 1940 to date have found to their cost they were brought back to earth a huge bump when Liverpool thrashed the lads 4-0.

Sunderland had no problems scoring goals but they twice through away 3 goal leads against Wolves and Blackpool.

Sunderland played Newcastle in the first derby match since 1934 (Newcastle were relegated) and drew 1-1 at Roker Park.

In the New Year Sunderland travelled to non league Yeovil Town in the fourth round of the FA Cup. Red-hot favourites to win the tie, Sunderland lost what is arguable their most famous defeat ever. Yeovils long ball on their famous sloping pitch proved to be a real problem for Sunderland and they took the lead through player manager Alec Stock after 28 minutes. Sunderland equalise but Bryant scored in extra time to give non league Yeovil Town a famous victory against a famous football league side.

The following Monday the Board sanctioned the purchase of Ivor Broadis from Carlisle for a fee of £18,000. It was hoped this would boost confidence and improve results but Sunderland went on to lose four games in a row to Arsenal, Hudderfield, Portsmouth and Newcastle. Despite the huge amounts of money spent it seemed Sunderland were doomed for relegation.
The Lads turned things around and after a defeat against Portsmouth they remained unbeaten for the rest of the season and finished a eighth in the league.

Despite cup humiliation to Yeovil Town, near relegation and an opening day defeat away to Liverpool in the 1948-59 season 56,504 fans turned up to watch Sunderland defeat Arsenal 4-2 with Shack running riot.

Overall, the season didn’t start well but Sunderland had a good run of results after the turn of the New Year and were still in with a chance of the title with 3 games left. However, hopes were ended when Huddersfield beat the lads 3-1. Two wins against Everton and Chelsea saw Sunderland finish 1 point behind the leaders in 3rd position.

“The 1950's was perhaps the most dramatic decade of the Club's history. This crucial period would govern our future success. With life returning to normal after the devastation of War, it was make or break time. Unfortunately for Sunderland it would be "break" with an illegal payments scandal rocking the club. Whilst big money signings flowed in and out of the club on a regular basis it eventually culminated in a first ever relegation.” (www.safc.com)
Sunderland were known as the “Bank of England Club” throughout the 1950’s due to the number of expensive transfers.

With a forward line of Shack and Ivor Broadis Sunderland fans were optimistic that the Club would turn the corner and 52,000 watched an opening day victory over Derby County at Roker Park. Once again, the fans were brought back down to earth with a bump when they lost 3-1 to Aston Villa. Defeats against Liverpool, Fulham, Wolves and only a draw against Aston Villa meant the season hadn’t started as hoped.

Trevor Ford was signed from Aston Villa for record fee of £30,000. This showed the rest of the country that Sunderland were a big spending club. Ford’s debut away to Chelese ended with a 3-0 defeat but 48,900 watched Sunderland hammer Sheffield Wednesday 5-1, including a hat-trick from Ford who actually broke one of the Fulwell End goal posts! A slight downside was an injury to Shack that kep him out for a couple of weeks.

In October 1950 Billy Bingham was signed from Irish outfit Glentoran for a fee of £5,000
Sunderland finished a disappointing twelfth in the league which wasn’t good enough for a Club that had spent as much money as Sunderland. A hugely talent team had failed to fulfil their promise and potential.

Another poor start to the 1951-52 season wasn’t what everyone was wanting and in October Sunderland sold Ivor Broadis to Manchester City for a fee of £20,000. When Sunderland were defeated away to Charlton they had only accumulated 11 points out of a possible 32. The Boards solution was to spend money and they purchased George Aitken for a fee of “30,000 from Scottish side Third Lanark.

Sunderland accumulated 42 points for the season and had managed to pick up 20 points on their travels but Roker Park was not the fortress it once was and only 22 points were accrued at home.

The only major signing pre season for 1952-53 was goalkeeper Harry Threadgold from Chester.
Again, another big crowd of 50,000 watched Sunderland beat Charlton 2-1 on the opening day of the season. A first victory away to Arsenal for 22 years indicated that the lads might improve on previous years performances but a they then lost three in a row, including a 2-0 home derby defeat against Newcastle.

Things improved for a while but November was a struggle and defeats against Preston, Cardiff and Charlton signalled that not all was well. There were some decent results in the remainder of games, notable 3-1 win over Arsenal and a 5-2 mauling of Wolves but Sunderland ended the season in ninth position.

The 1952-53 season witnessed their first game under floodlights away to Southampton on 1 December 1952 and then on 10 December Sunderland entertained Dundee under floodlights at Roker Park.

The Clubs Annual Report showed that floodlit games had generated extra revenue of £15,800 the temporary lighting was replaced with permanent fixtures in the close season.
Before the 1953-54 season there was a flurry of transfer activity leading to the Club being dubbed the “Bank of England Club”. Nine players arrived for a total fee of £70,000. These included Jimmy Cowan from Morton (£8,000), Ray Daniel from Arsenal (£27,000) and Billy Elliott from Burnley (£26,000). It was believed that these three players alongside the current stars would end the bad days at Roker.

Other players signed included Joe McDonald from Falkirk and Ken Chisholm from Cardiff. The Board even tried to sign Jackie Milburn from Newcastle but were snubbed despite Milburn’s interest in a move to link up with his old pal Shack.

Many Clubs were becoming envious of Sunderland and the club became the target of abuse form others who were saying that Sunderland’s financial spending was too excessive and harmful to the game. Every team throughout the country wanted to beat Sunderland (similar to Liverpool 70’s 80’s Man United 90’s 00’s)

Amazingly Sunderland lost 4 of their 5 opening games. They had no problem scoring but couldn’t stop conceding goals as well. After 10 games Sunderland had just 7 points from a possible 20. Another three defeats followed, including a hammering by Preston 6-2 and the Lads were bottom of the table.

Trevor Ford was sold to Cardiff for a fee of £30,000. Stories from older supporters suggested that Ford and Shack struggled to get on with each other and this cause a rift within the team.
Not put off by signing players Sunderland purchased Ted Purdon from Birmingham for a fee of £15,000.

Sunderland escaped relegation by the smallest of margins by drawing 0-0 away to Middlesbrough, beating Sheffield United 3-1 and Burnley 2-1in their last three games of the season. Other teams around them failed to pick up enough points and Sunderland were safe.

“After 68 years continuous membership of the Football League's top flight The Black Cats bowed out of the 1st division. We didn't know it then, but it would be 40 years before our rehabilitation was complete and we were in a position to compete with the best in England.” (safc.com)

Next read the Sunderland AFC 1960 - 1980 era

Safc - (1920 -1940)

In an attempt to bring silverware back to Roker Park Sunderland spent a lot of money during the 1920’s and broke the world record transfer fee on two separate occasions.

The teams of the 1920’s were very entertaining, and included prolific goal scorers such as Charlie Buchan, Dave Halliday and Bobby Gurney.

Roker Park was developed in the 1920’s to include a new Grandstand and season tickets were also introduced.

Two defeats against local rivals Newcastle (6-1 away and 2-0 at hoem) prompted the board to buy Jack Mitton and Charlie Parker. Parker commanded a record transfer fee of £3,500.
An unspectacular season ended with Sunderland in a mid table 12th position with the star of the season Charlie Buchan of whom the Time stated

“Their improvement has been largely brought about by the play of Buchan at centre-forward…”
Sunderland’s performances in 1922 were becoming steadily worse and the Lads only managed to secure 3 points in the whole of January and February.

The board, in a bid to stop the slide of poor results spent big, including another record signing of England International defender Warney Cresswell from Second Division South Shields, costing £5,500.

In addition to Cresswell Michael Gilhooley arrived from Hull for a fee of £5,250. Unfortunately Gilhooley was badly injured after only 4 games. He only made 20 appearances for Sunderland.
Jock Patterson also joined the club for a similar fee and Sandy Donaldson closely followed all at the end of March. The Club had spent a total of £20,000 in a matter of weeks!
Performances picked up after the signings and the Lads stayed clear of trouble, including a Donaldson hat trick in a 6-2 win against Bolton.

The next season saw Sunderland challenging for the title with the help on new signings and the goals fro Charlie Buchan, who finished as the leagues top goal scorer on 30 goals.

A poor run in March and April saw the Lads miss out another title and they finished 2nd, 6 points behind Liverpool.

The 1923/24 season saw Sunderland, once again challenging for the title but once again the Lads failed to win the title and the final hurdle and they finished 3rd behind champions Cardiff City and Huddersfield.

The rest of the 1920’s saw Sunderland struggle after some promising starts.
During this time though the club would see the emergence of local youngster Bobby Gurney although he wouldn’t really shine until the 1930’s.

“The 1927 - 28 season ended with a dramatic final match at Middlesbrough. The losers would be relegated to the second division of the league: under frantic pressure from the home side, Sunderland won 3-0 to send Middlesbrough down.” (www.safc.com)

Johnny Cochrane was appointed manager for the 1928/29 season and steered the Lads to a respectable 4th, 5 points behind Champions Sheffield Wednesday. Dave Halliday scored an amazing 43 goals in 42 league games, a club record unlikely ever to be broken.

The Clubs Genreal Meeting reported profits of £1,574 and the Main Stand at Roker Park was built (for about £25,000). Ground capacity was now around 60,000. Season tickets were introduced and season ticket holder had their name printed on their seats.

“Although we failed to bring home the silverware it was widely regarded as a very exciting decade in the club's growing history. The goalscoring was magnificent and we looked forward to a brilliant 1930's, perhaps the last great decade for the club.” (www.safc.com). The appointment of Johnny Cochrane left the Club with hope for future success.

“The 1930's were probably the best seasons ever for the club, in terms of both success and excitement. Manager Cochrane embarked on a rebuilding programme that, with similar overtones to the start of the 21st Century, was built on youth. It paid handsome dividends.” (www.safc.com)

It was a time of high unemployment in the area and this was reflected in the clubs lowest attendance of 4,000 but amazingly during the same period the club achieved its highest attendance of 75,118.

“An FA Cup replay with Derby County in 1933 drew 75,118 spectators, (on a Wednesday afternoon - no floodlights in those days!) another record which will never be challenged.” (http://www.safc.com/)

Jimmy Conner a young winger was signed from St Mirren and started his Sunderland career on 30 August 1930.

Not long after, Johnny Cochrane signed left half Alex Hastings from Stenhousmuir to improve the defence in a bid to seal a leaky defence.

The 1930/31 season saw theLads finished 11th in the league and lost in the semi final of the FA Cup to Birmingham at Elland Road 2-0.

The club saw the emergence of possibly the finest sportsmen ever to have played for Sunderland AFC. Hortatio (Raich) Stratton Carter represented England at both football and cricket and was a fine and outstanding gentleman born in Hendon, Sunderland.

“Raich Carter was one of those players my grandfather would talk to me about for days on end and as a 10 year old boy I would listen eagerly and then rather foolishly try to compare someone like Raich Carter to Paul Lemon”. (Graeme Thorpe, 20 April 2004)

The next couple of seasons saw little improvement and Sunderland finished 13th and 12th in the league for seasons 1931/32 and 1932/33 respectively.

1The 1933/34 season saw a much needed improvement to the side. With strikers such as Bobby Gurney, Raich Carter, Pastsy Gallagher and Davis who finished the season with 21, 17, 17 and 10 goals respectively the Lads were scoring goals.

Young defenders in the team such a Charlie Thompson, Alex Hastings and Johnson ensured that defensively the Lads were improving.

Sunderland finished 6th in 1933/34 and 1934/35 they were ready to begin an assault on the league title. Sunderland took full points from their opening five games.
Then, the Lads started to struggle at home but away from home they were unbeatable until a 6-2 defeat away to Everton on Christmas Day.

Unfortunately, the Lads only managed ended the seasons with 3 draws in the last 4 games and finished in 2nd spot 4 points behind Arsenal.

With a young side, everyone was looking forward to the next season with the hope that Sunderland would become football league champions for a sixth time. During this season Sunderland would have a settled side of:

Jimmy Thorpe
William Murray Alex Hall
Charlie Thomson James Clark Alex Hastings
Bert Davis Raich Carter Bobby Gurney Patsy Gallagher Jimmy Connor

Sunderland didn’t get off to the start they wanted and were beaten 3-1 by current champions Arsenal at Highbury. Victories against West Brom, Many City, West Brom and Stoke put Sunderland back on track and 30,000 fans witnessed a 7-3 thrashing of Blackburn.

Sunderland were playing well and when Arsenal came to Roker Park on 28 December 1935 Sunderland won a classic encounter that could have gone either way 5-4.

During a game in February 1936 against Chelsea Sunderland goalkeeper Jimmy Thorpe lost his life at the age of 22, four days after being roughed up in a game against Chelsea. He was rushed to hospital after the game and it was later found out that Thorpe had suffered form diabetes.
“Jimmy Thorpe, who by chance, has the same surname as me is a man that despite having never met, I often shed a tear for, because he died playing a game of football for the team I support.” (Graeme Thorpe, 20 April 2004)

Johnny Mapson aged 19 replaced Jimmy Thorpe in goal and he would make his final appearance for the club in 1953.

“It is sad to think that despite his loyalty to the club he didn’t receive a testimonial in recognition of his services especially when few players today show such loyalty to one club” (Graeme Thorpe, 20 April 2004)

Mapson made his debut during a 5-0 hammering of Portsmouth that meant Sunderland were ever closer to a sixth championship.

On Easter Monday Sunderland beat Birmingham 7-2 to win the football league for a sixth time.
The trophy was presented at the end of the next home game, that was 4-3 victory over Huddersfield. The Lads had scored 109 goals and conceded 74. Gallagher, Gurney and Carter had scored 81 goals between them. Johnny Mapson summed up Cochrane’s philosophy

“… he said he didn’t mind at all if we conceded three goals a game as long as we scored four at the other end.”

At the time Sunderland joined Aston Villa as the most successful league club in the history of the football league with six titles each.

During 1936 the Clock Stand at Roker Park was built and the same designer who produced the Main Stand was commissioned to complete the work.. Archibald Leitch, the most famous architect of sports grounds of those days, designed it. There were no seats in the Clock Stand at first.

“Sunderland's second FA Cup Final brought their first victory. A 3-1 win over Preston at Wembley brought the famous trophy to Roker for the first time. Raich Carter was made captain because he was the only Sunderland-born player in the team (the usual captain, Alex Hastings, was injured). Among the many stars of that team was Bobby Gurney whose 338 goals in league and cup are still a club record. He retired in 1939 when league football was again suspended by war.” (www.safc.com)

On 1 May 1937 Sunderland, along with Preston North End, walked out onto the hallowed Wembley turf in front of 93,4895 spectators including King George V and King Farouk of Egypt.
The Sunderland side was: Johnny Mapson, James Gorman, Alex Hall, Charlie Thomson, Robert Johnson, Alex McNab, Len Duns, Raich Carter, Bobby Gurney, Patsy Gallacher, Eddie Burbanks.

Gurney had a goal disallowed for a controversial off side in the first half and Preston took a 1-0 lead halfway through the first half. Sunderland went into half-time 1-0 down.

In the second half, Gurney equalised with a header from a corner to make it 1-1 before Carter and Burbanks, who was playing for the injured Connor, got their names on the score sheet.
It is rumoured that the team refused to wear their new strip for the final adorned with a special cup finalist badge. Trainer Andy Reid was persuaded to arrange for the badges to be transferred to the Lads old ‘lucky shirts.

Raich Carter a Sunderland born legend has captained his hometown side in an FA Cup Final and he returned with his troops victorious.

“The naming of a sport complex in Hendon is adeptly named after one of the finest sportsman to have ever been produced from the area. Raich represented his country playing football and cricket and captained Sunderland with great dignity. I feel it is important that children who enjoy sports at the Raich Carter Centre are aware of the talent that was once produced in the place they are enjoying sports facilities that the likes of Raich Carter could only have dreamed about.” (Graeme Thorpe, 20 April 2004)

Sunderland reached an FA Cup Semi Final 1937/38 losing 3-1 to Huddersfield at Ewood Park.
At the end of the season William Murray brought in as the new manager with the task of rebuilding the team. However, his first full season in charge was only three games old when the season was aborted as England declared war on Germany.

Johnny Cochrane had produced Sunderland sides that had won the football league and FA Cup and it was hoped that Sunderland would be victorious in the years to come but the outbreak of World War II meant that Sunderland would never again throughout the 20th century reach the heights that the supporters had become accustomed to.

Next read the Sunderland AFC 1940 - 1960 era.

Safc - (1900 - 1920)

Sunderland’s first decade in the league had seen the side win the championship 3 times and the club had been dubbed the “Team of All Talents”.

Alex Mackie had been appointed as the new manager in 1899 and had a lot to live up to and had the full backing of the board prior to the start of the 1900/01 season. Players such as, Jimmy Millar, George Livingstone were bought to spice up the attack as well as defender Jim Watson who would help the team only concede 26 goals in 34 league games.

Roker Park was a fortress and most teams, who made the long trip, north, found themselves being thrashed by The Lads who managed to score 43 goals in 17 home games.

Unfortunately The Lads were not as good on their travels and drew a lot of games. Former Sunderland manager Tom Watson’s Liverpool was emerging as a new force in football. A home defeat against Liverpool in the run in ultimately cost Sunderland the title and they finished 2nd despite beating Newcastle 2-0 on the final day of the season in front of 40,000 at St James Park.

Before the 1901/02 season Roker Park got a bit of a facelift. The playing surface was spruced up, the drainage enhanced and the stands repainted as well as construction of new approach roads by the Corporation.

The stars if the team were Jimmy Millar, local boy Alf Common and the Hogg brothers. Everton were the main rivals for the title and they pushed Sunderland all the way in the battle for the championship.

“Teddy Doig was still there: he played 422 league games for Sunderland, a club record which lasted until it was beaten by another goalkeeper, Jimmy Montgomery, in the 1970's. “ (safc.com)

On the last day of the season Sunderland defeated Bolton 2-1 to clinch the Championship by 3 points from Everton. Sunderland achieved their 4th Championship and managed to win 19 games that season by a single goal (8 of them were 1-0 victories).

The 1902-03 season saw Sunderland win the Sheriff of London Shield (predecessor to the Charity Shield, which is now known as the Community Shield). In February of 1903 Sunderland played the best amateur side of the year Corinthians at White Hart Lane winning 3-0.
A major scandal was to rock the club during the 1903/04 season, involving alleged illegal payments to Andrew McCombie, a Sunderland back since 1898. A “loan” payment of £100 was given to McCombie in the close season by the board. The “loan” was given to McCombie to help start up a business on the understanding it would be paid back to the board on receiving a benefit game.

McCombie didn’t see it this way! He argued that the money had been a gift from the Club and refused to pay it back. The scandal broke in January 1904 and McCombie whose Sunderland career was obviously over signed for Newcastle.

The FA launched an enquiry into the £100 “loan”. Sunderland had already commenced legal proceedings and a Court of Law judged the money had been a loan that had to be paid back. However, the FA took exception to the ruling, agreeing with McCombie that the money was a gift violating the games rules. Sunderland’s books were deemed inaccurate and the club was find £250.

Six Directors were suspended for 18 months, Alex Watson for 18 months and the then manager. Alex Mackie for 3 months.

Before the scandal had broken, Sunderland had started the season well but, perhaps, demoralised by the ruling results deteriorated and Sunderland finished the season in 6th mainly due to an impressive home record of 12 wins, 3 draws and only 2 defeats.
“The arrival of Fred Taylor, "Mr Sunderland" saved the day, as did the appointment of Robert Kyle in 1905; a masterstroke.

In 1905 Sunderland needed money (perhaps for Roker Park which was bought for £10,000) and they sold Alf Common to Middlesbrough for £1,000, the first four-figure transfer fee ever. “ (safc.com)

The club struggled under Kyle and Sunderland finished 14th in the league during the 1905/06 season. Sunderland’s annual report presented on 3 July 1905 stated: -

“Your directors have to report a very unsatisfactory season…”

Kyle had joined the Club at a very difficult time and had to deal with the incredible expectations of the fans who had been fed on a glorious diet for Sunderland’s 25 year history. Kyle brought in a forward called George Holley who would have a big impact, especially in a derby game against Newcastle United in 1908.

During the 1906/07 season Sunderland couldn’t stop conceding goals and finished 10th in the league.

The team still had some talented players and were a decent team but were no longer Championship contenders. Key players wanted to leave the Club and 1907/08 turned out to be the worst, but possibly the most exciting season in the clubs short history.

The situation was so bad by Christmas that the board dug deep to finance the signing on a forward called Foster from Watford and amateur Welsh keeper Leigh R Roose was brought in to solve the keeper crisis.

Roose a Doctor by profession was renowned for taking free kicks outside the penalty area, and as the rule restricting the use of hands outside the penalty area was not introduced until 1912, he was spotted bouncing the ball to the halfway line more than once!

Sunderland narrowly escaped relegation, mainly due to the efforts of Roose in goal and Holley scoring 15 goals in the last 14 games of the season.

Sunderland completed the acquisition of Roker Park during the 1907/08 season and officially owned the ground. It was hope that this would help the club start again and move forward.
In an attempt to firmly draw a line under the last five years the board boldy financed a spending spree for the start of the 1908/09 campaign. Charlie Thompson, a Scottish centre half was signed from Hearts, Jackie Mordue was signed from Woolwich Arsenal and Arthur Brown who had been capped by England aged just 18 arrived from Bramall Lane.

“The highlight of the decade? It had to be the 1908 Tyne-Wear local derby with Newcastle United. The teams met St. James' Park and Sunderland recorded a 9-1 win, scoring eight times in the second half!!” (safc.com)

The game was 1-1 at half time, but after a hotly disputed penalty on the stroke of half time Sunderland came out for the second half to score a further 8 goals, 6 of which came in an incredible 10 minute period. Hogg and Holley scored a hat trick, Bridgett scored twice and Mordue once.

The Sunderland Echo commented: -

“As to the cause of the collapse of the Newcastle Team, it was quite evidently due to their being useless.”

Newcastle defeated The Lads 3-0 in an FA Cup replay and Sunderland beat Newcastle in the league 3-1 at Roker Park. Unfortunately, Sunderland couldn’t stop Newcastle winning the league and finished behind them in 3rd.

Sunderland had improved from being a relegation side and returned to winning ways. The close season for 1909/10 saw The Lads embark on their first foreign tour taking in Hungary, Austria, Germany and Czechoslovakia winning 7 of their 8 games.

Sunderland finished in 8th place in 1909/10 and as a new decade beckoned it would be a crucial moment in the Clubs history. Would Sunderland fight to re-establish themselves as force to be reckoned with or would they fail to rise to the challenge?
During the seasons 1910/20 “Football, as with so much of life was blighted by the first world war. The league and the FA Cup were suspended for most of the time and all football clubs lost players, including Sunderland AFC.” (safc.com)

Kyle’s rebuilding process was taking shape and the 1910/11 season saw the debut of England striker JG Coleman who was to have a good season only to be replaced by a young a centre forward name Charlie Buchan.

Goalkeeper Roose broke his arm during a 1-1 draw at Newcastle in November 1910 and then Sunderland lost the next game to Middlesbrough 1-0. This ended a very good start to the season, where The Lads remained unbeaten for 14 games.

Charlie Buchan, who cost £1,200 had arrived from Leighton Orient and emerged in the last 7 games of the 1910/11 season and was set to become one of the greatest English players ever. On his home debut against Middlebrough team mate Gemmell joked: -

“If you keep playing like that you’ll be King of Sunderland.”

The 1912/13 season was to be one of the best seasons ever. Kyle’s young side were becoming more experienced with some older heads in key defensive positions. New goalkeeper Joe Butler was recruited as was Scottish defender James Richardson.

54,000 fans watched Sunderland earn a credible draw against Newcastle on the opening day of the season. After a decent start, things went disastrously wrong and The Lads suffered four defeats in a row.

Sunderland started to build up their reputation and from January only suffered one defeat against Notts County (2-1).

Both Sunderland and Aston Villa had a good opportunity to complete the double by winning the FA Cup and the Football League.

Sunderland travelled to Aston Villa with three league games to go and earned a 1-1 draw then defeated Bolton and Bradford, 3-1 and 1-0 respectively to be crowned champions with a record number of points.

In front of a record crown of 128,081 at Crystal Palace Sunderland took on Aston Villa in the FA Cup Final. With 12 minutes to go the game was goalless, until Villa’s Watson forced a corner that as bundled across the line by Barber.

Harry Martin, who was Sunderland’s best player on the day went close but unfortunately hit the inside of the post. Apparently The Lads under performed on the day but they came so close to becoming double winners.

“The same year the old wooden terracing at the Roker End of Roker Park was replaced with concrete (cost about £20,000) increasing the ground capacity from 30,000 to about 50,000.” (safc.com)

The 1914/15 season was marred by the outbreak of the First World War, and as Charlie Buchan pointed out there was little interest in football with a war going on. Most of the Sunderland team found it difficult to concentrate on football once their fellow countrymen began marching into conflict.

Following the suspension of league Football at the end of the 1914/15 season most of the team entered the army to serve their country in the War. Notably Charlie Buchan and Bob Young both went on to win the Military Medal.

Sunderland’s first game after the war was a 4-0 victory over local rivals Newcastle but the league did not begin again proper until after Armistice Day 11 November 1918 when the Victory League was formed. This involved friendly fixtures a a league format, and Sunderland’s opponents were South Shields, Middlesbrough, Durham City, Newcastle, Scotswood, Darlington and Hartlepool.

Sunderland also competed in the Durham Senior Cup and managed a 8-1 semi final win against Felling Colliery and in the final defeated Crook 8-0 at Feethams.

When the league returned to its proper format in 1919/20 Sunderland finished 5th and only lost 2 home games out of 21.

Next read the Sunderland AFC 1920 - 1940 era.

Why am I doing this?

As a mackem myself I take great pride in supporting my team through the hard times and the good times and all other trials and tribulations of Sunderland AFC.

The main aim of this Sunderland AFC blogspot is to provide you the Sunderland Fan or supporters of other clubs a way of finding all the information you ever wanted to know about Sunderland Association Football Club.

It is going to be a mammoth and completely biased task which I am going to thoroughly enjoy. I am seeking the help of other Sunderland fans or supporters of other football clubs to contribute using the comments link at the bottom of every post you will find throughout the Sunderland AFC Blog.

Safc - (1879 - 1900)

“Sunderland Football Club began its life in October 1879 at a meeting of school teachers called by James Allan, graduate of Glasgow University who had started teaching at Hendon Board School. At first the club was called Sunderland and District Teachers' Association Football Club. After the first year non-teachers were allowed to join and the name was changed to Sunderland AFC (perhaps the teachers found the £10 a year for rent for their field too expensive and needed players with better paid jobs).” (safc.com)

James Allen was the vice captain of a team made up exclusively of School Teachers. He holds the club record for scoring the most goals ever in a game, playing as a left-winger he scored and amazing 12 goals.
Blue House Field, Hendon was the location of the clubs first ground located next to the board school where James Allan taught. Spectators would stand behind ropes placed around the perimeter of the pitch and would also get changed in the public house opposite.

The club spent two years at Blue House Field before moving to a ground at nearby Ashbrooke. During1881-82 season the club moved to Groves Field near to the current site of Ashbrooke Sports Club. A rent of £10 per year is believed to be the main reason that resulted in a move to Ashbrooke.

It wasn’t until later that the club moved north of the river to sites in Roker and Fulwell. In 1886 the club moved to Newcastle Road. The large pitch had stands around it, which could hold 15,000 spectators.

In 1882 they played in blue shirts, blue knickerbockers and a white stripe, using the playing formations of 1.2.2.6.

At a clubs inaugural meeting in 1879 players agreed to pay their own travel expenses and appointed the following officials: -

Captain - Robert Singleton (Headmaster of Gray School)
Vice Captain - James Allan
Club Secretary - W. Elliott

Ferryhill Athletic are believed to be the first opponents of Sunderland and playing in blue Sunderland lost 1-0. Other early opponents include Sedgefield, Bishop Middleham, and Newcastle Rangers.

Financial problems were a concern in 1881 and despite an increase in popularity; football games were not attracting enough support to cover the Clubs overhead costs.

An emergency meeting of the Club was called with 2 items on the agenda: -

1. disbanding the club.
2. relaxing membership qualifications.

Fortunately, the club was not disbanded and after the meeting non teachers were allowed to be members of the club. The club became known as Sunderland Association Football Club.

Norwich City have the nickname ‘The Canaries’ but it could have been Sunderland AFC who were given that nickname as one member of the committee raffled his canary to help raise funds for the club.

Most games in the early days were friendlies but the first cup competition the club entered was the Northumberland & Durham Association Challenge Cup. In the 1882-83 season the club reached the final and it didn’t go unnoticed: -

“Cup Fever” gripped the town and the Sunderland Echo wrote:

“great interest is manifest in the football world as to the issue of the contest.”

Unfortunately, Sunderland lost the game 2-0 to Tyne.

Hortaio Street, Roker was the venue of the clubs next ground before the start of the 1883-84 season. Dubbed the “clay-dolly field”, the playing surface was not ideal.

On 29 May 1883 at the Three Tunns Hotel, Durham a new Durham Football Association was formed separating from the previous joint association with Northumberland. Sunderland was one of the original 9 teams represented.

The Northumberland & Durham Association Challenge Cup was disbanded and replaced by the Durham Association Challenge Cup.

Darlington became Sunderland’s main rivals and from as early as 1884 there is records of crowd intimidation on opposing players and the referee. On 5 April 1884 Sunderland played Darlington in the final of the Durham Association Challenge Cup. Darlington scored first, but apparently the referee had missed a handball incident, that led to the goal. Sunderland eventually won the game 4-3 but Darlington successfully appealed, a second time to Durham FA claiming the game should be replayed due to the intimidation of their players and the referee by the Sunderland crown.

The tie was replayed on 3 May 1884 and is arguably Sunderland’s first organised away trip. The game was replayed on a neutral ground at Birtley and many of the spectators travelled thanks to special cheap trains laid on by the North Eastern Railway Company. Sunderland won the game 2-0.

The 1884-85 season saw Sunderland move again to Abbs Field Fulwell, near to Side Cliffe Road. This site was easier to control admission to the ground and it would see the rent for the 1884-85 season rise from £2 10s to £15 the next season due to dramatic rise in interest in the club.

Sunderland entered the FA Cup for the first time but were beaten on 8 November 1884 3-1 by Redcar, who were considered to be one of the best teams in the area.

Despite beating Castletown 23-0 in the Durham Association Challenge Cup, in a game that saw James Allan score 12 goals they failed to win the cup. Darlington sought revenge for the previous years defeat and they beat Sunderland in the final 3-0.

The game was starting to take off and the Sunderland Echo wrote: -

“The winter game has made an immense stride in public favour during this season, and has reached a height of popularity never before known in the district… Three seasons ago, all but unknown and certainly unnoticed, Sunderland AFC played off their matches in a field off Ashbrooke Road (… Since then) the dribbling code has had a rapid increase in the number of its followers…”

The 1886-87 season saw Sunderland wear the famous red & white stripes. The new strip was given its first outing on 18 September 1886 when Sunderland beat Notts Mellors 1-0.

“In 1887 the club was almost destroyed. Clubs in England (but not Scotland) had been allowed to pay players since 1885. New players from Scotland were being brought into the Sunderland team, taking the places of local men. James Allan left the club, taking many of the best players with him, and set up a rival club called Sunderland Albion. The town could not afford to support two football clubs and there was intense rivalry between them before a winner emerged.” (safc.com)

Despite losing players the club, with the backing of, wealthy directors like shipbuilder Robert Thompson and coal owner Samuel Tyzack, Sunderland brought in more talented young Scottish players and applied to join the Football League.

However, they were up against Sunderland Albion, who also applied to join the football league in 1890. The Sunderland Echo noted on Friday 2 May: -

“Local footballers will naturally be much interested in the annual meeting of the League to be held in Manchester tonight. Sunderland and Sunderland Albion will be represented at the meeting by delegates who will please for admission of their respective clubs to the charmed circle. It goes without saying that both cannot get in, and it is doubtful whether either will succeed.”

Sunderland AFC were admitted to the league after agreeing to contribute to the travelling expenses of away teams due to the increased distance they would have to travel (although no league club ever asked for such a contribution.)

“Their successful record in friendly matches against league teams helped their cause. When they beat Aston Villa 7 - 2 in 1889 a Villa official, William McGregor, (the league's founder) said that Sunderland had a talented player in every position.” (safc.com)

The "Team of all Talents" was elected to the league. Sunderland Albion gradually faded from the scene and eventually folded at the end of the 1891-92 season.

“The Football League had begun in 1888 with twelve clubs from Lancashire and the Midlands. Burnley, Blackburn Rovers, Everton, Accrington, Preston North End, Bolton Wanderers, Aston Villa, Notts County, West Bromwich Albion, Stoke, Derby County and Wolverhampton Wanderers. The idea was to provide regular matches against good teams. Each club played the other 11 teams twice, so there were only 22 league matches for each club. Preston were the first champions and they also won the FA Cup. They were champions the next season too but they have never been able to win a third championship in over a hundred years.” (safc.com)
The club ended the decade on a high, having achieved 4 cup wins in the Durham Association Challenge Cup and entry to the football league.

The 1890’s was one of the Clubs most successful eras. Dubbed “The Glory Years” the Team of all Talents managed to finish in the top 3 of the league no fewer than six times in a 10 year period.

The 1890/91 season was Sunderland’s first season in the football league. Their first game was against Burnely on 13 September 1890 at Newcastle Road. Unfortunately, Sunderland lost 3-2. Sunderland went on to lose their next game against Wolves 403, despite taking a 3-0 lead.

“A new goalkeeper, Teddy Doig, was brought from Scotland. He always wore a cap to hide his bald head: it is said that once when it fell off during a match he was more anxious to find his cap than the ball!! He may have been quite a character but he was certainly a successful goalkeeper: in the next six years Sunderland lost only one home match.” (safc.com)

Sunderland’s first win came on 20 September 1890, when they beat West Bromwich Albion 4-0.

The team ended their first season in the football league in seventh spot and secured a place in the FA Cup Final against Notts County. They lost 2-0 after a replay.
During the 1891-92 season Sunderland had their first player to be capped by England. Thomas Porteus, who was born in Newcastle, signed for Sunderland in 1889 and was part of the England side that beat Wasles 4-1 in March 1891.

During 1890’s the “Team of All Talents” lived up to their name and in the opinion of The Times, Sunderland had become

“a wonderfully fine team”

Sunderland were league champions in 1892, 1893 and 1895, the first club to win three championships, and they finished second in 1894. In 1892 the League expanded by adding a second division of twelve clubs. Promotion to the first division was not automatic until 1898: the top two teams in the second division had to play "test matches" against the bottom two from the first to decide their divisions for the next season. Newcastle United joined the second division in 1893 and were promoted to the first division five years later. (safc.com)

On 14 March 1896 Hughie Wilson (below) became the first Sunderland player to be ordered off the field in a match against Stoke City.

Sunderland finished second bottom of the first division in 1897 and had to win through the test matches to keep their place. The "Team of all Talents" was coming to an end as the nineteenth century reached its end.

“The club was rebuilding on and off field. A new, larger stadium (capacity 30,000) was built at Roker Park in 1898 (it was rented at first) and new players were brought in to replace the great side of the nineties. The first match at Roker, on 10th September, 1898 brought a 1-0 win over Liverpool” (safc.com)

During the 1894-95 season Sunderland recorded a record cup victory in front of 1,000 spectators against non-league Fairfield in the first round of the FA Cup.
Sunderland were crowned “Champions of the World” by the Scottish Press after beating Hearts on 27 April 1895 to become the best team in Britain at the time.

At the end of the 1895-96 season it was announced at the Clubs AGM that finances had been drained after spending a lot of money on players and ground improvements. In the past the Club had always been supported financially by local industry but the Board wanted a more permanent solution to funding.

The Board proposed at the AGM that the Club should become a Limited Company with a share issue to raise capital. The proposals were carried and the Club became known as Sunderland Association Football Club Ltd.

Prompted by spiralling rents the Chairman of the Club sought out land to develop a new ground. The Club decided the on some farmland at Roker owned by “Tushy” Tennant. This site would be the Clubs home for 99 years and was called Roker Park. Constructed in 4 months it started off with a capacity for approximately 30,000 spectators.

Next read the Sunderland AFC 1900 - 1920 era.