Sunderland A.F.C.

"SAFC" redirects here. For other uses, see SAFC (disambiguation).

Sunderland

File:Safc badge.png
Full name	Sunderland Association Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Black Cats, The Mackems
Founded	1879 (as Sunderland and District Teachers)
Ground	Stadium of Light Sunderland
Capacity	49,000
Owner	Drumaville Consortium Ellis Short
Chairman	Niall Quinn
Manager	Ricky Sbragia
League	Premier League
2007–08	Premier League, 15th
Home colours Away colours Third colours

Sunderland Association Football Club are a professional association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England, that compete in the Premier League. Since their formation in 1879, they have won six First Division titles—in 1892, 1893, 1895, 1902, 1913, and 1936 (see Sunderland A.F.C. seasons).

Founded by schoolteacher James Allan, Sunderland moved towards professionalism and they were elected into The Football League in 1890. Sunderland performed well in the league, earning plaudits such as a "wonderfully fine team", and won their first FA Cup in 1937 with a 3–1 victory over Preston North End. However, their achievements petered out, and the club were relegated in 1958. They had remained in the top league for 68 successive seasons, a record surpassed only by Arsenal. Sunderland's only triumph after the Second World War was their second FA Cup in 1973, when the club secured a 1–0 victory over Leeds United due to a goal scored by Ian Porterfield.

The club play their home games in the Stadium of Light, an all-seater, having moved from Roker Park in 1997 for a stadium of higher capacity. Bearing the same name in a different language as Benfica's Estádio da Luz ("Stadium of Light") in Lisbon, Portugal, Sunderland's home originally could hold 42,000 supporters; the capacity was increased to 49,000 after redevelopment in 2000. Sunderland have a long-standing rivalry with their neighbouring club Newcastle United, with whom they have contested the Tyne–Wear derby since 1898.

History

Main article: History of Sunderland A.F.C.

For a statistical breakdown by season, see Sunderland A.F.C. seasons.

Early years and league triumphs

Sunderland-based schoolteacher James Allan founded the Sunderland & District Teachers Association Football Club on 17 October 1879. The name of the club was changed to Sunderland Association Football Club in 1881, after other professions were allowed to join. This increased the pool of players, thereby enlarging the amount of funds the club could draw on. However, Allan grew dissatisfied with the changing attitude in the club towards professionalism and left. He founded Sunderland Albion, and the two Sunderland clubs formed a rivalry that lasted until Albion's demise in 1892.

Sunderland were admitted into The Football League for the 1890–91 season. They replaced Stoke City, who had failed to be re-elected, and became the first new club to join the league since its inauguration in 1888. During the late 19th century, they were declared the "Team of All Talents" by William McGregor, the founder of the league, after a 7–2 win against Aston Villa. Sunderland won the league championship in the 1891–92 season, one season after joining The Football League. The club's 42 points were five clear of nearest rivals Preston North End, and this performance led The Times to describe the players as "a wonderfully fine team". Sunderland successfully defended the title the following season, aided by centre forward Johnny Campbell, who broke the 30 goal mark for the second time in consecutive seasons. In the process, they became the first team to score 100 goals in a season, a feat not matched until 1919–20, when West Bromwich Albion set a new record.

Sunderland came close to winning a third successive league championship in the 1893–94 season, finishing second behind Aston Villa. However, they regained the title in the 1894–95 season, ending the season five points ahead of Everton. After winning the English League Championship, Sunderland played against Heart of Midlothian, the champions of the Scottish League, in a game described as the Championship of the World title match. Sunderland won the game 5–3 and were announced "champions of the world". Sunderland came close to winning another league title in the 1897–98 season, when they finished as runners-up to Sheffield United. That season was their last at Newcastle Road, as they moved to Roker Park the following season. After coming second in 1900–01, the club won their fifth league title in the 1901–02 season, beating Everton by a three point margin.

In 1904, Sunderland's management was embroiled in a payment scandal involving player Andrew McCombie. The club were said to have given the player £100 to help him start his own business, on the understanding that he would repay the money after his benefit game. However, McCombie refused to repay the money, claiming it had been a gift. The Football Association investigated the payment, and determined that the money given to McCombie was part of a "re-signing/win/draw bonus", which violated the Association's rules. Sunderland were fined £250, and six directors were suspended for two and a half years for not showing a true record of the club's financial dealings. Sunderland manager Alex Mackie was also suspended for three months for his involvement in the affair.

Further league championship titles

On 5 December 1908, Sunderland achieved their highest ever league win, against north-east rivals Newcastle United. They won the game 9–1; Billy Hogg and George Holley each scored hat-tricks. The club won the league again in 1913, but lost their first FA Cup final 1–0 to Aston Villa. This was the closest the club have ever come to winning the league title and the FA Cup in the same season. Two seasons later the First World War brought the league to a halt. After the league's resumption, Sunderland came close to winning another championship in the 1922–23 season, when they were runners-up to Liverpool. They also came close the following season; they came third, four points from the top of the league. The club escaped relegation from the First Division by one point in the 1927–28 season despite 35 goals from Dave Halliday. The point was won after the match against Middlesbrough, and they finished in fifteenth place. Halliday improved his goal scoring to 43 goals in 42 games the following season, an all-time Sunderland record for goals scored in a single season.

The club's sixth league championship came in the 1935–36 season, and they won the FA Cup the following season, after a 3–1 victory against Preston North End at Wembley Stadium. The remainder of the decade saw mid-table finishes, until the league and FA Cup were suspended for the duration of the Second World War. Some football was still played as a morale boosting exercise, in the form of the Football League War Cup. Sunderland were finalists in the tournament in 1942, but were beaten by Wolverhampton Wanderers.

For Sunderland, the immediate post-war years were characterised by significant spending; the club paid £18,000 for Carlisle United's Ivor Broadis in January 1949. Broadis was also Carlisle's manager at the time, and this is the first instance of a player transferring himself to another club. This, along with record-breaking transfer fees to secure the services of Len Shackleton and Welsh international Trevor Ford, led to a contemporary nickname, the "Bank of England". The club finished third in the First Division in 1950, their highest finish since the 1936 championship.

Financial troubles and cup success

The late 1950s saw a sharp downturn in Sunderland's fortunes, and the club were once again implicated in a major financial scandal in 1957. Found guilty of making payments to players in excess of the maximum wage, the club were fined a record £5,000, and the club chairman and three directors were suspended. The following year, Sunderland were relegated from the highest division for the first time in their 68-year league history.

Sunderland's absence from the top flight lasted six years. The club came within one game of promotion back to the First Division in the 1962–63 season. Sunderland required only a draw in their final game against promotion rivals Chelsea, who had another game left to play after this match, to secure promotion. However, they were defeated, and Chelsea won their last game 7–0 to clinch promotion, finishing ahead of Sunderland on goal difference. After the close call in the previous season, the club were promoted to Division One in 1964 after finishing in second place. Sunderland beat Charlton Athletic in the final stages of the season, where they clinched promotion with a game to spare. At the end of the decade, they were again relegated to the Second Division after finishing 21st.

The memorial for 1973 FA Cup final winning manager Bob Stokoe

Sunderland won their last major trophy in 1973, in a 1–0 victory over Don Revie's Leeds United in the FA Cup Final. A Second Division club at the time, Sunderland won the game, mostly due to the efforts of their goalkeeper Jimmy Montgomery; he saved in quick succession two of Peter Lorimer's shots at goal. Ian Porterfield scored a volley in the 30th minute to beat Leeds and take the trophy. Since 1973 only two other clubs, Southampton in 1976, and West Ham United in 1980, have equalled Sunderland's achievement of lifting the FA Cup while playing outside the top tier of English football.

By winning the 1973 FA Cup Final, Sunderland qualified for the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, the club's only appearance in European competition to date. Sunderland beat Vasas Budapest 3–0 on aggregate, and drew against Lisbon club Sporting in the second round. They won the first leg at Roker Park 2–1 but were defeated 2–0 in the away leg, and were knocked out of the competition 3–2 on aggregate. After spending six seasons in the Second Division, Sunderland were promoted to Division One in the 1975–76 season; they topped the table over Bristol City by three points. However, Sunderland were relegated the following season back into Division Two, without their FA Cup Final winning manager Bob Stokoe, who had resigned due to health problems at the start of the season. The club celebrated their 100-year centenary in the 1979–80 season with a testimonial against an England XI side, which they lost 2–0.

Sunderland appeared in their only League Cup final in 1985, but lost 1–0 to Norwich City. A camaraderie was forged between supporters of the two clubs in this match, and as a result, every time Sunderland and Norwich meet, the Friendship Trophy is contested. Sunderland are the current holders of the trophy, having beaten Norwich 1–0 on 2 December 2006. In 1987, Sunderland saw one of the lowest points in their history, when they were relegated to the Third Division of the English league for the first time. Under new chairman Bob Murray and new manager Denis Smith, the club was promoted the following season. In 1990, they were promoted back to the top flight in unusual circumstances. Sunderland lost to Swindon Town in the play-off final, but Swindon's promotion was revoked after the club were found guilty of financial irregularities and Sunderland were promoted instead. They stayed up for one year before being relegated on the final day of the following season.

The Davy lamp monument, outside the Stadium of Light

Sunderland's last outing in a major final came in 1992 when, as a Second Division club, they returned to the FA Cup final. There was to be no repeat of the heroics of 1973, as Sunderland lost 2–0 to Liverpool. The early 1990s was a turbulent period for the club. In 1995, they faced the prospect of a return to the third-tier of English football. Peter Reid was brought in as manager, and quickly turned things around. Reid's time in charge had a stabilising effect; he remained manager for seven years, one of the longest tenures in Sunderland's history. After promotion from Division One in the 1995–96 season, Sunderland began their first season in the Premier League, but finished third from the bottom and were relegated back to the First Division. In 1997, Sunderland left Roker Park, their home for 99 years. Bearing fond memories of the stadium, former Sunderland player Len Shackleton said, "There will never be another place like Roker". The club moved to the Stadium of Light, a 42,000-seat arena that, at the time, was the largest stadium built in England after the Second World War. Capacity was later increased to 49,000.

Recent highs and lows

Sunderland returned to the Premier League as First-Division champions in 1999 with a then-record 105 points. Two consecutive seventh place finishes in the Premier League were followed by two less successful seasons, and they were relegated to the second-tier with a then-record low 19 points in 2003. Former Ireland manager Mick McCarthy took over at the club, and, in 2005, he took Sunderland up as champions for the third time in under ten years. However, the club's stay in the top flight was short-lived; Sunderland finished on another new record-low total of 15 points. McCarthy left the club in mid-season, and he was replaced temporarily by former Sunderland player Kevin Ball. The record-low fifteen-point performance was surpassed in the 2007–08 season by Derby County, who finished on eleven points.

Following the club's relegation, they were taken over by the Irish Drumaville Consortium, headed by ex-player Niall Quinn, who appointed former Manchester United captain Roy Keane as their new manager. Under Keane, the club rose steadily up the table with an unbeaten run of 17 games to win promotion to the Premier League, and were named winners of the Championship after beating Luton Town 5–0 at Kenilworth Road on 6 May 2007. The club's form in the 2007–08 season was better than during their last season in the Premier League as they finished 15th with 39 points. However, an inconsistent beginning to the 2008–09 season led to Keane's resignation. This was followed by the instating of Ricky Sbragia as caretaker manager, and his position was later made permanent following a string of encouraging results.

Colours and crest

Sunderland's club badge, used from 1977–1997

Sunderland played in an all blue strip from their formation, until they adopted a red and white halved strip in 1884. They assumed the current strip of red and white stripes in the 1887–88 season. Their badge included a ship, the upper part of the City of Sunderland coat of arms, a black cat and a football in front of Sunderland's red and white stripes. In 1977 the badge was changed, but still included the ship, football and the background of red and white stripes.

This badge was used until the relocation from Roker Park to the Stadium of Light. To coincide with the move, Sunderland released a new crest divided into four quarters; the upper right and lower left featured their traditional red and white colours, but the ship was omitted. The upper left section features the Penshaw Monument and the lower right section shows the Wearmouth Bridge. A colliery wheel lies at the top of the crest, to commemorate the County Durham's mining history, and the land the Stadium of Light lies on, which was formerly Monkwearmouth Colliery. The crest also contains two lions, the black cats of Sunderland and a banner that displays the club's motto Consectatio Excellentiae, which means "In pursuit of excellence".

Stadiums

See also: Stadium of Light and Roker Park

Average match attendances since 1891

Sunderland have had seven stadiums throughout their history; they started at Blue House Field in Hendon in 1879. The ground was close to the place where Sunderland formed, at Hendon Board School; at that time the rent for use of the ground was £10. The club relocated briefly to Groves Field in Ashbrooke in 1882, before moving again the following season. The club's third stadium was Horatio Street in Roker, the first Sunderland stadium north of the River Wear; the club played a single season there before another move, this time to Abbs Field in Fulwell for two seasons. Abbs Field was notable for being the first Sunderland ground to which they charged admission.

Sunderland moved to Newcastle Road in 1886. By 1898, the ground reached a capacity of 15,000 after renovations, and its rent had risen to £100 a year. Near the turn of the century, Sunderland needed a bigger stadium. They returned to Roker and set up home in Roker Park. It was opened on 10 September 1898, and the home team played a match the same day against Liverpool, which they won. The stadium's capacity increased to 50,000 after redevelopment with architect Archibald Leitch in 1913. The club were nearly bankrupted by the cost of renovating the Main Stand, and Roker Park was put up for sale but no further action was taken. On 8 March 1933, an overcrowded Roker Park recorded the highest ever attendance at a Sunderland match, 75,118 against Derby County in a FA Cup sixth round replay. Roker Park suffered a bombing in 1943, in which once corner of the stadium was destroyed. A special constable was killed whilst patrolling the stadium. By the 1990s, the stadium was no longer large enough for the club, and had no room for possible expansion. In January 1990, the Taylor Report was released after overcrowding at the Hillsborough Stadium resulted in 96 deaths, an incident known as the Hillsborough Disaster. The report recommended that all major stadiums must be converted to an all-seater design. As a result, Roker Park's capacity decreased. It was demolished in 1997 and a housing estate built in its place.

The Stadium of Light has been Sunderland's home ground since 1997.

In 1997, Sunderland moved to their present stadium, Stadium of Light in Monkwearmouth, which was opened by Prince Andrew, Duke of York. Built with an original capacity of 42,000, it hosted its first game against Dutch team Ajax. The stadium bears the same name as the Portuguese club Benfica's ground Estádio da Luz, albeit in a different language. Renovations in 2000 saw the capacity rise to 49,000. A Davy lamp monument stands outside the stadium, as a reminder of the Monkwearmouth Colliery pit that the stadium was built on. Future reconstruction would allow the stadium's capacity to reach 66,000.

Supporters and rivalries

Sunderland held the fifth highest average home attendance out of the 20 clubs in the Premier League at the end of the 2007–08 season with an average of 43,344. The club have many supporter groups from various countries, including the United States, Australia, Canada and Ireland. The Sunderland fans were recorded as the loudest crowd in the 2007–08 season, following a survey carried out at every ground in the league; the highest peak volume was measured at 129.2 decibels. The Seaburn Casuals are the hooligan firm associated with the club. Like several other professional football clubs in England, Sunderland have a number of supporters who have had banning orders placed on them by court order for unreasonable behaviour.

The club have an official monthly subscription magazine, called the Legion of Light, which season ticket holders receive for no cost. The club's current fanzine is A Love Supreme. Others in the past have been It's The Hope I Can't Stand, Sex and Chocolate, Wise Men Say, and The Roker Roar (later The Wearside Roar).

Traditionally, Sunderland's two main rivals have been Newcastle United and Middlesbrough, with which the Tyne–Wear derby and the Tees–Wear derby are competed respectively, although rivalries also extend to Leeds United. The club were rivals with fellow Sunderland-based team, Sunderland Albion, in the 1880s and 1890s. The clubs met in the FA Cup in the third qualifying round; Sunderland, however, withdrew from the competition to deny Albion a share of the gate receipts. In the same season the clubs were drawn again in the Durham Association Challenge Cup; in a ploy again to prevent Albion from gaining money from the ticket sales, Sunderland proposed that the gate money be donated to charity. Albion declined and Sunderland won the match 2–0. Sunderland achieved their first victory over Newcastle United at home in 28 years, when they won the derby in the 2008–09 season.

Statistics and records

Main article: List of Sunderland A.F.C. statistics and records‎

League positions since 1890–91 season.
Coloured horizontal lines indicate league divisions. Blue and green lines represent the divide between first and second divisions, and divides between second and third divisions respectively.

The holder of the record for the most league appearances is Jimmy Montgomery, having made 527 first team appearances between 1961 and 1976. The club's top league goal scorer is Charlie Buchan, who scored 209 goals from 1911–1925; Bobby Gurney is the record goalscorer over all competitions with 227 goals between 1926 and 1939. Dave Halliday holds the record for the most goals scored in a season: 43 in the 1928–29 season in the Football League First Division. Charlie Hurley is the most capped player for the club, making 36 appearances for the Republic of Ireland.

The club's widest victory margin in the league was in their 9–1 win against Newcastle United in the First Division in 1908. Their heaviest defeats in the league were 8–0 against Sheffield Wednesday in 1911, West Ham United in 1968 and Watford in 1982. Sunderland joined the top division in England, The Football League, in the 1890–91 season and did not experience relegation until 1957–58 (a span of 67 seasons).

Sunderland's record home attendance is 75,118 for a sixth round replay FA Cup match against Derby County on 8 March 1933. The highest transfer fee received for a Sunderland player is £5 million, from Leeds United for Michael Bridges in July 1999, while the most spent by the club on a player was £9 million for Craig Gordon from Heart of Midlothian in August 2007.

Nicknames

Sunderland's official nickname is The Black Cats. They have other nicknames, such as The Rokerites, Roker Men, the Light Brigade, the Miners, the Sols and the Mackems. After leaving Roker Park for the Stadium of Light in 1997, the club decided that they would have a vote on the nickname to clarify the situation for the last time. The Black Cats nickname received the majority of the 11,000 votes beating off other suggestions such as the Light Brigade, the Miners, the Sols and the Mackems. There is a long historical link between black cats and Sunderland, including the "Black Cat Battery", a battery gun based on the River Wear.

Around the early 1800s, the southern side of the River Wear contained four gun batteries, which guarded the river mouth during the Napoleonic wars. In 1805, the battery was manned by local militia, the Sunderland Loyal Volunteers, one of whom was a cooper by trade named Joshua Dunn. He was said to have "fled from the howling of an approaching black cat, convinced by the influence of the full moon and a warming dram or two that it was the devil incarnate". From that point onwards the John Paul Jones Battery was known as the Black Cat Battery.

A Sunderland supporter, Billy Morris, took a black cat in his top pocket as a good luck charm to the 1937 FA Cup final in which Sunderland brought home the trophy for the first time. During the 1960s a black cat lived in Roker Park and was fed and watered by the football club. Since the 1960s the emblem of the Sunderland A.F.C. Supporters Association has been a black cat.

As well as the "Team of All Talents" at the turn of the 20th century, Sunderland were also known as the "Bank of England club" during the 1950s. This was due to the club's spending on the transfer market at the time, which saw the transfer-record broken twice. At the beginning of the 2006–07 season, the purchase of the club by the Irish Drumaville consortium, the appointments of Niall Quinn and Roy Keane to their respective roles as chairman and manager, as well as the relatively large number of Irish players in the squad led some fans to dub jokingly the team "Sund-Ireland".

Sponsorship

Sunderland are currently sponsored by the Irish bookmaker Boylesports, who signed a four year contract with the club in 2007 worth up to £12 million which will see the company become the main shirt sponsors until 2011. The club were sponsored by the Vaux Breweries between 1985 and 1999, and subsequently Sunderland car dealership company Reg Vardy from 1999 to 2007. They were also sponsored for a short time by the transport company "Cowies," later Arriva, whose headquarters are in Sunderland.

Players and managers

As of 2 February 2008.

Current squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
1	GK	SCO	Craig Gordon
2	DF	ENG	Phil Bardsley
3	DF	NIR	George McCartney
4	MF	FIN	Teemu Tainio
5	DF	JAM	Nyron Nosworthy
6	MF	ENG	Dean Whitehead (captain)
7	MF	TRI	Carlos Edwards
8	MF	FRA	Steed Malbranque
9	FW	FRA	Djibril Cissé (on loan from Marseille)
10	MF	ENG	Kieran Richardson
12	DF	ISR	Tal Ben Haim (on loan from Manchester City)
13	GK	WAL	Darren Ward
14	FW	EIR	Daryl Murphy
15	DF	WAL	Danny Collins
17	FW	TRI	Kenwyne Jones
18	MF	ENG	Grant Leadbitter
19	FW	TRI	Dwight Yorke
20	MF	EIR	Andy Reid (vice-captain)
21	DF	ENG	Calum Davenport (on loan from West Ham United)
23	FW	NIR	David Healy

No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
24	GK	NIR	Trevor Carson
25	DF	FRA	Jean-Yves M'voto
26	DF	ENG	Anton Ferdinand
29	DF	ENG	Peter Hartley
30	DF	EIR	Paul McShane
31	FW	EIR	David Connolly
32	GK	HUN	Márton Fülöp
34	MF	ENG	Jack Colback
35	DF	ENG	Michael Kay
36	MF	ENG	Nathan Luscombe
37	MF	NIR	Robbie Weir
38	MF	ENG	Jamie Chandler
39	FW	ENG	Martyn Waghorn
40	FW	ENG	David Dowson
41	MF	EIR	David Meyler
43	MF	EIR	Conor Hourihane
44	FW	EIR	Anthony Stokes
45	FW	SWE	Rade Prica
46	GK	EIR	Nick Colgan

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
16	FW	ENG	Michael Chopra (at Cardiff City until the end of the 2008–09 season)
27	DF	SCO	Russell Anderson (at Burnley until the end of the 2008–09 season)
33	DF	EIR	Michael Liddle (at Carlisle United until the end of the 2008–09 season)
42	MF	ENG	Jordan Henderson (at Coventry City until 25 February 2009)

No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
––	MF	ESP	Arnau Riera (at Falkirk until the end of the 2008–09 season)
––	DF	ENG	Greg Halford (at Sheffield United until the end of the 2008–09 season)
––	FW	EIR	Roy O'Donovan (at Blackpool until the end of the 2008–09 season)

Notable players

Main article: List of Sunderland A.F.C. players

Managers

Main article: List of Sunderland A.F.C. managers

Current manager: Ricky Sbragia.

Honours

The following are the honours Sunderland have achieved since their foundation in 1879.

League

• First Division (level 1)

Winners (6): 1891–92, 1892–93, 1894–95, 1901–02, 1912–13, 1935–36

Runners-up (5): 1893–94, 1897–98, 1900–01, 1922–23, 1934–35

• Football League Championship (level 2)

Winners (2): 2004–05, 2006–07

• Second Division (level 2)

Winners (1): 1975–76

Runners-up (2): 1963–64, 1979–80

Promotion (1): 1989–90

• First Division (level 2)

Winners (2): 1995–96, 1998–99

• Third Division (level 3)

Winners (1): 1987–88

Domestic cup

• FA Cup

Winners (2): 1936–37, 1972–73

Runners-up (2): 1912–13, 1991–92

• League Cup

Runners-up (1): 1984–85

• Charity Shields

Winners (1): 1936

Runners-up (1): 1937

• Sheriff of London Charity Shield

Winners (1): 1903

• Football League War Cup

Runners-up (1): 1942

Footnotes and references

Footnotes:

References:

• Days, Paul (1 December 1999). Sunderland AFC: The Official History 1879–2000. Business Education Publishers Ltd. p. 336. ISBN 978-0953698417. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
• Garth Dykes (November 2000). All The Lads: A Complete Who's Who of Sunderland A.F.C. Polar Print Group Ltd. p. 312. ISBN 978-1899538140. Retrieved 23 January 2009. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
• Rob Mason (October 2005). Sunderland: The Complete Record. Breedon Books Publishing Co Ltd. ISBN 978-1859834725. Retrieved 18 January 2009.
• "Sunderland AFC — Statistics, History and Records". The Stat Cat. Retrieved 19 September 2008.
• "Roll Of Honour". Sunderland A.F.C. Retrieved 21 December 2008.

External links

• Sunderland A.F.C. Official Website
• Sunderland A.F.C News - Sky Sports
• Sunderland Echo—Latest Sunderland A.F.C. news
• Sunderland A.F.C. on BBC Sport: Club news – Recent results and fixtures