Nationwide Division One Football

Sunderland was formed in October 1879 at a meeting of schoolteachers by James Allan, who was a graduate of Glasgow University. The club was first called the Sunderland and District Teachers' Association Football Club. But after the first year non-teachers were playing for the team they changed their name to Sunderland AFC.

Sunderland’s first ground was the Blue House Filed at Hendon (Valley Road Infant School today). The club then moved to Roker and Fulwell but in 1886 they moved to Newcastle Road.
The club won its first trophy in 1884. As now there were a lot of football club around the country that the FA decided to set up county competitions. Sunderland became the first to win the Durham Senior Cup.

In 1888 the Football League started. 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. It was done to provide regular matches against good teams. In which there were 22 matches, each team playing the other 11 teams twice. In 1892, 1893 and 1895 Sunderland was league champions.

In which they became the first club to win three championships in a row but this ended in 1894 when they came second. In the years of 1892 to 1902 the club won a few titles of league champions.

It was in 1912/13 was is most considered to be Sunderland's best season, even though it did start off badly, only having two draws and five defeats in the first seven league games. In the matches 31 matches that followed there were 25 victories. This gave Sunderland their fifth league champions’ title. Also in this season Sunderland reached the FA Cup final for the first time.

In 1979 was the clubs centenary year. With this year there was to been great celebrations. But instead they were in the second division and crowds were diminishing. So the new manager Ken Knighton brought Roker and Argentinean player at a cost of more than £300,000. And his name was Claudio Marangoni, who failed to impress and he returned to South America.

The 1980s saw the club change very quickly. But it was under Ken Knighton that they were promoted again after three years of struggling under Alan Durban and being relegated under Len Ashurst in 1985. Also in this season the club lost to Norwich City from as own goal at Wembley in the Milk Cup Final. If things couldn’t get any worse they were then relegated in 1987 to the third division via the play-off system after two years under Lawrie McMenemy.

Sunderland won the third division championship in 1988 but thank to Denis Smith’s belief and Marco Gabbiadini being the hero.
After a good set of events Sunderland then gained promotion into the top flight. This also saw them win a play off match against their rivals Newcastle United.

In 1991-92 saw Sunderland have a bad season, But Malcolm Crosby came from the reserve team coach to manager to lead his team out at Wembley in which they won their fourth FA Cup Final. As there was now a gap between the big, wealthy clubs and the rest so this meant that the first division clubs broke away from the Football League and form the FA Premiership for the 1992-93 season.

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.
In the 1994-95 season saw Peter Reid arrive at Sunderland AFC with just 7 games remaining and the prospect of relegation hanging over the club and also an investigation into The Black Cats fielding an ineligible player.
In 1996-97 that would be the last season at Roker Park, as a Premier League ground.

Sunderland left Roker Park after 99 years and said farewell to one of the most famous grounds in British football. With the defeat at Wimbledon, on the final day Sunderland were relegated.
In 1998/99 Sunderland reached the Worthington Cup semi final. The club also made a record 105 points which meant that they could enter the FA Carling Premiership. The last game of the 20th century saw Sunderland lose to Manchester United.

The 2000/2001 season started in success and controversy. As in the 1-0 home win over Arsenal saw the manager told off by the Football Association after an alleged tunnel incident and Viera sent off for a clash with Darren Williams.

By the end of 2001-02 Sunderland Academy was opened. This was a big milestone at a rapid moving club.
Sunderland play their football at the Stadium of Light which has a capacity of 49,000.

The star players at Sunderland are Jason McAteer, Julio Arca, Kevin Kyle, Marcus Stewart, John Oster, Sean Thornton, Gary Breen, Mart Poom, Michael Proctor, Stephen Wright and Tommy Smith.
Sunderland hope to finish the season within the top five but with the aim to finish within the top two.