Sunderland AFC

Sunderland AFC has been a member of the Football League since 1890. They have won the league six times and the FA Cup two times. They have also been runners-up in the Football League Cup a final once. The club is also known under a few nicknames, The Black Cats are one of them.

Basic facts

Founded: 1879
Country: England
City: Sunderland

Home grounds

Groves Field (1882-1883)
Horatio Street (1883-1884)
Abbs Field (1884-1886)
Newcastle Road (1886-1898)
Roker Park (1898-1997)
Stadium of Light (1997-)

Main trophies

First Division/Premier League: 6
FA Cup: 2

Prominent players

Ned Doig, Charlie Buchan, Bobby Gurney, Charlie Hurley, Bobby Kerr, Niall Quinn, Darren Bent, Asamoah Gyan

Painting with football players
An painting depicting Sunderland playing against Aston Villa in 1895 at Newcastle Road.

History

Sunderland was established in 1879. The “AFC” stands for Association Football Club.

Together with Preston and Aston Villa, Sunderland was among the dominant football clubs in England during the 1890s, winning the First Division in 1891–92, 1892–93 and 1894–95.

1891–92 Football League table
  Club Points
1 Sunderland 42
2 Preston North End 37
3 Bolton 36
4 Aston Villa 30
5 Everton 28
6 Wolverhampton 26
7 Burnley 26
8 Notts County 26
9 Blackburn Rovers 26
10 Derby 16
11 Accrington 20
12 Derby 18
13 West Bromwich 14
14 Darwen 11

Fourteen teems was novelty, to the fourth edition, the Football League had expanded with two extra teams. The top goalscorer during the season was John Campbell, a Scot who played for Sunderland until 1897.

Both teams were reinforced by imported Scottish players and they also played a passing game which for the time was typical Scottish opposed to the dribbling game that otherwise was an English trademark.

Sunderland was, however, not as successful in the FA Cup, in which the participate for the first time in 1884-1885 season. After being the runners-up in 1923 they finally claim its first title in 1937.

The Roker Park stadium served Sunderland AFC for almost a century and had a 75,118 record attendance from a FA Cup match in 1933. But after the all-seater rule made by Football Association in the 1990s, the capacity was decreased to 22,500. The construction of Stadium of Light solved the problem with a capacity beyond 40,000 when it opened in 1997 (the capacity expanded already the next year to 49,000).

By Oscar Anderson

Trivia

Football clubs also founded in 1879

Fullham FC logoFullham FC
Swindon Town FC logoSwindon Town FC

Football clubs ordered after establishment

League statistics

League record

Titles in total: 6
Premier League titles: 0
First participation: 1899-1890
First title: 1899-1890

All seasons

Season League Position Points Notes
2018-19 League One 5 85  
2017-18 EPL 24 37 Relegated
2016-17 Premier League 20 24 Relegated
2015-16 Premier League 19 34  
2014-15 Premier League 16 38  
2013-14 Premier League 14 38  
2012-13 Premier League 17 39  
2011-12 Premier League 13 45  
2010-11 Premier League 10 47  
2009-10 Premier League 13 44  
2008-09 Premier League 16 36  
2007-08 Premier League 15 39  
2006-07 EPL 1 88  
2005-06 Premier League 20 15 Relegated
2004-05 EPL 1 94 Promoted
2003-04 1st Division 3 79  
2002-03 Premier League 20 19 Relegated
2001-02 Premier League 17 40  
2000-01 Premier League 7 57  
1999-00 Premier League 7 58  
1998-99 1st Division 1 105 Promoted
1997-98 1st Division 3 90  
1996-97 Premier League 18 40 Relegated
1995-96 1st Division 1 83  
1994-95 1st Division 20 54  
1993-94 1st Division 12 65  
1992-93 1st Division 21 50  
1991-92 2nd Division 18 53 Promoted
1990-91 1st Division 19 34  
1989-90 2nd Division 6 74 Promoted
1988-89 2nd Division 11 63  
1987-88 3rd Division 1 93 Promoted
1986-87 2nd Division 20 48 Relegated
1985-86 2nd Division 18 50  
1984-85 1st Division 21 40 Relegated
1983-84 1st Division 13 52  
1982-83 1st Division 16 50  
1981-82 1st Division 19 44  
1980-81 1st Division 17 35  
1979-80 2nd Division 2 54 Promoted
1978-79 2nd Division 4 55  
1977-78 2nd Division 6 44  
1976-77 1st Division 20 34 Relegated
1975-76 2nd Division 1 56 Promoted
1974-75 2nd Division 4 51  
1973-74 2nd Division 6 47  
1972-73 2nd Division 6 46  
1971-72 2nd Division 5 50  
1970-71 2nd Division 13 42  
1969-70 1st Division 21 26 Relegated
1968-69 1st Division 17 34  
1967-68 1st Division 15 37  
1966-67 1st Division 17 36  
1965-66 1st Division 19 36  
1964-65 1st Division 15 37  
1963-64 2nd Division 2 61 Promoted
1962-63 2nd Division 3 52  
1961-62 2nd Division 3 53  
1960-61 2nd Division 6 47  
1959-60 2nd Division 16 36  
1958-59 2nd Division 15 40  
1957-58 1st Division 21 32 Relegated
1956-57 1st Division 20 32  
1955-56 1st Division 9 43  
1954-55 1st Division 4 48  
1953-54 1st Division 18 36  
1952-53 1st Division 9 43  
1951-52 1st Division 12 42  
1950-51 1st Division 12 40  
1949-50 1st Division 3 52  
1948-49 1st Division 8 43  
1947-48 1st Division 20 36  
1946-47 1st Division 9 44  
1939-46 - - - WWII
1938-39 1st Division 16 38  
1937-38 1st Division 8 44  
1936-37 1st Division 8 44  
1935-36 1st Division 1 56 6th league title
1934-35 1st Division 2 54  
1933-34 1st Division 6 44  
1932-33 1st Division 12 40  
1931-32 1st Division 13 40  
1930-31 1st Division 11 41  
1929-30 1st Division 9 43  
1928-29 1st Division 4 47  
1927-28 1st Division 15 39  
1926-27 1st Division 3 49  
1925-26 1st Division 3 48  
1924-25 1st Division 7 48  
1923-24 1st Division 3 53  
1922-23 1st Division 2 54  
1921-22 1st Division 12 40  
1920-21 1st Division 12 41  
1919-20 1st Division 5 48  
1915-19 - - - WWI
1914-15 1st Division 8 41  
1913-14 1st Division 7 40  
1912-13 1st Division 1 54 5th league title
1911-12 1st Division 8 39  
1910-11 1st Division 3 45  
1909-10 1st Division 8 41  
1908-09 1st Division 3 44  
1907-08 1st Division 16 35  
1906-07 1st Division 10 37  
1905-06 1st Division 14 35  
1904-05 1st Division 5 40  
1903-04 1st Division 6 39  
1902-03 1st Division 3 41  
1901-02 1st Division 1 44 4th league title
1900-01 1st Division 2 43  
1899-00 1st Division 3 41  
1898-99 1st Division 7 36  
1897-98 1st Division 2 37  
1896-97 1st Division 15 23  
1895-96 1st Division 5 37  
1894-95 1st Division 1 47 3rd league title
1893-94 1st Division 2 38  
1892-93 1st Division 1 48 2nd league title
1891-92 Football League 7 23  
1890-91 Football League 1 42 1st league title

Note. The 1939-40 season was abandoned after three rounds and is therefore excluded.

Premier League – facts, stats and history

References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunderland_A.F.C
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Sunderland_A.F.C._Grounds
Image sources:
Thomas MM Hemy's painting "Sunderland v. Aston Villa 1895"