15-03-2018, 16:54
Sunderland Association Football Club (/ˈsʌndərlənd/ (About this sound listen), locally /ˈsʊndlən/) is an English professional football club based in the city of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear. Sunderland currently plays in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. Since its formation in 1879,[2] the club has won six top-flight (First Division, now the Premier League) titles (1892, 1893, 1895, 1902, 1913 and 1936), a total only bettered by five other clubs, and has finished runners-up five times. The club has also won the FA Cup twice (1937 and 1973) and been runners-up twice (1913 and 1992), as well as winning the FA Community Shield in 1936 and being finalists the following year. Sunderland have also been Football League Cup finalists in 1985 and 2014.
Sunderland won their first FA Cup in 1937 with a 3–1 victory over Preston North End, and remained in the top league for 68 successive seasons until they were relegated for the first time in 1958. Sunderland's most notable trophy after the Second World War was their second FA Cup in 1973, when the club secured a 1–0 victory over Leeds United. The team has won the second tier title five times in that period and the third tier title once.
Sunderland play their home games at the 49,000-capacity all-seater Stadium of Light having moved from Roker Park in 1997. The original ground capacity was 42,000 which was increased to 49,000 following expansion 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.
They last won a home game in 2010
New ground for yours truly and a ground the club have not played at for 12 years, the last visit saw us win 1-0 and if memory serves me right, we went top of the Championship however that all went tits up under bad apples Simpson.
A must win game for both sides probably more for the home side whose season can be best described as dreadful although they still have a chance of avoiding a second relegation on the bounce. They are onto their second manager of the season Chris Coleman replacing our ex Simon, personal view should not have sacked Grayson but they did. Off the field millions in debt and lots of dissatisfaction around the Stadium of Light which may explain their awful home record over the last few seasons (Cue home win Saturday)
Odd thing about Sunderland thought they looked decent when we played them at our place ended 2 all cracking game.
They have ;lots of experience but whether it is a united dressing room is open to debate.
One thing we must not do is spend the afternoon slagging McGeady off because he will only go on a 90 yard celebration if he bags one against us.
Coleman has thrown some youngsters into the mix, no easy game as I said both sides need to win so looks odds on a draw.
North End Cunningham hamstring a doubt personal view Earl at left back rather than Woods, Moult returns from illness. Match blog Saturday night.
Stat Attack: Sunderland
Sunderland AFC are one of a select group of clubs whom we have met on over 100 occasions in the Football League, this being our 54th visit to Wearside.
However, our record is far from being as good as we would hope, with only five victories and 16 draws in the credit column.
The more numerate North End fans will have worked out that means 32 defeats, with a 2:1 ratio in goals with 50 for North End offset by 101 for our hosts.
From our first visit to Roker Park in 1891, we lost our first six games and only took four points from the first 29 matches. During this time we lost 6-3 in 1894 and conceded four goals on four other occasions before turning previous form on its head from 1938 onwards.
We won all four fixtures either side of the Second World War and drew eight of the next nine games, but 19 games passed before our next and most recent victory.
This came in 2006 on what proved to be our last game in Sunderland before this weekend, as we recorded a single goal win thanks to David Nugent’s first half strike on the last matchday of 2006.
A week later, we repeated the score-line at Deepdale as we progressed to the fourth round of the FA Cup, completing a full house of victories over the Mackems that season. Apart from that 6-3 defeat, we have only scored three goals in a match on two other occasions and we failed to win either of these, losing 4-3 in 1971 and drawing 3-3 in 2004 on our first visit to the Stadium of Light.
Ross Wallace, Brian Mooney and of course Aidan McGeady are all ball-playing crowd pleasers to have played for both clubs, whilst at the other end of the pitch, Sam Allardyce, Jim McNab, Neill Collins, Billy Jones and Joe Hinnigan have featured in defence for each.
On This Date
We managed a 2-2 draw at Roker Park on this date in 1923, only our fourth point on Wearside. Tommy Roberts and Roland Woodhouse were our scorers, with the legendary Charlie Buchan scoring both Sunderland’s goals.
Kelham O’Hanlon made his debut as caretaker manager in a 2-1 defeat at Turf Moor on this date in 2002. Kel was in charge for the final nine games of the season after David Moyes left for Everton, overseeing five wins and a draw before handing over the Craig Brown in the summer.
Thorsten Stuckmann is 37 today, having returned to Germany last summer after leaving Chesterfield. Stucki gained a reputation for saving penalties after marking his debut at Rochdale by seeing us into the next round of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy with his ability against opponents from 12 yards. He spent four seasons at Deepdale before joining Doncaster and spending time with Partick Thistle. Alles Gute zum Geburtstag, Stucki!
Last Five Games At Sunderland
Sunderland 0 Preston North End 1 (Nugent), 30th December 2006
Sunderland 3 (Elliott, 2; Carter) Preston North End 1 (Alexander (pen)), 18th September 2004
Sunderland 3 (Mears (og), Thornton, Stewart (pen)) Preston North End 3 (Healy, Mears, Lewis), 10th March 2004
Sunderland 3 (Howey, 2; Kidd (og)) Preston North End 2 (Bryson, Cartwright), 23rd August 1995
Sunderland 1 (MacPhail (pen)) Preston North End (Jones), 28th December 1987
Ref Watch: Sunderland
Lancashire referee Darren Bond takes charge of his third North End game of the season when the Lilywhites travel to the Stadium on Light on Saturday afternoon.
Darren was the match official in the club’s home draw against Millwall in September and our 2-1 win at Bristol City back in November, two of his 34 games so far this season, where he has issued 116 cautions and five red cards.
This will be his fifth Sunderland game of the season, having taken charge of wins over Carlisle United and Nottingham Forest and defeats to Bristol City and Birmingham City.
Although he had done numerous friendlies and other games involving Preston North End, last season was the first time the experienced official took charge of competitive fixtures involving the club, as he refereed the two home 1-1 draws with Burton Albion and Nottingham Forest.
The referee will be assisted by Andrew Fox and Mark Jones, with Matthew Dicicco as the fourth official.
Sunderland won their first FA Cup in 1937 with a 3–1 victory over Preston North End, and remained in the top league for 68 successive seasons until they were relegated for the first time in 1958. Sunderland's most notable trophy after the Second World War was their second FA Cup in 1973, when the club secured a 1–0 victory over Leeds United. The team has won the second tier title five times in that period and the third tier title once.
Sunderland play their home games at the 49,000-capacity all-seater Stadium of Light having moved from Roker Park in 1997. The original ground capacity was 42,000 which was increased to 49,000 following expansion 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.
They last won a home game in 2010
New ground for yours truly and a ground the club have not played at for 12 years, the last visit saw us win 1-0 and if memory serves me right, we went top of the Championship however that all went tits up under bad apples Simpson.
A must win game for both sides probably more for the home side whose season can be best described as dreadful although they still have a chance of avoiding a second relegation on the bounce. They are onto their second manager of the season Chris Coleman replacing our ex Simon, personal view should not have sacked Grayson but they did. Off the field millions in debt and lots of dissatisfaction around the Stadium of Light which may explain their awful home record over the last few seasons (Cue home win Saturday)
Odd thing about Sunderland thought they looked decent when we played them at our place ended 2 all cracking game.
They have ;lots of experience but whether it is a united dressing room is open to debate.
One thing we must not do is spend the afternoon slagging McGeady off because he will only go on a 90 yard celebration if he bags one against us.
Coleman has thrown some youngsters into the mix, no easy game as I said both sides need to win so looks odds on a draw.
North End Cunningham hamstring a doubt personal view Earl at left back rather than Woods, Moult returns from illness. Match blog Saturday night.
Stat Attack: Sunderland
Sunderland AFC are one of a select group of clubs whom we have met on over 100 occasions in the Football League, this being our 54th visit to Wearside.
However, our record is far from being as good as we would hope, with only five victories and 16 draws in the credit column.
The more numerate North End fans will have worked out that means 32 defeats, with a 2:1 ratio in goals with 50 for North End offset by 101 for our hosts.
From our first visit to Roker Park in 1891, we lost our first six games and only took four points from the first 29 matches. During this time we lost 6-3 in 1894 and conceded four goals on four other occasions before turning previous form on its head from 1938 onwards.
We won all four fixtures either side of the Second World War and drew eight of the next nine games, but 19 games passed before our next and most recent victory.
This came in 2006 on what proved to be our last game in Sunderland before this weekend, as we recorded a single goal win thanks to David Nugent’s first half strike on the last matchday of 2006.
A week later, we repeated the score-line at Deepdale as we progressed to the fourth round of the FA Cup, completing a full house of victories over the Mackems that season. Apart from that 6-3 defeat, we have only scored three goals in a match on two other occasions and we failed to win either of these, losing 4-3 in 1971 and drawing 3-3 in 2004 on our first visit to the Stadium of Light.
Ross Wallace, Brian Mooney and of course Aidan McGeady are all ball-playing crowd pleasers to have played for both clubs, whilst at the other end of the pitch, Sam Allardyce, Jim McNab, Neill Collins, Billy Jones and Joe Hinnigan have featured in defence for each.
On This Date
We managed a 2-2 draw at Roker Park on this date in 1923, only our fourth point on Wearside. Tommy Roberts and Roland Woodhouse were our scorers, with the legendary Charlie Buchan scoring both Sunderland’s goals.
Kelham O’Hanlon made his debut as caretaker manager in a 2-1 defeat at Turf Moor on this date in 2002. Kel was in charge for the final nine games of the season after David Moyes left for Everton, overseeing five wins and a draw before handing over the Craig Brown in the summer.
Thorsten Stuckmann is 37 today, having returned to Germany last summer after leaving Chesterfield. Stucki gained a reputation for saving penalties after marking his debut at Rochdale by seeing us into the next round of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy with his ability against opponents from 12 yards. He spent four seasons at Deepdale before joining Doncaster and spending time with Partick Thistle. Alles Gute zum Geburtstag, Stucki!
Last Five Games At Sunderland
Sunderland 0 Preston North End 1 (Nugent), 30th December 2006
Sunderland 3 (Elliott, 2; Carter) Preston North End 1 (Alexander (pen)), 18th September 2004
Sunderland 3 (Mears (og), Thornton, Stewart (pen)) Preston North End 3 (Healy, Mears, Lewis), 10th March 2004
Sunderland 3 (Howey, 2; Kidd (og)) Preston North End 2 (Bryson, Cartwright), 23rd August 1995
Sunderland 1 (MacPhail (pen)) Preston North End (Jones), 28th December 1987
Ref Watch: Sunderland
Lancashire referee Darren Bond takes charge of his third North End game of the season when the Lilywhites travel to the Stadium on Light on Saturday afternoon.
Darren was the match official in the club’s home draw against Millwall in September and our 2-1 win at Bristol City back in November, two of his 34 games so far this season, where he has issued 116 cautions and five red cards.
This will be his fifth Sunderland game of the season, having taken charge of wins over Carlisle United and Nottingham Forest and defeats to Bristol City and Birmingham City.
Although he had done numerous friendlies and other games involving Preston North End, last season was the first time the experienced official took charge of competitive fixtures involving the club, as he refereed the two home 1-1 draws with Burton Albion and Nottingham Forest.
The referee will be assisted by Andrew Fox and Mark Jones, with Matthew Dicicco as the fourth official.
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