59 Fun Facts About Sunderland

Sunderland were founded in 1879 by James Allan as a club for which group of people?

Sunderland and District Teachers A.F.C. opened up to non-teachers and dropped the name in October 1880.

William McGregor dubbed 1890s Sunderland the 'Team of All Talents' after a 7-2 win over which club?

Sunderland won the title in 1891-92, only their second season in the League, and retained it the next year.

In 1892-93 Sunderland became the first team to do what in a Football League season?

Score 100 goals: Sunderland reached a century in just 30 matches while retaining the title in 1892-93, the first team to do so in the Football League; John Campbell was top scorer again.

After the 1895 title, Sunderland beat which Scottish champions in a game billed as the 'World Championship'?

Heart of Midlothian: the 1894-95 Scottish champions lost 5-3 to English champions Sunderland in an April 1895 friendly billed as the 'World Championship'.

Sunderland's first manager resigned in 1896 to join which club?

Liverpool: after leaving Wearside in 1896 he won two more titles at Anfield, in 1900-01 and 1905-06, the first manager to win the League with two different clubs.

Sunderland's record league win, in December 1908, was a 9-1 victory over which opponents?

Their Tyne-Wear derby rivals Newcastle United conceded nine at St James' Park on 5 December 1908, yet went on to win that season's League title.

Sunderland won the League in 1913 but lost that season's FA Cup final by what score?

1-0: Tommy Barber's goal at Crystal Palace settled the 1913 final, denying Sunderland a League and Cup Double in the season they claimed the title.

Whose 43 goals in 42 games in 1928-29 set Sunderland's record for a single season?

Dave Halliday: his 43 league goals in 42 games in 1928-29 set the club's single-season record, and he was the First Division's top scorer that year.

Which two Sunderland players scored 31 goals each in the 109-goal 1935-36 title season?

Raich Carter and Bobby Gurney hit 31 league goals apiece as Sunderland scored 109 to win the 1935-36 title; Gurney ended his career as the club's record scorer with 228 goals.

The 1936 death of Sunderland keeper Jimmy Thorpe, kicked after gathering a back-pass, led to what rule change?

Raising a foot to a goalkeeper in possession was banned by the FA after Thorpe, kicked while holding the ball against Chelsea on 1 February 1936, died four days later.

Sunderland's first FA Cup win, in 1937, was a 3-1 victory over which club at Wembley?

Preston North End: Sunderland came from 1-0 down at half-time to win 3-1 at Wembley on 1 May 1937, Eddie Burbanks scoring the third, for the club's first FA Cup.

Sunderland's £18,000 signing of Ivor Broadis from Carlisle in 1949 was the first case of a player doing what?

Transferring himself, since he was also his club's manager: as Carlisle's player-manager, Broadis negotiated his own £18,000 move to Roker Park, the first footballer to sell himself.

Sunderland's 1950s nickname 'the Bank of England club' referred to what?

Heavy spending in the transfer market: Sunderland broke the British transfer record twice around 1950, and the lavish outlay on star signings earned the 'Bank of England club' tag.

Sunderland's first ever relegation, in 1958, ended a top-flight stay of how many years?

68: Sunderland had been in the top flight continuously since joining the League in 1890-91, and the 1958 drop came a year after a £5,000 fine for illegal payments to players.

Who volleyed the only goal of Sunderland's 1973 FA Cup final win over Leeds?

Ian Porterfield controlled a loose ball from a corner and volleyed past David Harvey after half an hour; Sunderland beat Leeds 1-0 at Wembley on 5 May 1973.

Which two clubs have matched Sunderland's 1973 feat of winning the FA Cup as a Second Division side?

Southampton (1976) and West Ham (1980): Bobby Stokes' goal beat Manchester United and Trevor Brooking's header beat Arsenal, both by Second Division sides, echoing Sunderland's 1973 upset of Leeds.

In the 1973-74 Cup Winners' Cup, Sunderland lost to which club after beating Vasas?

Sporting CP: after a 2-1 win at Roker Park, Sunderland lost the second leg 2-0 in Lisbon and went out 3-2 on aggregate in the second round.

Which 1985 League Cup final opponent later shared a 'Friendship Trophy' with Sunderland?

Norwich City beat Sunderland 1-0 in the 1985 Milk Cup final through a Gordon Chisholm own goal, and the friendly mixing of both sets of fans led to the Friendship Trophy.

Why were Sunderland promoted in 1990 despite losing the play-off final?

Swindon Town's promotion was revoked over financial irregularities: despite losing the Wembley final 1-0, Sunderland took Swindon's place in the First Division, then went straight back down on the last day of 1990-91.

The Stadium of Light, opened in 1997, was at the time the largest stadium built in England since when?

The Second World War: at 42,000 seats the Stadium of Light was the biggest stadium built in England since 1945 when it opened with a friendly against Ajax in July 1997; expansion took it to 49,000 in 2000.

The Stadium of Light was built on the site of what?

Monkwearmouth Colliery, a deep pit that closed in 1993, occupied the riverside site, and a colliery wheel at the top of the 1997 club crest recalls it.

Which member of the royal family opened the Stadium of Light in 1997?

Prince Andrew, Duke of York performed the official opening on 30 July 1997, the night Sunderland played Ajax in a friendly; the name echoes Benfica's Estádio da Luz.

Sunderland's 1999 promotion as First Division champions came with a then-record points total of how many?

105: Peter Reid's side won 31 of 46 games to take the 1998-99 First Division by 18 points, a Football League record total until Reading's 106 in 2005-06.

Which Sunderland striker won the European Golden Shoe in 1999-2000 with 30 goals?

Kevin Phillips scored 30 Premier League goals in Sunderland's first season back, 1999-2000, winning the European Golden Shoe, the first Englishman to take the award.

Sunderland's 2005-06 relegation came with what then record-low Premier League points total?

15: Sunderland won just three games in 2005-06, undercutting their own 19-point low of 2002-03; the record fell again two seasons later when another club finished on 11.

Which former player headed the Drumaville Consortium that bought Sunderland in 2006 and hired Roy Keane?

Niall Quinn, the club's former striker, fronted the Irish Drumaville Consortium's 2006 takeover, briefly managed the side himself, then appointed Roy Keane, who won the Championship in his first season.

Which Ghana international did Sunderland sign for a then club-record £13 million in 2010?

Asamoah Gyan arrived from Rennes in August 2010 for around £13 million, topping the £10 million paid for Darren Bent a year earlier as the club's record signing.

Which Italian was controversially appointed Sunderland manager in March 2013?

Paolo Di Canio, appointed on 31 March 2013 amid protests over his political views, kept Sunderland up, but was sacked the following September after players complained about his methods.

Sunderland lost the 2014 League Cup final 3-1 to which club under Gus Poyet?

Manchester City came from behind at Wembley on 2 March 2014 after Fabio Borini's early goal, Yaya Touré and Samir Nasri scoring before Jesús Navas added a late third.

Which manager left Sunderland in July 2016 to take the England job?

Sam Allardyce lasted 67 days as England manager after leaving the Stadium of Light in July 2016; David Moyes succeeded him at Sunderland and the club was relegated that season.

Jordan Pickford's 2017 £30 million move from Sunderland to Everton was then a record fee for what?

A British goalkeeper: the £25 million deal, rising to £30 million with add-ons, took Pickford to Goodison Park in June 2017 and was the most ever paid for a British keeper at that point.

Which season did 'Sunderland 'Til I Die' document, ending in a second successive relegation?

2017-18: the Netflix series followed the club's fall from the Championship into League One under Simon Grayson and Chris Coleman; a second series covered the 2018-19 season.

In December 2018 Sunderland set a League One attendance record against which club?

Bradford City: 46,039 watched the Boxing Day 2018 fixture at the Stadium of Light, a League One record attendance at the time, as Sunderland won 1-0.

Which club beat Sunderland in the 2019 League One play-off final at Wembley?

Charlton Athletic won 2-1 at Wembley on 26 May 2019, Patrick Bauer scoring in stoppage time after Naby Sarr's early own goal had put Sunderland ahead; Sunderland finally went up in 2022.

Sunderland's 2020 finish of eighth in League One, their lowest ever, was decided how?

On points per game after the COVID-19 suspension: with the 2019-20 season curtailed, the EFL ranked League One on unweighted points per game, which left Sunderland eighth and outside the play-offs.

Which manager was sacked after just 12 games in early 2024, Sunderland's shortest stint?

Michael Beale was appointed in December 2023 and dismissed on 19 February 2024 after 12 matches, the fewest of any permanent Sunderland manager; Mike Dodds then took charge until the summer.

Who scored Sunderland's stoppage-time winner in the 2025 Championship play-off final?

Tom Watson, a 19-year-old winger, struck in the fifth minute of stoppage time to beat Sheffield United 2-1 at Wembley on 24 May 2025, after Eliezer Mayenda had equalised.

Which club sold Habib Diarra to Sunderland for a club-record fee in July 2025?

Strasbourg: the Senegal midfielder, who captained the Alsace club at 21, moved to Wearside in July 2025 for a fee reported at over £30 million, a Sunderland record at the time.

Before adopting red and white stripes in 1887-88, Sunderland's first kit was what colour?

All blue: the club's original 1879 kit was entirely blue; red-and-white halved shirts arrived in 1884 before the familiar stripes in 1887-88.

The 1997 club crest shows the Penshaw Monument and which other local landmark?

The Wearmouth Bridge, the 1929 steel arch beside the city centre, sits on the crest opposite the Penshaw Monument, above the motto Consectatio Excellentiae ('in pursuit of excellence').

'The Black Cats' became Sunderland's official nickname how, in 2000?

By a public vote: in 2000 the club asked supporters to pick an official nickname and the winning entry was adopted; the old 'Rokerites' tag had lost its meaning after the 1997 move from Roker Park.

Which Elvis song do Sunderland fans sing before every kick-off, adding the club's name?

Can't Help Falling in Love: the Elvis Presley ballad became a Stadium of Light pre-match ritual, the crowd adding 'Sunderland' to the chorus; Prokofiev's 'Dance of the Knights' was adopted as the entrance music.

The 1996 fan single 'Cheer Up Peter Reid' was set to the tune of which song?

Daydream Believer: the Monkees' 1967 hit supplied the tune for 'Cheer Up Peter Reid', recorded by Simply Red and White in Reid's 1996 promotion season and a UK top-50 single.

Sunderland fans share a friendship with which Dutch club, dating from shipbuilders in Rotterdam?

Feyenoord: the friendship with the Rotterdam club is marked by fans exchanging visits and displaying each other's flags, a bond attributed to shipbuilding links between Wearside and Rotterdam.

Roker Park's record crowd of over 75,000 in March 1933 came in an FA Cup replay against which club?

Derby County: 75,118 packed Roker Park on 8 March 1933 for an FA Cup sixth-round replay that Derby won; the ground was demolished for housing after the club left in 1997.

Which of Sunderland's early grounds was the first at which the club charged admission?

Abbs Field in Fulwell, the club's home from 1884 to 1886, was the first ground where Sunderland charged spectators; they had begun at Blue House Field in Hendon in 1879.

Which goalkeeper made more appearances for Sunderland than any other player?

Jimmy Montgomery, Sunderland's goalkeeper throughout the 1960s and 1970s and the hero of the 1973 FA Cup final with his double save, set the club's all-time appearance record.

Thomas Hemy's 1895 painting of a match at Newcastle Road is commonly known by what title?

A Corner Kick: Thomas Hemy's canvas of Sunderland in action at Newcastle Road in 1895 is one of the oldest paintings of a football match, now displayed at the Stadium of Light.

Which manager led Sunderland to their sixth league title in 1935-36?

Johnny Cochrane, manager from 1928 to 1939, took the 1935-36 title with a 109-goal side and followed it with the club's first FA Cup in 1937.

Record fees for Len Shackleton and which Welsh striker helped earn the 'Bank of England club' tag?

Trevor Ford cost a British-record £30,000 in October 1950, two years after Shackleton's own record move from Newcastle; the spending spree ended in the club's first relegation in 1958.

Which Bolton boss replaced Jack Ross as Sunderland manager in 2019?

Phil Parkinson, who had led Bolton from 2016 to 2019, took over in October 2019 and was sacked in November 2020; his successor Lee Johnson later went after a 6-0 loss at Bolton.

From which French club did Sunderland appoint head coach Régis Le Bris in June 2024?

Lorient: Le Bris had just taken the Breton club down from Ligue 1 when Sunderland hired him in June 2024; within a year he had won promotion via the play-offs.

What share of Sunderland did Kyril Louis-Dreyfus hold after Juan Sartori's 2023 buyout?

64%: the 2023 buyout of Stewart Donald and Charlie Methven left Louis-Dreyfus with 64% and Juan Sartori with the remaining 36%, ending the former owners' involvement.

Which monument stands outside the Stadium of Light as a nod to the ground's past?

A Davy lamp: a giant replica of the miners' safety lamp stands outside the ground, recalling the deep pit that occupied the site until 1993.

Which defender nicknamed 'The King' was voted Sunderland's Player of the Century in 1979?

Charlie Hurley, the Republic of Ireland centre-half who played for Sunderland from 1957 to 1969, was voted the club's Player of the Century in the 1979 centenary poll.

Which brewery sponsored Sunderland's shirts from 1985 to 1999?

Vaux: the Sunderland brewery's name was on the shirt from 1985 until it closed in 1999, after which local car dealer Reg Vardy took over until 2007.

Which Irish bookmaker's one-season shirt deal ended with the rights gifted to Children with Cancer UK?

Betdaq: the Dublin-founded betting exchange, launched in 2000 and later bought by Ladbrokes, joined Boylesports (2007) among the Irish betting firms to appear on Sunderland's shirt.

In October 2015 Sunderland beat Newcastle for a record how many consecutive derbies?

Six: the 3-0 win at the Stadium of Light on 25 October 2015, with goals from Adam Johnson, Billy Jones and Steven Fletcher, made it six derby victories in a row, a record for the fixture.

Which 1998 six-part BBC documentary followed Sunderland two decades before Netflix's series?

Premier Passions, screened by the BBC in 1998, followed Peter Reid's side through the 1996-97 relegation season and Roker Park's final year; Netflix's Sunderland 'Til I Die followed two decades later.