Sunderland Association Football Club, are a professional football club based in Sunderland, North East England. They were announced to the world by the local newspaper, The Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette on 27 September 1880 as Sunderland & District Teachers Association Football Club following a meeting of the Teachers at Rectory Park school in Sunderland on 25 September 1880. The football club changed their name to the current form on 16 October 1880, just 20 days after the September announcement. They were elected into The Football League in the 1890–91 season, becoming the first team to join the league since its inauguration in the 1889–90 season, replacing Stoke F.C.
Transfers
All figures are based on the maximum potential fee and are correct as at 1 September 2013.
In
Out
Honours and achievements
Sunderland have won a total of six Football League Championships including three in the space of four seasons, along with being runners-up five times. Sunderland have also experienced success in the FA Cup, winning it twice; in 1937 and 1973. They have never won the League Cup but finished as finalists in 1985 and 2014.
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 (1): 1995–96, 1998–99 Third Division (level 3): Winners (1): 1987–88
Cup
FA Cup: Winners (2): 1937, 1973 Finalists (2): 1913, 1992 Football League Cup: Finalists (2): 1985, 2014 FA Charity Shield: Winners (1): 1936 Finalists (1): 1937 Sheriff of London Charity Shield: Winners (1): 1903 Football League War Cup: Finalists (1): 1942 Durham Challenge Cup: Winners (4): 1884, 1887, 1888, 1890, Northern Temperance Festival Cup: Winners (1): 1884, Durham and Northumberland Championship: Winners (1): 1888 British Cup: Runners Up (1): 1902 Dewar Sheriff of London Shield: Winners (1): 1903 Newcastle and Sunderland Hospitals Cup: Winners (3): 1912, 1913, 1914 Runners Up (1): 1911 Durham Senior Cup: Winners (11): 1919, 1923, 1924, 1927, 1929, 1931, 1932, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1939 Runners Up (3): 1925, 1926, 1928 Northern Victory League: Runners Up (1): 1919 North East Counties Cup: Winners (2): 1920, 1921 Northumberland and Durham Challenge Cup: Runners Up (1): 1883
Player records
Appearances
Youngest first-team player: Derek Forster, 15 years 185 days (vs Leicester City, 22 August 1964). Oldest first-team player: Jermain Defoe, 39 years 163 days (vs Lincoln City, 19 March 2022).Charles Thompson was 41 when he played his last game for Sunderland in 1919
Most appearances
Competitive matches only. Each column contains appearances in the starting eleven, followed by appearances as substitute in brackets.
Goalscorers
Top goalscorers
Competitive matches only, appearances including substitutes appear in brackets.
Most Hat Tricks: Dave Halliday – 12 (11 league and 1 cup)
Managerial records
First full-time manager: Tom Watson managed the club for 191 matches, from August 1888 to August 1896. Longest serving manager: Bob Kyle managed the club for 817 matches, from August 1905 to May 1928, a total of 23 years.
Club records
Goals
Most league goals scored in a season: 109 (in 42 matches in the 1955–56 season, First Division). Fewest league goals scored in a season: 21 (in 38 matches in the 2002–03 season, Premier League). Most league goals conceded in a season: 97 (in 42 matches in the 1957–58 season, First Division). Fewest league goals conceded in a season: 26 (in 34 matches in the 1900–01 season, First Division).
Points
Most points in a season: Two points for a win: 61 (in 42 games in the 1963–64 season, Second Division). Three points for a win: 105 (in 46 games in the 1998–99 season, First Division). Fewest points in a season: Two points for a win: 23 (in 22 games in the 1890–91 season, The Football League) and (in 30 games in the 1896–97 season, First Division). Three points for a win: 15 (in 38 games in the 2005–06 season, Premier League).