This season ended with a defeat over two legs in the play-offs. Winning 2-1 in the first leg at Bramall Lane (Marcelo and Borbokis), Sunderland would win the second leg at The Stadium of Light 2-0. Watch out for a few bits of involvement from our number 2 – Chris Wilder.
Programme from our meeting at Bramall Lane on 31st March, 1986. United won 1-0, crowd, 9,839. (still available – at time of writing – on
ebay).
Sunderland have played at
The Stadium of Light since 1997. Before that - and for 99 years - they played at
Roker Park. On March 9th, 1991 I went to Roker Park to see the Blades win 1-0 with a goal from Ian ‘Jock’ Bryson. Newly-promoted United certainly took time to acclimatise to the top flight and finally won in game 17 – at home to Nottingham Forest. After that, Dave Bassett’s side only lost six more League games in the rest of the season – finishing a credit-worthy 13th and well clear of relegation.
Regardless of the time of year, it was always bleak weather at Sunderland with a constant wind blowing off the North Sea. At this match, the Blades fans were in an uncovered terrace behind a goal and – to our right – the Sunderland ‘hard-core’ sat in the upper tier of the
Archibold Leich-designed stand whose work was characterized by criss-cross lattice work also seen on stands at Everton, Glasgow Rangers and Plymouth. Even though the day was freezing, most of their fans were dressed in t-shirts…
Before the game, me and three mates were walking from the car to the ground. A few younger Blades fell in with us. They were dressed in United shirts and scarves…they’ll learn. Suddenly, around twenty Mackems – fresh from the pub – surrounded us, gobbing at us etc. and it was about to turn nasty. Then, an ear-piercing siren was heard, a police meat wagon pulled up, the back doors were flung open and…the cops threw
us in! They drove us to the match and dropped us at the away fans’ turnstiles. Phew!
One last thing I remember from a home game many years ago. It was probably in the 70s (20th Feb. 1971?) and I seem to remember that the South Stand hadn’t yet been built. It was freezing, the Sunderland fans had turned out in force and filled the BLLT. The away fans ‘manufactured’ a fight with the police and it soon turned into a full-blown riot. Sunderland fans were being carted out in droves and one – dressed as a clown in t-shirt, curly wig, full make up etc. – was marched by two coppers down side line on the Cherry Street side. I just
knew they’d ‘detain’ him until the last away coaches had left. Try hitch-hiking dressed like
that! Anybody fill in more details?
League Record v Sunderland to date:
Home: P: 63 W: 36 D: 10 L: 17 F: 118 A: 74
Away: P: 64 W: 10 D: 14 L: 40 F: 67 A: 138
Current Form: Newly-relegated from the Premier League, Sunderland started this season poorly. Having had nine managers since 30th March, 2013, current manager Chris Coleman took over on 19th November. The Black Cats recently broke the English record for the longest home winless streak. Since a 1-0 win over Watford in 17 December 2016, when David Moyes was in charge, Sunderland didn’t win until 16th December 2017 when they beat Fulham at the Stadium of Light – a run of 22 consecutive games in all competitions. Coleman has brought a slight improvement in Sunderland’s fortunes, losing at Villa, winning at Burton and a creditable draw at Wolves but losing at home to Reading before that win against Fulham and a draw at home to Birmingham on Saturday, Sunderland currently sit 22nd in the Championship (The Blades are 7th).
Sunderland are 13th in the form guide over the last six games and United are 23rd.
Source.
Players to watch:
Just prior to the season starting,
Lewis Grabban joined Sunderland on loan from his parent club Bournmouth. Since then, he has become easily The Black Cat’s leading scorer with twelve goals from twelve games including his goal in the home game against Birmingham this Saturday.
Also worth a mention is
Aiden McGeady (below) who signed from Preston just prior to this season starting and has 4 goals so far.
Sure to be missing is Lee Cattermole, a £6m signing from Wigan in August 2009, 173 appearances but out injured until the New Year.
