Sunderland Association Football Club are an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear. They were formed in 1879, and played several years in the FA Cup and local cup competitions before joining the Football League in the 1890–91 season in place of Stoke. They played in the top league in England until the 1957–58, season when they were relegated into the Second Division. They have won the English League championship six times: in 1892, 1893, 1895, 1902, 1913, and, most recently, in 1936. They have also been runners-up on a further five occasions: in 1894, 1898, 1901, 1923 and 1935 (see Sunderland A.F.C. seasons).

Sunderland have also won the FA Cup twice, in 1937 against Preston North End and in 1973 against Leeds United. They were finalists in 1913 and 1992, where they were beaten respectively by Aston Villa and Liverpool. They were finalists in the 1985 and 2014 Football League Cup Final, where they were beaten respectively by Norwich City and Manchester City. Their other honours include two Charity Shields, in 1903 and 1936.

Early years and "The Team of all Talents": 1879–1913 Sunderland AFC began life as "Sunderland & District Teachers Association Football Club", and was announced to the world on 27 September 1880 by The Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette. Originally organised in 1879 by James Allan, a teacher at Hendon Board School,Days, pp. 3–4. with the objective to provide "recreational amusement" for the area's schoolteachers. Their first recorded competitive game was against Ferryhill Athletic on 13 November 1880, which they lost 1–0. Their first kit was an all blue strip, a contrast to the red and white stripes they play in currently.Days, p. 15. Their first ground was the Blue House Field in Hendon, close to James Allan's school, and they would change their home four times in seven years before settling at Newcastle Road in 1886.Days, p. 3.

On 16 October 1880 the Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette announced that the club's name had been changed to Sunderland Association Football Club; and non-teachers were allowed to join.Days, p. 7. They turned professional in 1885, the same year that the club recruited a number of Scotsmen, their first internationally capped players.Days, p. 13. Founder James Allan left Sunderland in 1888 because of his dislike for the "professionalism" that had been creeping into the club, and subsequently formed Sunderland Albion.Days, p. 18. Tom Watson became Sunderland's first manager when he was appointed in 1888. On 5 April 1890, the Football League's founder, William McGregor, labelled Sunderland as "the team of all talents" stating that they had "a talented man in every position".Days, p21.

Sunderland's games consisted of local competitions and the FA Cup. Additionally, they participated in friendlies with Football League clubs; they beat the League champions Preston North End on 28 April 1889.Days, p20. As their popularity grew, they applied for admission into the Football League. At the League's annual meeting that considered this application, Sunderland offered to pay towards other clubs' travelling costs, to compensate for the extra distance these club would need to travel. This offer secured their place in the Football League. They replaced Stoke, one of the original League founding members, who failed to be re-elected.Days, pp. 27–28. In their second season in the Football League, Sunderland won the title, by five points over Preston North End.Days, pp. 29–30. This success was repeated in the following season, when Sunderland won their second League title, this time 11 points ahead of their nearest contenders.Days, pp. 31–32. That season also included an 8–1 win over West Bromwich Albion.

They came close to winning three successive League championships in the 1893–94 season, when they finished as runners-up to Aston Villa. The club shared this period of success with Aston Villa; the battles between these clubs were the subject of a Thomas M. M. Hemy painting of the two clubs during the 1894–95 season game between the teams at Sunderland's then ground Newcastle Road. This is one of the earliest recorded paintings of a competitive Football League match; entitled A Corner Kick, the painting now stands in the doorway of Sunderland's current stadium, the Stadium of Light.Days, p. 38.

Sunderland achieved their third League title in four seasons in the 1894–95 season,Days, pp. 35–36. and after their League championship success took part in a game with Heart of Midlothian, the champions of Scotland. The game was played on 27 April 1895, and was described as the "Championship of the World title match". Sunderland won the game 5–3 and were crowned "Champions of the World".When Sunderland met Hearts in the first ever 'Champions League' match, Alexis James, Nutmeg Magazine, September 2017

The wealthy miner Samuel Tyzack, who alongside and shipbuilder Robert Turnbull funded the "team of all talents," often pretended to be a priest while scouting for players in Scotland, as Sunderland's recruitment policy enraged many Scottish fans. In fact, the Sunderland lineup in the 1895 World Championship consisted entirely of Scottish playersSunderland's Victorian all-stars blazed trail for money's rule of football, Jonathan Wilson, The Guardian, 25 April 2020 (English-born Tom Porteous and Irish-born David Hannah were also involved in the period, but both were raised in Scotland and recruited from local clubs there).

In their first three league titles, Johnny Campbell was the top scorer of the league. Also notable in the attack at the time, and important to Campbell's success in attack, were other "Team of all Talents" players Jimmy Hannah and Jimmy Millar. As goalkeeper, Ned Doig set a 19th-century world record by not conceding any goals in 87 of his 290 top division appearances (30%).

Further titles and the move to Roker Park: 1896–1913

After taking Sunderland to three English League championship titles manager Watson resigned at the end of the 1895–96 season, in order to join Liverpool.Days, p. 39. Robert Campbell replaced him. From 1886 until 1898, Sunderland's home ground was in Newcastle Road.Days, p. 44. In 1898, the club moved to what would become their home for almost a century, Roker Park.Days, pp. 45–46. Initially the ground had a capacity of 30,000. However, over the following decades it was continually expanded, and at its peak would hold an official crowd of over 75,000 in a sixth round FA Cup replay against Derby County on 8 March 1933.Days, p. 134. Campbell did not achieve the same playing success as former manager Watson, as Sunderland failed to win any titles in his three seasons at the club, which he left in the 1898–99 season to join Bristol City.Days, p. 45. Scotsman Alex Mackie replaced Campbell as manager, and gained success in the 1901–02 season when Sunderland won their fourth League title.Days, pp. 55–56. He followed this up with victory in the Sheriff of London Charity Shield, a competition featuring the best amateur and professional sides in England. Sunderland beat leading amateurs Corinthians 3–0.Days, pp. 59–60.

In December 1902, Arthur Bridgett joined Sunderland. He went on to captain the "Black Cats" for ten years and gain his eleven England caps, making him Sunderland's second most-capped England International behind Dave Watson.

In 1904 Sunderland were involved in a financial irregularity, when the club's board of directors gave their right back Andy McCombie £100 (£ today) to start a business, with the view that his benefit game would enable him repay the money.Days, pp. 63–64. McCombie however, saw the money as a gift and refused to pay back the club. The Football Association launched an inquiry and agreed with McCombie, stating that it was a "resigning/win/draw bonus". The club's records showed further breaches of the League's financial rules. As a result, Sunderland were fined £250 (£ today)and six directors were suspended for two and a half years. McCombie later signed for Newcastle United, and helped towards their spell of League success.

After 214 matches in charge of Sunderland, Mackie left the club as a result of the "McCombie affair".Days, p. 65. He was replaced by Irishman Bob Kyle; another 70 candidates had also applied for the managerial.Days, p. 68. In 1905 Sunderland were involved in the first £1,000 (£ today) transfer fee for a player, when Alf Common signed for Middlesbrough. The 1907–08 season included Sunderland's record League win, a 9–1 victory against Newcastle United at St James' Park.Days, pp. 73–74. Billy Hogg and George Holley each scored hat-tricks, while Arthur Bridgett scored two.Days, pp 73–76.

Kyle achieved his only League championship in charge of Sunderland in the 1912–13 season, when they won the League with 54 points.Days, pp. 85–86. On 19 April 1913 Sunderland narrowly missed out on becoming one of the few clubs to win the League and cup double, when they were beaten 1–0 by Aston Villa in the FA Cup Final at Crystal Palace.Days, pp. 87–90. This period in their history also saw the goalscoring of Charlie Buchan, who went on to score 221 goals for Sunderland,Dykes, pp. 58–59. making him (as of 2009) the second highest goal-scorer in the club's history, behind Bob Gurney.Dykes, pp. 170–171. Other prominent players of that period's Sunderland was George Holley, who was league top scorer in the season before the title, and Scottish Charles Thomson who captained the club.

First World War and inter-war period, 1913–1939

Sunderland finished in eighth place in 1914–15 Division One season, before World War I forced the break-up of the team as men went off to fight on the continent.Days, p. 95. Charlie Buchan and Bob Young each went on to win the Military Medal. After the resumption of the Football League following the war, Sunderland finished fifth in the 1919–20 season.

To consolidate themselves in the First Division, Sunderland made several large money signings, including a world record fee of £5,500 (£ today) for the signing of Warney Cresswell from South Shields.Days, p. 106. In the 1922–23 season they came close to another League championship title, finishing runners-up to Liverpool by six points with Buchan breaking the 30 goal mark.Days, pp. 107–108. In the 1923–24 season Sunderland were involved in a dispute with the English and Scottish national teams. Buchan and William Clunas had been called up by England and Scotland respectively. Sunderland were two points clear at the top of the table, but without Buchan and Clunas they travelled to Arsenal and were beaten 2–0, a defeat which helped cost them the title race for that season.Days, p. 109.

In April 1925, Sunderland completed the signing of centre forward Dave Halliday, after Buchan left for Arsenal.Days, p. 114. In his second season Halliday scored 38  goals, helping Sunderland secure a third-place finish in the League.Days, pp. 117–118. In the 1928–29 season Halliday scored 43 goals, a club record for the most individual goals in a season.Days, p. 124. Kyle, who had been Sunderland's manager since 1905, resigned at the end of the 1928–29 season, after 25 seasons in charge of the club, managing 817 matches and taking Sunderland to the verge of a League and cup double.Days, p. 121. He was replaced by Johnny Cochrane, who arrived from St Mirren. With Cochrane in charge, Sunderland reached the 1930–31 FA Cup semi-final, where they lost to Birmingham City.Days, pp. 129–130. Sunderland's next success came in the 1934–35 season when they finished as runners-up to Arsenal.Days, pp. 137–138. The following season Sunderland managed to win their sixth League title, by a margin of eight points. They scored 109 goals during the season, with Raich Carter and Bobby Gurney each scoring 31.Days, pp. 139–142.