List of Sunderland A.F.C. records and statistics
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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[1] 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 20 August 2025.
In
| Date | Pos. | Player | From | Fee | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 July 2025 | MF |  Habib Diarra |
 Strasbourg |
£30 million | [2] |
| 10 July 2025 | LW |  Simon Adingra |
 Brighton & Hove Albion |
£21 million | [3] |
| 9 July 2025 | RW |  Chemsdine Talbi |
 Club Brugge |
£19.5 million | [4] |
| 3 June 2025 | MF | Enzo Le Fée |
 Roma |
£19 million | [5] |
| 4 July 2025 | MF |  Noah Sadiki |
Union Saint-Gilloise |
£17.5 million | [6] |
| 31 August 2016 | MF |  Didier Ndong |
Lorient |
£13.8 million | [7] |
| 31 August 2010 | FW |  Asamoah Gyan |
Rennes |
£13 million | [8] |
| 24 August 2012 | FW |  Steven Fletcher |
Wolverhampton Wanderers |
£12 million | [9] |
| 29 June 2011 | FW | Connor Wickham |
Ipswich Town |
£12 million (£8M up front) | [10] |
| 5 August 2014 | MF | Jack Rodwell |
Manchester City |
£10 million | [11] |
| 23 August 2012 | MF | Adam Johnson |
Manchester City |
£10 million | [12] |
| 5 August 2009 | FW | Darren Bent |
Tottenham Hotspur |
£10 million | [13] |
| 31 August 2015 | FW | Fabio Borini |
Liverpool |
£10 million (£8M up front) | [14] |
| 1 August 2015 | MF |  Ricky Álvarez |
Inter Milan |
£9 million [A] | [15] |
| 30 January 2016 | MF |  Wahbi Khazri |
Bordeaux |
£9 million | [16] |
| 8 August 2007 | GK | Craig Gordon |
Heart of Midlothian |
£9 million (£7M up front) | [17] |
| 15 July 2015 | MF |  Jeremain Lens |
 Dynamo Kyiv |
£8 million | [18] |
| 27 August 2013 | DF | Anton Ferdinand |
West Ham United |
£8 million (£6.75M up front) | [19] |
| 5 August 2016 | DF | Papy Djilobodji |
Chelsea |
£8 million | [20] |
| 30 August 2002 | FW |  Tore André Flo |
Rangers |
£6.75 million | [21] |
| 16 July 2013 | MF | Emanuele Giaccherini |
Juventus |
£6.5 million | [22] |
| 30 June 2013 | MF |  Jozy Altidore |
AZ |
£6 million | [23] |
| 30 June 2011 | MF | Craig Gardner |
Birmingham City |
£6 million | [24] |
| 29 August 2007 | FW |  Kenwyne Jones |
Southampton |
£6 million | [25] |
| 12 August 2009 | FW | Lee Cattermole |
Wigan Athletic |
£6 million | [26] |
| 29 January 2011 | FW |  Stéphane Sessègnon |
Paris Saint-Germain |
£6 million | [27] |
| 1 September 2008 | DF |  George McCartney |
West Ham United |
£5.5 million (£4.5M up front) | [28] |
| 16 July 2007 | MF | Kieran Richardson |
Manchester United |
£5.5 million | [29] |
| 31 January 2013 | FW | Danny Graham |
 Swansea City |
£5 million | [30] |
| 30 July 2008 | MF | Steed Malbranque |
Tottenham Hotspur |
£5 million | [31] |
| 26 July 2009 | MF |  Lorik Cana |
Marseille |
£5 million | [32] |
| 13 July 2007 | FW | Michael Chopra |
Cardiff City |
£5 million | [33] |
| 7 July 2011 | DF |  John O'Shea |
Manchester United |
£5 million | [34] |
Out
| Date | Pos. | Player | To | Fee | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 June 2025 | MF | Jobe Bellingham |
 Borussia Dortmund |
£32 million (£27.8M up front) | [35] |
| 15 June 2017 | GK | Jordan Pickford |
Everton |
£30 million (£25M up front) | [36] |
| 18 January 2011 | FW | Darren Bent |
Aston Villa |
£24 million (£18M up front) | [37] |
| 9 June 2011 | MF | Jordan Henderson |
Liverpool |
£20 million (£16.25M up front) | [38] |
| 24 August 2024 | MF | Jack Clarke |
Ipswich Town |
£20 million (£15M up front) | [39] |
| 30 January 2017 | DF | Patrick van Aanholt |
Crystal Palace |
£14 million (£9M up front) | [40] |
| 25 June 2013 | GK | Simon Mignolet |
Liverpool |
£11.25 million (£9M up front) | [41] |
| 1 June 2025 | FW | Tom Watson |
Brighton & Hove Albion |
£10 million | [42] |
| 1 September 2023 | FW | Ross Stewart |
Southampton |
£10 million (£8M up front) | [43] |
| 3 August 2015 | FW | Connor Wickham |
Crystal Palace |
£9 million (£7M up front) | [44] |
| 17 July 2018 | MF | Wahbi Khazri |
Saint-Étienne |
£9 million (£6M up front) | [45] |
| 12 August 2010 | FW | Kenwyne Jones |
Stoke City |
£8 million | [46] |
| 31 August 2013 | FW | Stéphane Sessègnon |
West Bromwich Albion |
£6.5 million | [47] |
| 9 July 2012 | FW | Asamoah Gyan |
 Al-Ain |
£6 million (added to £6M loan fee received previously) | [48] |
| 1 June 2018 | MF | Jeremain Lens |
 Beşiktaş |
£6 million (including £6M loan fee) | [49] |
| 30 June 2017 | FW | Fabio Borini |
Milan |
£5.3 million (£1M up front) | [50] |
| 30 August 2001 | MF | Don Hutchison |
West Ham United |
£5.25 million | [51] |
| 8 July 2010 | MF | Lorik Cana |
Galatasaray |
£5.1 million | [52] |
| 24 July 2009 | MF | Dean Whitehead |
Stoke City |
£5 million | [53] |
| 23 July 1999 | FW | Michael Bridges |
Leeds United |
£5 million | [54] |
| 26 June 2018 | DF | Paddy McNair |
Middlesbrough |
£5 million | [55] |
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.[56][57][58]
League
- First Division (level 1):
- Football League Championship (level 2):
- Second Division (level 2):
- First Division (level 2):
- Third Division (level 3):
- Winners (1): 1987–88
Cup
- FA Cup:
- Football League Cup:
- FA Charity Shield:
- 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).[59]
- Oldest first-team player: Jermain Defoe, 39 years 163 days (vs Lincoln City, 19 March 2022).[citation needed]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.[60]
| Rank | Player | Years | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other[61] | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jimmy Montgomery | 1960–1977 | 537 (0) | 41 (0) | 33 (0) | 16 (0) | 627 (0) |
| 2 | Len Ashurst | 1957–1971 | 403 (6) | 26 (0) | 23 (0) | 0 (0) | 452 (6) |
| 3 | Ned Doig | 1890–1904 | 417 (0) | 35 (0) | 0 (0) | 5 (0) | 457 (0) |
| 4 | Stan Anderson | 1951–1963 | 402 (0) | 34 (0) | 11 (0) | 0 (0) | 447 (0) |
| 5 | Gary Bennett | 1984–1995 | 362 (7) | 17 (1) | 34 (1) | 21 (0) | 434 (9) |
| 6 | Bobby Kerr | 1964–1979 | 355 (13) | 29 (1) | 14 (0) | 21 (0) | 419 (14) |
| 7 | Gordon Armstrong | 1983–1996 | 331 (18) | 19 (0) | 25 (4) | 18 (1) | 393 (23) |
| 8 | Charlie Buchan | 1911–1925 | 379 (0) | 32 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 411 (0) |
| 9 | Michael Gray | 1990–2004 | 341 (22) | 17 (1) | 23 (4) | 2 (0) | 383 (27) |
| 10 | Charlie Hurley | 1957–1969 | 357 (1) | 26 (0) | 17 (0) | 0 (0) | 400 (1) |
Goalscorers
Top goalscorers
Competitive matches only, appearances including substitutes appear in brackets.[62]
| Rank | Player | Years | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other[61] | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bobby Gurney | 1925–1950 | 205 (348) | 23 (40) | 0 (0) | 0 (2) | 228 (390) |
| 2 | Charlie Buchan | 1911–1925 | 209 (379) | 13 (32) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 222 (411) |
| 3 | Dave Halliday | 1925–1929 | 156 (166) | 9 (9) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 165 (175) |
| 4 | George Holley | 1904–1919 | 150 (280) | 9 (35) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 159 (315) |
| 5 | Johnny Campbell | 1890–1997 | 135 (186) | 25 (19) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 154 (215) |
- Most hat-tricks: Dave Halliday – 12 (11 league and 1 cup)[63]
Managerial records
- First full-time manager: Tom Watson managed the club for 191 matches, from August 1888 to August 1896.[64]
- Longest serving manager: Bob Kyle managed the club for 817 matches, from August 1905 to May 1928, a total of 23 years.[65]
Club records
Goals
- Most league goals scored in a season: 109 (in 42 matches in the 1935–36 season, First Division).[66]
- Fewest league goals scored in a season: 21 (in 38 matches in the 2002–03 season, Premier League).[66]
- Most league goals conceded in a season: 97 (in 42 matches in the 1957–58 season, First Division).[66]
- Fewest league goals conceded in a season: 26 (in 34 matches in the 1900–01 season, First Division).[66]
Points
- Most points in a season:
- Two points for a win: 61 (in 42 games in the 1963–64 season, Second Division).[66]
- Three points for a win: 105 (in 46 games in the 1998–99 season, First Division).[66]
- 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).[66]
- Three points for a win: 15 (in 38 games in the 2005–06 season, Premier League).[66]
Matches
Firsts
- First match: Sunderland 0–1 Ferryhill, 13 November 1880.[67]
- First competitive match: Sunderland 2–2 Burnopfield in the Durham Challenge Cup, 11 December 1880.[68]
- First league match: Sunderland 2–3 Burnley, 13 September 1890.[69]
- First FA Cup match: Redcar 3–1 Sunderland, 8 November 1884.[70]
- First League Cup match: Brentford 4–3 Sunderland, 26 October 1960.[71]
- First European match: Vasas Budapest 0–2 Sunderland, 19 September 1973, UEFA Cup Winner's Cup.[72]
Record wins
- Record Football League win: 9–1 (v. Newcastle United, 5 December 1908)
- Record FA Cup win: 11–1 (v. Fairfield, 2 February 1895)
- Record League Cup win: 7–0 (v. Cambridge United, 1 October 2002)
- Record Football League Trophy win: 8–1 (v. Aston Villa U21, 8 September 2020)
- Record friendly win: 23–0 (v. Castletown, 20 December 1884)
Record defeats
- Record league defeats:
- 0–8 (v. Sheffield Wednesday, 26 December 1911).[73]
- 0–8 (v. West Ham United, 19 October 1968).[73]
- 0–8 (v. Watford, 25 September 1982)
- 0–8 (v. Southampton, 18 October 2014)
- Record FA Cup defeat:
- 1–5 (v. Manchester United, 9 March 1964)
- Record League Cup defeat:
- 0–6 (v. Derby County, 31 October 1990)
- Record Football League Trophy defeat:
- 0–3 (v. Scunthorpe United, 12 November 2019)
Attendances
Overall
- Highest overall attendance: 75,118 v. Derby County, FA Cup Sixth Round Replay, 8 March 1933 at Roker Park (Sunderland 0–1 Derby County)[74]
- Highest league attendance: 68,004 v. Newcastle United, 4 March 1950 at Roker Park (Sunderland 2–2 Newcastle United)[75]
- Lowest recorded attendance: 880 vs Millwall, Friendly, 28 July 1969 at Roker Park (Sunderland 0–1 Millwall)
- Lowest recorded league attendance: 3,841 v. Manchester City, 11 April 1934 at Roker Park (Sunderland 0–0 Manchester City)[76]
- Lowest approximate competitive attendance: c. 1,500 v. Birtley Town, Durham Challenge Cup First Round, 20 November 1886 at Newcastle Road (Sunderland 2–0 Birtley)[77]
- Lowest recorded competitive attendance: 3,498 v. Oldham Athletic, EFL Trophy Second Round, 1 December 2021 at Stadium of Light (Sunderland 0–1 Oldham Athletic)[78]
Competitive Attendance Records by Ground
Attendances at Sunderland's grounds prior to Newcastle Road were rarely recorded. Attendances at Newcastle Road, and in the seasons prior to 1925 at Roker Park were usually approximations.
| Ground | Highest | Lowest | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| League | Other | League | Other | |
| Newcastle Road | c. 24,000 v. Sheffield United, 5 March 1898[79] | c. 23,000 v. Aston Villa, FA Cup, 10 February 1894[80] | c. 2,000 v. Blackburn Rovers, 19 December 1896[81] | c. 1,500 v. Birtley Town in the Durham Challenge Cup, 20 November 1886[77] |
| Roker Park | 68,004, v. Newcastle United, 4 March 1950[82] | 75,118 v. Derby County, FA Cup, 8 March 1933[75] | 3,841 v. Manchester City, 11 April 1934[76] | c. 1,500 v Darlington in the Durham Senior Cup, 21 October 1931[83] |
| Stadium of Light | 48,355 v. Liverpool, 13 April 2002[84] | 47,543 v. Manchester United, EFL Cup, 28 November 2000[85] | 22,167 v. Wigan Athletic, 2 December 2003[86] | 3,498 v. Oldham Athletic in the EFL Trophy, 1 December 2021[78] |
European statistics
Record by season
Below is Sunderland's record in European competitions.[72] They have only appeared once in European competition, during the 1973–74 season where they reached the second round. They qualified for the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup after winning the 1973 FA Cup Final over Leeds United.
| Season | Competition | Round | Country | Club | Home result[C] | Away result[C] | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973–74 | European Cup Winners' Cup | R1 |  |
Vasas Budapest | 2–0 | 1–0 | [D] |
| R2 |  |
Sporting CP | 2–1 | 0–2 | |||
- Key
- PR = Preliminary round
- 1R = First round
- 2R = Second round
- 3R = Third round
- QF = Quarter final
- SF = Semi final
- F = Final
Record by competition
| Competition | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals for |
Goals against |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| European Cup Winners' Cup | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 |
| Total | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 |
Notes
- A. ^: Payment of the transfer fee for Ricardo Alvarez was imposed on Sunderland in 2017 following the loss of a legal dispute with Inter Milan. The total cost of the Alvarez deal, including compensation and court fees is estimated to be close to £20m.[87]
- B. ^: Sunderland were promoted in the 1989–90 season despite being beaten in the 1990 play-off final, Swindon Town originally won the match 1–0 but Sunderland took their place in the First Division after Swindon admitted to making illegal payments.[66]
- C. a b : Sunderland score is given first in each result.
- D. ^: Sunderland qualified for the 1973–74 European Cup Winners' Cup by winning the 1973 FA Cup.