Sunderland AFC is one of the most important clubs in the north-east of England.  Offical nickname is ‘The Black Cats’, named after the Black Cat gun battery which stood on the river Wear. Founded by Sunderland-based schoolteacher James Allan as the Sunderland District & Teachers Assosiation Football Club on 17 October 1879, the name of the club was changed to Sunderland Association Football Club in 1881, after other professions were allowed to join. This increased the pool of players and improved the club's financial base. They were elected into The Football League in 1890.  The later Victorian period was a golden era for the club when the team was given the nickname the "Team of all the talents".   During these early years the  team was packed with Scottish footballers; when they won the League title in 1892, 1893, 1895, 1902, and 1913 before the outbreak of war.  Sunderland  norrowly missed out on the doubtle in 1913 winning the league but lossing their first FA Cup final 1–0 to Aston Villa. After the First World War, Sunderland came close to winning another championship in the 1922–23 season when they were runners-up to Liverpool. The club's sixth league championship came in the 1935–36 season, and they won the FA Cup the following season, after a 3–1 victory against Preston North End at Wembley Stadium. The remainder of the decade saw mid-table finishes, until the league and FA Cup were suspended for the duration of the Second World War.For Sunderland, the immediate post-war years were characterised by significant spending.   This, along with record-breaking transfer fees to secure the services of Len Shackleton and Welsh international Trevor Ford, led to the club being dubbed the "Bank of England". The club finished third in the First Division in 1950, their highest finish since the 1936 championship. However, their achievements petered out, and they were relegated in 1958. 

Sunderland's absence from the top flight lasted six years. The club came within one game of promotion back to the First Division in the 1962–63 season where they remained until relegated at the end of the decade. Sunderland's only triumph after the Second World War was their second FA Cup in 1973, when, as a Second Division side, they secured a 1–0 victory over hot favourites Leeds United thanks to a goal scored by Ian Porterfield. After spending six seasons in the Second Division, Sunderland were promoted to Division One in the 1975–76 season but they managed to stay in the top flight for only one season. In 1987, Sunderland saw one of the lowest points in their history, when they were relegated to the Third Division of the English league for the first time. In 1990, they were promoted back to the top flight in unusual circumstances. Sunderland lost to Swindon Town in the play-off final, but Swindon's promotion was revoked after the club was found guilty of financial irregularities and Sunderland were promoted instead. Sunderland's last outing in a major final came in 1992 when, as a Second Division club, they lost 0-2 to Liverpool. The early 1990s was a turbulent period for the club. In 1995, they faced the prospect of a return to the third-tier of English football. They returned to the Premier League during the 1995-96, but were relegated at the end of the season. Sunderland returned to the Premier League as First-Division champions in 1999 with a then-record 105 points. Two consecutive seventh place finishes in the Premier League were followed by two less successful seasons, and they were relegated to the second-tier with a then-record low 19 points in 2003. The club returned to the Premier League once again in 200-07 and, although in the lower reaches of the league, managed to remain in the top tier of English football until relegation at the end of the 2016-17 season. This was followed by relegation to League One after one season in the Championship. A succession of managers followed as Sunderland struggled to gain promotion until Alex Neil led them to a 2-0 victory over Wycombe Wanderers at Wembley in May 2021 to end their four year stay in League One.