Sunderland A.F.C. is a professional football club from Sunderland, United Kingdom. Founded in 1879 by Scottish schoolteacher James Allan, Sunderland have had eight different home grounds across Sunderland.[1] The seventh ground, Roker Park was Sunderland's home for 99 years before being replaced by its current home, the Stadium of Light in 1997.

The early grounds in the list were little more than roped-off playing fields which were open to the public, so records regarding ground capacity and attendances are not available.[2] But as public interest in football began to grow in the town in 1880s, the club took the opportunity to begin charging spectators an entrance fee. As such, attendance records begin to appear from Sunderland's fifth home (Abbs Field). Sunderland's sixth home at Newcastle Road could be considered the first 'proper' stadium; with outer walls, grandstands, and capacity for around 15,000 spectators, it was, at the time, regarded as the finest ground in the North East of England.[3]

Three of Sunderland grounds have hosted full England international matches. The first at Newcastle Road in 1891, the most recent at Stadium of Light in 2016.

Grounds

Map

Ground Location Date of first game Date of last game Maximum capacity Record attendance Notes
Blue House Field Hendon 18 November 1880

(vs. Ferryhill)[4]

12 November 1881

(vs. Elswick Leather Works)[4]

unknown unknown
  • First Sunderland game[2]
  • First Sunderland competitive game[2]
  • First Sunderland victory[2]
The Cedars Ashbrooke unknown unknown unknown unknown Arthur Appleton, local Sunderland historian and author, records that after leaving Blue House Field, the club played at least four games in the Cedars area of Ashbrooke.[3] The exact location, and the details of the games are unknown, but Sunderland A.F.C. recognise The Cedars as their second home,[5] and a Blue plaque marks an approximate location.[6] At least one friendly game was played in Whitburn, but the club does not recognise this as an official home.[5]
Groves Field Ashbrooke 4 November 1882 (vs. North Eastern)[4] 10 March 1883

(vs. Bishop Middleham)[4]

unknown unknown
  • Location of Sunderland's biggest ever competitive home win, 12 - 1 vs. Stanley Star on 20 January 1883 in the Northumberland and Durham Challenge Cup[7]
Horatio Street Roker 29 September 1883 (vs. Castle Eden)[4] 26 April 1884

(vs. District XI)[4]

unknown unknown
Abbs Field Fulwell 27 September 1884 (vs. Birtley Town)[4] 13 March 1886 (vs. Middlesbrough St. Johns)[4] unknown 2,000 (approx) vs Port Glasgow Athletic on 1 January 1886
  • First Sunderland home where spectators were charged an entrance fee[8]
  • Home of Sunderland for its all-time biggest victory, a 23 - 0 win over Castletown on 20 December 1884 (in a friendly)[4][9]
Newcastle Road Monkwearmouth 3 April 1886 (vs. Darlington)[4] 23 April 1898 (vs. Nottingham Forest)[4] 15,000 24,000 (approx) vs Sheffield United on 5 March 1898[4]
Roker Park Roker 10 September 1898 (vs. Liverpool)[4] 13 May 1997 (vs. Liverpool)[4] 60,000 75,118 vs Derby County on 8 March 1933[4]
Stadium of Light Monkwearmouth 30 July 1997 (vs. AFC Ajax)[4] 49,000 48,353 vs. Liverpool on 13 April 2002[4]
  • Home of Sunderland for its highest ever season points total (105 in 1998/99)[11]
  • Home of Sunderland for its most wins in a single season (19 in 1998/99)[11]
  • Home of Sunderland for its longest run of consecutive home defeats (9)[11]

References

  1. ^ "Stadiums". Sunderland Association Football Club. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Hutchinson, Roger (2011). Into the Light: A Complete History of Sunderland Football Club. Mainstream Digital. ASIN B005M2A4KM.
  3. ^ a b c Appleton, Arthur (1960). Hotbed of Soccer: The Story of Football in the North East. Rupert Hart-Davis. ASIN B0000CKHY4.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Mason, Rob (2005). Sunderland: The Complete Record (Complete Record Series). Breedon Books Publishing Co Ltd. ISBN 978-1859834725.
  5. ^ a b "The Cedars". Sunderland Association Football Club. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  6. ^ "Sunderland Association Football Club blue plaque". openplaques.org. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  7. ^ "Sunderland AFC - Statistics, History and Records - from TheStatCat". www.thestatcat.co.uk. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  8. ^ "Abbs Field". Sunderland Association Football Club. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  9. ^ "Sunderland AFC - Statistics, History and Records - from TheStatCat". www.thestatcat.co.uk. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  10. ^ a b c Days, Paul (2000). Sunderland AFC: The Official History 1879-2000. Leighton. ISBN 978-0953698424.
  11. ^ a b c d e "Club stats". Sunderland Association Football Club. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  12. ^ "Newcastle Road". Sunderland Association Football Club. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  13. ^ Days, Paul (2017). Founding Fathers - The Men Who Made Sunderland AFC: Volume II. ISBN 978-0955619984.
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