In their first home game, Stoke managed to beat Aston Villa 3 – 2, and wins also came against Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Sunderland and West Bromwich Albion.

Sunderland broke the record for the fewest points and goals scored in a Premier League season, while West Bromwich Albion and West Ham United went with them to the First Division.

: Division One ( 20 clubs ) — Aston Villa, Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers, Bradford City, Bradford Park Avenue, Burnley, Chelsea, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Middlesbrough, Newcastle United, Notts County, Oldham Athletic, Sheffield United, The Wednesday, Sunderland, Tottenham Hotspur, West Bromwich Albion

The following summer saw Chapple sign former Chelsea, Sunderland, Fulham and QPR winger, Clive Walker, from Brighton & Hove Albion and he was to prove the catalyst in the most successful period in the club's history.

* The Football League – West Bromwich Albion 60 points, Burnley 51, Chelsea 49, Liverpool 48, Sunderland 48, Bolton Wanderers 47

Sunderland Albion Football Club was an English association football club based in Sunderland, England formed in 1888 as a rival to Sunderland A. F. C.

Sunderland Albion were formed by some members of Sunderland A. F. C.

The two clubs were fierce rivals-when they were drawn together in both the FA Cup and the Durham Challenge Cup in the 1888-89 season, Sunderland withdrew from both competitions rather than allow Albion to benefit from the increased gate receipts.

Albion were founder members of the Football Alliance in 1889, but when Sunderland joined The Football League in 1890, Albion's crowds began to suffer.

However, when Sunderland won the Football League title in 1892, Albion disbanded.

On Tuesday 13 March 1888 Allan held a meeting at The Empress Hotel in Union Street to form Sunderland Albion.

Seven Sunderland players would defect to Albion along with Sunderland AFC ’ s first President, Alderman Potts.

Note that there is no mention of Allan volunteering to leave SAFC nor of Sunderland AFC giving James Allan a vote of thanks for all he had done for SAFC ( including remember, founding the club ), nor of the founding of Sunderland Albion.

Not only that but as he had formed Albion less than 2 months previously its fair to assume that there could have been bad feeling even at that early stage of the rivalry, hence no thanks for Allan, who then became the first Secretary and Treasurer of the Sunderland Albion Club.

Albion would use Sunderland AFC ’ s old Blue House Field ground for fixtures and the HQ for Albion would be at the Waverley Hotel in Norman Street, Hendon.

Big business had now taken over Sunderland AFC, but Albion were determined to make a name for themselves.

Whilst both victories were well merited and on face value surprising, given the infancy of Albion, it perhaps wasn ’ t such a shock bearing in mind that the Albion combination was really Sunderland AFC all but in name.

Reluctantly therefore Sunderland Albion admitted defeat, withdrew their Football League application, and folded.

However his time at Stoke was overshadowed by injuries and therefore made only 17 appearances before being sent back to Sunderland in January 2008.

She also became patron of a number of organisations, including the SAFC Foundation ( the charitable arm of Sunderland AFC ), and Girlguiding UK.

On Boxing Day of that year, he became at 16 years and 356 days the youngest player to score in the Premier League, with a goal in a 2 – 1 win against Sunderland.

After attending school at the Grange in Sunderland, and studying for two sessions at the University of Glasgow, he became a student of Cambridge University's Trinity College in 1837.

He later also became a member of the Sunderland Phoenix lodge.

In July 1986, Nissan became the first Japanese carmaker to set up a production facility in Europe, when it opened a new plant in Sunderland.

He became an ally of the Earl of Sunderland who became, in effect, Prime Minister in 1718.

He became Dean for Arts, Design and Media at the University of Sunderland in June 2009.

Early in 1720 a partial reconciliation took place between the parties of Stanhope and Townshend, and in June of this year the latter became Lord President of the Council, a post which he held until February 1721, when, after the death of Stanhope and the forced retirement of Sunderland, a result of the South Sea Bubble, he was again appointed secretary of state for the northern department, with Walpole as First Lord of the Treasury and Chancellor of the Exchequer.

The first documentary evidence of the existence of the role comes from 1717, when Sunderland became Secretary of State for the Northern Department: in the form of lists of peers invited to the office of the Northern Secretary immediately before sessions of Parliament.

During the Second World War, the Short Sunderland became famous as an effective anti-submarine patrol bomber, because its long range and long flying time allowed it to close the Mid-Atlantic air gap between Iceland and Greenland, helping end the Battle of the Atlantic.

The Elizabethan manor house opposite the church, now the home of Maria Carmela Viscountess Hambleden, was built in 1603 of flint and brick for Emanuel 11th Baron Scrope who became Earl of Sunderland.

He became a fitter for Beal & Co in Sunderland in 1962, before joining the National Coal Board in 1963 and for the following twenty years worked as a fitter at the Dawdon Colliery in County Durham.

He became popular with fans when he scored in his second game for the club – against North East rivals Sunderland.

He also became the first Sunderland player since Brian Clough to score 30 goals in a season.

Sunderland went on to design some of the most successful ' new-wave ' populist museums in Britain, starting notably with the Jorvik Viking Centre in York, which like his Dustbin became an overnight hit with the British public.

Malbranque became a fans favourite during his time with Sunderland but in the 2011 summer transfer window it was revealed that he was in advanced talks with French team AS St-Etienne with a view to joining them.

Notable " Ryhopeans " include former Sunderland AFC manager Mick Buxton, pop-music TV producers Malcolm Gerrie and Chris Cowey ( Malcolm Gerrie taught and Chris Cowey was a pupil at Ryhope Comprehensive School-formerly Ryhope Grammar School, which closed in the late 1980s ) and John Burdon, a former miner who became a director of Darchem, a major North Eastern industrial company.

In the early 20th century it became a hugely popular resort for locals and tourists alike, and in 1928 it was taken over by the Borough of Sunderland, along with Fulwell and Seaburn.

He became involved in a local seamen's union established in Sunderland in 1879 & had become its president by 1885.

He later went to England and became an MP in 1874 for his father's birth-town of Sunderland until 1881.

He started his club career in his native North East with Sunderland and set a record when he became the youngest captain at a Wembley cup final when, aged 20 years and 220 days, he skippered Sunderland against Norwich City in the 1985 League Cup final.

James Allan was identified as being the Sunderland AFC Treasurer, although at this meeting Mr. Samuel Tyzack of the Monkwearmouth Ironworks was appointed Treasurer in place of Mr. James Allan, in effect ousting or replacing ( depends on what stance you take ) the SAFC ’ s founder.