List of Sunderland A.F.C. managers

Sunderland Association Football Club was founded in 1879. After turning professional in 1886, the club appointed Tom Watson as their first manager, and under Watson the team won the Football League First Division three times in four seasons. [cite web|url=http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/team/past_players/managers/watson/|title=Past Manager Profile - Tom Watson|publisher=Liverpool F.C.|accessdate=2008-06-30] The percentage of games won under Watson remains the highest of all time for a Sunderland manager. Watson left to manage Liverpool and was replaced by Robert Campbell, but the new manager failed to continue the success of his predecessor. The next three managers, Alex Mackie, Bob Kyle and Johnny Cochrane, each won the First Division title while at the club. Kyle's 817 games in charge, spread over 19 full seasons either side of the First World War, make him Sunderland's longest-serving manager.cite web|url=http://www.thestatcat.co.uk/Mlists/MML01.asp|title=Sunderland AFC Manager Summaries|publisher=The Stat Cat|accessdate=2008-06-30] Cochrane led the club to their first FA Cup victory, beating Preston North End 3–1 in the 1937 final. [cite web|url=http://www.fa-cupfinals.co.uk/1937.htm|title=FA Cup Final 1937|publisher=FA Cup Finals|accessdate=2008-06-30] The closest they had come in previous seasons was as losing finalists in 1913 under Kyle. [cite web|url=http://www.fa-cupfinals.co.uk/1913.html|title=FA Cup Final 1913|publisher=FA Cup Finals|accessdate=2008-06-30]

After Cochrane, no manager won a trophy until Bob Stokoe led the team to their second FA Cup with a 1–0 win over Leeds United in the 1973 FA Cup Final. [cite web|url=http://www.fa-cupfinals.co.uk/1973.htm|title=FA Cup Final 1973|publisher=FA Cup Finals|accessdate=2008-06-30] Stokoe took Sunderland into European competition for the first time in their history, but they were knocked out in the second round of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup by Sporting Clube de Portugal. [cite web|url=http://www.uefa.com/competitions/ecwc/history/season=1973/round=821/index.html|title=1973-74 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup|publisher=UEFA|accessdate=2008-06-30] Len Ashurst led Sunderland to their first League Cup final, which they lost 1–0 to Norwich City, but relegation brought him the sack at the end of the season. [cite web|url=http://www.rsssf.com/tablese/engleagcuphistfinal.html|title=England - League Cup Finals 1961-2001|publisher=RSSSF|accessdate=2008-07-01] [cite web |url=http://www.safc.com/history/?page_id=3004 |title=Past Managers 1979–1985 |publisher=Sunderland A.F.C. |accessdate=2008-07-04] Under Lawrie McMenemy, Sunderland were relegated to the Third Division for the first and only time in their history. [cite web|url=http://www.safc.com/history/?page_id=3005|title=Past Managers - Lawrie McMenemy|publisher=Sunderland A.F.C.|accessdate=2008-06-30] Following this, Denis Smith was named as manager, and saw the club back into the Second Division. [cite web|url=http://www.safc.com/history/?page_id=2734|title=1980-99|publisher=Sunderland A.F.C.|accessdate=2008-07-01]

Peter Reid brought Sunderland to the Premier League for the first time in their history in the 1996–97 season, but they were relegated in their debut season. [cite web|url=http://www.premierleague.com/page/1996/97Season|title=1996/97 Season|publisher=Barclays Premier League|accessdate=2008-07-01] The team progressed as far as the Division One play-off final in 1998, drawing 4–4 after extra time before losing 7–6 on penalties, [cite web|url=http://www.soccerbase.com/results3.sd?gameid=303989|title=Championship Play-Off - Final|publisher=Soccerbase|accessdate=2008-07-01] and went one step further the following season, winning promotion as champions with a record total, at that time, of 105 points. [cite web|url=http://www.safc.com/history/?page_id=2735|title=1990-1999|publisher=Sunderland A.F.C.|accessdate=2008-07-01] Still led by Reid, they went on to achieve their highest place finish in the Premier League, finishing seventh in two consecutive seasons, and narrowly missed out on a UEFA Cup place.cite web|url=http://www.premierleague.com/page/sunderland|title=Sunderland AFC|publisher=Barclays Premier League|accessdate=2008-07-01] In 2002–03 Sunderland had three different managers, with Reid, Howard Wilkinson and, towards the end of the season, Mick McCarthy; the club ended that season with a then record low total of 19 points. Under McCarthy, a third-place finish in the Championship earned Sunderland a place in the 2003–04 play-offs, only to lose to Crystal Palace in the semi-finals; [cite web
url=http://www.fchd.info/SUNDERLA.HTM|title=Football Club History Database - Sunderland|publisher=Football Club History Database|accessdate=2008-07-01] in 2004–05, they were promoted as champions, clinching the title with a 2–1 win over West Ham. [cite news |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2005/apr/30/match.westhamunited|title=Football: Championship: Elliott sends Sunderland up as champions|publisher=The Guardian|date=2005-04-30 |accessdate=2008-07-01] In March 2006, McCarthy was sacked in a season where Sunderland gained just 15 points, breaking their previous record, with former player Kevin Ball taking over as caretaker manager for the remaining games. [cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/sunderland/4778496.stm|title=Sunderland sack manager McCarthy|publisher=BBC Sport|date=2006-03-06|accessdate=2008-07-01] Following a takeover of the club, incoming chairman Niall Quinn acted as manager until Roy Keane's appointment three weeks into the 2006–07 season. [cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/sunderland/5290778.stm |title=Keane becomes new Sunderland boss |publisher=BBC Sport |date=2006-08-28 |accessdate=2008-07-04] Keane went on to win the Championship title in his first season of management. [cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/sunderland/6588831.stm |title=Quinn astonished by Keane success |author=Andrew McKenzie |publisher=BBC Sport |date=2007-04-29 |accessdate=2008-06-30]

Managers

:"As of 30 June, 2008. Only professional, competitive matches are counted, including; League, FA Cup, League Cup and other cup competitions. Dates for earlier years are only months because of unclear statistics."

;Key

M: Matches playedW: Matches wonD: Matches drawnL: Matches lost

References

External links

* [http://www.thestatcat.co.uk/Mlists/MML01.asp Manager details] at The Stat Cat: Sunderland A.F.C. playing history
* [http://www.soccerbase.com/manager_history.sd?teamid=2493 Manager details] at Soccerbase