Sunderland A.F.C. season 2006–07

Infobox Football club season
club = Sunderland

season = 2006–07
manager = flagicon|IRL Roy Keane
chairman = flagicon|IRL Niall Quinn
league = Championship
league result = 1st
cup1 = FA Cup
cup1 result = Third Round
cup2 = Carling Cup
cup2 result = First Round
league topscorer = David Connolly (13)
season topscorer = David Connolly (13)
highest attendance = 44,448 (v Burnley, 27 April 2007)
lowest attendance = 24,242 (v West Bromwich Albion, 28 August 2007)

The 2006-07 season is the 106th full season of league football for Sunderland A.F.C.. In this season they played in the Football League Championship, and were successfully promoted as champions.

Overview

After finishing the previous season on a particularly low ebb, changes at Sunderland were inevitable. Rumours of a takeover from former fan's favourite Niall Quinn had been circulating since the spring, [cite web | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/sunderland/4856694.stm
title=Sunderland coy on Quinn reports
work=bbc.co.uk | accessdate=2007-01-14] and towards the end of the 05/06 season the rumours were confirmed. [cite web
url=http://home.skysports.com/list.aspx?hlid=380652&CPID=8&CLID=56&lid=&title=Quinn+confirms+interest&channel=
title=Quinn confirms interest
work=skysports.com | accessdate=2007-01-14] Quinn's Drumaville Consortium agreed a fee with the club, spending £10m and buying out majority shareholder and club chairman Bob Murray. [cite web
url=http://home.skysports.com/list.aspx?hlid=400258&CPID=10&CLID=56&lid=&title=Quinn+confirms+Sunderland+offer&channel=
title=Quinn confirms offer
work=skysports.com | accessdate=2007-01-14]

Quinn became club chairman, and, with coach Kevin Richardson taking charge of the club's pre-season fixtures, immediately began searching for a new manager to replace former boss Mick McCarthy. After being heavily linked with Martin O'Neill [cite web
url=http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/sport.cfm?id=843572006
title=O'Neill admits he wanted to land the England job
work=The Scotsman| accessdate=2007-01-14] and Bolton boss Sam Allardyce, [cite web
url=http://home.skysports.com/list.aspx?hlid=403557&CPID=8&CLID=56&lid=&title=Big+Sam+rejects+speculation&channel=
title=Big Sam rejects speculation
work=skysports.com | accessdate=2007-01-14] Quinn decided to take the reins himself, although was keen to stress that he would step aside as soon as a top class manager became available. [cite web
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/sunderland/5212734.stm
title=Quinn steps in to Sunderland void
work=bbc.co.uk | accessdate=2007-01-14]

Sunderland began the new season with 5 straight defeats, including an embarrassing 2-0 loss to Football League Two side Bury in the Carling Cup. In his post match interview, Niall Quinn announced that the club were close to attracting a "world class manager" to replace him, [cite web
url=http://home.skysports.com/list.aspx?hlid=411619&CPID=10&CLID=&lid=&title=Quinn+close+to+new+boss&channel=
title=Quinn close to new boss
work=skysports.com | accessdate=2007-01-14] with Sky Sports claiming the following evening that former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane was lined up to take charge. [cite web
url=http://home.skysports.com/list.aspx?hlid=411876&CPID=10&CLID=&lid=&title=Keane+set+for+Sunderland+job&channel=
title=Keane set for Sunderland job
work=skysports.com | accessdate=2007-01-14] Indeed, Keane agreed terms with the club on August 27, [cite web
url=http://home.skysports.com/list.aspx?hlid=412617&CPID=10&CLID=&lid=&title=Black+Cats+agree+Keane+terms&channel=
title=Black Cats agree Keane terms
work=skysports.com | accessdate=2007-01-14] and signed a 3 year contract on August 28. [cite web
url=http://home.skysports.com/list.aspx?hlid=412779&CPID=10&CLID=&lid=&title=Keane+signs+on+at+Sunderland&channel=
title=Keane signs on at Sunderland
work=skysports.com | accessdate=2007-01-14] Sunderland also recorded their first victory of the campaign that day, beating West Brom 2-0 at the Stadium of Light.

Keane wasted no time in bring in new additions to the squad, with a total of 6 players signing on the final day of the August transfer window. Incoming were Keane's former Manchester United team-mates Dwight Yorkecite web
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/sunderland/5300876.stm
title=Yorke completes Sunderland move
work=bbc.co.uk | accessdate=2007-01-14] and Liam Miller,cite web
url=http://www.safc.com/news/?page_id=10360
title=Miller makes it five
work=safc.com | accessdate=2007-01-14] former Celtic colleagues Ross Wallace and Stanislav Varga,cite web
url=http://www.safc.com/news/?page_id=10358
title=Keane signs Celtic pair
work=safc.com | accessdate=2007-01-14] with the latter playing for Sunderland between July 2000 and January 2002, as well as Wigan pair Graham Kavanagh and David Connolly.cite web
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/sunderland/5304006.stm
title=Irish trio make Sunderland switch
work=bbc.co.uk | accessdate=2007-01-14]

The new signings paid off, with Keane winning his first two games as manager, including an impressive 3-0 victory over Leeds United at Elland Road. However, a disappointing 1-1 draw against Leicester was followed up by defeat to Ipswich Town, with Sunderland winning just one game in five following Keane's initial honeymoon period.

Sunderland soon got back to winning ways however, defeating Barnsley 2-0 at the Stadium of Light on October 21 and Hull City A.F.C 1-0 at the KC Stadium on October 28.

On December 7 2006, tabloid newspaper The Sun reported Sunderland stars Chris Brown, Ben Alnwick and Liam Lawrence had filmed themselves in an orgy. On December 8, The Sun reported that the girl in the video was just 16 years old, with the girl claiming she had no idea she was being filmed. [cite web
url=http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2006560734,00.html
title=Girl in footie roast was just 16
work=The Sun | accessdate=2007-01-14] An official investigation was launched by the club into the events. All three players were sold when the transfer window re-opened in January.

2007 proved extremely successful for the team with an unbeaten run that stretched from January 1 to April 21st. The side steadily worked its way to the top of the league into the automatic promotion places.

It was later confirmed after Derby County who were 4 points behind lost 2-0 to Crystal Palace that Sunderland were promoted and no matter what happened would return to the Premier league in either first or second place alongside Birmingham City.

Sunderland later finished in the league as Champions as they beat Luton Town 5-0 away as Birmingham City suffered a shock 1-0 loss to Preston North End on the last game of the season.

Match reults

Legend

FA Cup

Players

quad information

Transfer deals

In

Out

Estimated transfer totals

"Does not take into account undisclosed fees."

Total transfer fees paid:
£8.9m

Total transfer fees received:
£6.825m

Total loss or profit:
-£2.075m

References