HOW THE LADS KICKED OFF The origins of Sunderland AFC
HOW THE LADS KICKED OFF The origins of Sunderland AFC Mark Metcalf Many of today’s famous football clubs were set up by churches, cricket clubs and works’ teams. Sunderland AFC, however, is unique as it was set up in 1880 by a trade union. Within a decade, it was playing in the Football League and won the league title three times in the first five seasons in which it competed. Only six clubs have won more top flight titles than Sunderland, whose record of six is equal to Chelsea’s. Football as an organised club sport in Sunderland began in 1873. This, however, was rugby (union) football which was widely reported on by local papers over the subsequent years. Although the Football Association had been formed in 1863, the battle for supremacy among those who preferred to play the game with their feet over those who preferred the handling game was to rage on till after WWI. In 1879, The Times reported that the North was ‘rugby.’ That might have remained the case except fo...