1890–91 Sunderland A.F.C. season

The 1890–91 season was Sunderland's 11th season in existence, and their first season as a Football League club. Sunderland were elected into the league for the beginning of its third season, in place of Stoke City who had finished bottom in 1889–90.

Sunderland
1890–91 season
ManagerTom Watson
StadiumNewcastle Road
Football League7th
FA CupSemi-final (Replay)
Top goalscorerLeague: John Campbell (19)
All: John Campbell (24)
Highest home attendance21,000
(vs. Everton, FA Cup 1st Round)
Lowest home attendance3,000
(vs. Derby County)
Average home league attendance6,000
All statistics correct as of 11 November 2018.

Although bottom by mid December, Sunderland had a strong second half of the season, losing only once in the new year and finishing in seventh place (out of twelve). They would have finished fifth were they not deducted two points for failing to register goalkeeper Ned Doig ahead of the game at West Brom.

Sunderland went on a cup run, reaching their first ever FA Cup Semi-final, losing in a replay to Notts County. Sunderland declined to enter their first team into the Durham Challenge Cup, instead opting to send Sunderland 'A'.

First team squad edit

Name Nationality Positions(s) DOB Signed From (90-91)
Ned Doig   Goalkeeper 29 October 1866 Blackburn Rovers
William Kirkley   Goalkeeper
Tom Porteous   Defender October 1865
John Oliver   Defender 1867
John Auld   Defender 7 January 1862 Third Lanark  
John Murray   Defender 24 April 1865 Vale of Leven  
Will Gibson   Midfielder
John Spence   Wing half Kilmarnock  
John Harvey   Midfielder unknown
Hughie Wilson   Inside forward 18 March 1869 Newmilns  
John Smith   Inside right 19 December 1865
Jimmy Millar   Centre forward 2 March 1870 Unknown
James Gillespie   Outside right Greenock Morton  
John Campbell   Centre forward 19 February 1870 Renton  
John Scott   Forward Unknown
David Hannah   Forward 24 April 1867

Competitions edit

Football League edit

League table edit

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts Qualification
5 Bolton Wanderers 22 12 1 9 47 34 1.382 25
6 Blackburn Rovers 22 11 2 9 52 43 1.209 24 FA Cup Winners
7 Sunderland[a] 22 10 5 7 51 31 1.645 23[b]
8 Burnley 22 9 3 10 52 63 0.825 21
9 Aston Villa 22 7 4 11 45 58 0.776 18 Re-elected
Source: [citation needed]
Notes:
  1. ^ New club in the league
  2. ^ Sunderland deducted two points for fielding unregistered player.[1]

Matches edit

13 September 1890 (1890-09-13) 1 Sunderland 2–3 Burnley Sunderland
Stadium: Newcastle Road
Attendance: 6,500
15 September 1890 (1890-09-15) 2 Sunderland 3–4 Wolves Sunderland
Stadium: Newcastle Road
Attendance: 5,000
20 September 1890 (1890-09-20) 3 West Brom 0–4 Sunderland West Bromwich
Stadium: Stoney Lane
Attendance: 8,557
27 September 1890 (1890-09-27) 4 Burnley 3–3 Sunderland Burnley
Stadium: Turf Moor
Attendance: 10,000
11 October 1890 (1890-10-11) 5 Blackburn Rovers 3–2 Sunderland Blackburn
Stadium: Ewood Park
Attendance: 10,000
18 October 1890 (1890-10-18) 6 Sunderland 2–2 Accrington Sunderland
Stadium: Newcastle Road
Attendance: 4,000
25 October 1890 (1890-10-25) 7 Bolton Wanderers 2–5 Sunderland Bolton
Stadium: Pike's Lane
Attendance: 4,000
1 November 1890 (1890-11-01) 8 Sunderland 3–1 Blackburn Rovers Sunderland
Stadium: Newcastle Road
Attendance: 14,000
8 November 1890 (1890-11-08) 9 Sunderland 1–1 West Brom Sunderland
Stadium: Newcastle Road
Attendance: 6,000
15 November 1890 (1890-11-15) 10 Everton 1–0 Sunderland Liverpool
Stadium: Anfield
Attendance: 12,000
22 November 1890 (1890-11-22) 11 Accrington 4–1 Sunderland Accrington
Stadium: Thorneyholme Road
Attendance: 1,000
13 December 1890 (1890-12-13) 12 Notts County 1–1 (a.) Sunderland Nottingham
Stadium: Trent Bridge
Note: Abandoned after 60 minutes due to fog
15 December 1890 (1890-12-15) 12 Notts County 2–1 Sunderland Nottingham
Stadium: Trent Bridge
Attendance: 2,000
20 December 1890 (1890-12-20) 13 Sunderland 1–0 Everton Sunderland
Stadium: Newcastle Road
Attendance: 6,500
26 December 1890 (1890-12-26) 14 Aston Villa 0–0 Sunderland Birmingham
Stadium: Wellington Road
Attendance: 6,000
27 December 1890 (1890-12-27) 15 Wolves 0–3 Sunderland Wolverhampton
Stadium: Molineux
Attendance: 8,000
10 January 1891 (1891-01-10) 16 Sunderland 5–1 Aston Villa Sunderland
Stadium: Newcastle Road
Attendance: 6,000
24 January 1891 (1891-01-24) 17 Sunderland 4–0 Notts County Sunderland
Stadium: Newcastle Road
Attendance: 5,000
7 February 1891 (1891-02-07) 18 Derby County 3–1 Sunderland Derby
Stadium: Racecourse Ground
Attendance: 3,500
10 February 1891 (1891-02-10) 19 Sunderland 2–0 Bolton Wanderers Sunderland
Stadium: Newcastle Road
Attendance: 6,000
21 February 1891 (1891-02-21) 20 Preston North End 0–0 Sunderland Preston
Stadium: Deepdale
Attendance: 3,500
14 March 1891 (1891-03-14) 21 Sunderland 3–0 Preston North End Sunderland
Stadium: Newcastle Road
Attendance: 5,000
21 March 1891 (1891-03-21) 22 Sunderland 5–1 Derby County Sunderland
Stadium: Newcastle Road
Attendance: 3,000

FA Cup edit

Matches edit

17 January 1891 (1891-01-17) 1 Sunderland 1–0 Everton Sunderland
Stadium: Newcastle Road
Attendance: 21,000
31 January 1891 (1891-01-31) 2 Darwen 0–2 Sunderland Darwen
Stadium: Barley Bank
Attendance: 5,000
14 February 1891 (1891-02-14) 3 Sunderland 4–0 Nottingham Forest Sunderland
Stadium: Newcastle Road
Attendance: 17,500
14 February 1891 (1891-02-14) Semi-Final Notts County 3–3 Sunderland Sheffield
Stadium: Bramall Lane
Attendance: 17,500
11 March 1891 (1891-03-11) Semi-Final Replay Notts County 2–0 Sunderland Sheffield
Stadium: Bramall Lane
Attendance: 16,000

Squad statistics edit

No. Pos Nat Player Total Football League FA Cup
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GK   SCO Ned Doig 25 0 20 0 5 0
GK   ENG William Kirkley 2 0 2 0 0 0
DF   ENG Tom Porteous 27 0 22 0 5 0
DF   ENG John Oliver 24 0 19 0 5 0
DF   SCO John Auld 20 0 17 0 3 0
DF   SCO John Murray 24 0 19 0 5 0
MF   SCO Will Gibson 10 0 8 0 2 0
MF   SCO John Spence 8 0 5 0 3 0
MF   SCO John Harvey 17 2 15 1 2 1
FW   SCO Hughie Wilson 26 2 21 2 5 0
FW   SCO John Smith 15 2 10 2 5 0
FW   SCO Jimmy Millar 20 12 17 11 3 1
FW   SCO James Gillespie 2 1 2 1 0 0
FW   SCO John Campbell 26 24 21 19 5 5
FW   SCO John Scott 27 9 22 8 5 1
FW   EIR David Hannah 27 5 22 4 5 1

References edit

  1. ^ Rothmans Football Yearbook 1970–71, p. 233. The Queen Anne Press Limited, London, 1970.
  • All the Lads: A Complete Who's Who of Sunderland A.F.C., Dykes, Gareth & Lamming, Douglas, Polar Print Group Ltd, 1999
  • Sunderland AFC: The Official History 1879–2000, Days, Paul, Business Education Publishers Ltd, 1999
  • The StatCat, www.thestatcat.co.uk, last accessed: 2018-11-02