The late 1950s saw a sharp downturn in Sunderland's fortunes, and the club was once again implicated in a major financial scandal in 1957.Found guilty of making payments to players in excess of the maximum wage, they were fined £5,000 (£90,000 today), and their chairman and three directors were suspended.The following year, Sunderland were relegated from the highest division for the first time in their 68-year league history.
Sunderland's absence from the top flight lasted six years. The club came within one game of promotion back to the First Division in the 1962–63 season. Sunderland required only a draw in their final game against promotion rivals Chelsea, who had another game left to play after this match, to secure promotion. However, they were defeated,and Chelsea won their last game 7–0 to clinch promotion, finishing ahead of Sunderland on goal average.After the close call in the previous season, the club was promoted to Division One in 1964 after finishing in second place. Sunderland beat Charlton Athletic in the final stages of the season, where they clinched promotion with a game to spare.At the end of the decade, they were again relegated to the Second Division after finishing 21st.
The memorial for 1973 FA Cup final winning manager Bob Stokoe
Sunderland won their last major trophy in 1973, in a 1–0 victory over Don Revie's Leeds United in the FA Cup Final.A Second Division club at the time, Sunderland won the game, mostly thanks to the efforts of their goalkeeper Jimmy Montgomery, who saved two of Leeds shots at goal in quick succession, one being from hot-shot Peter Lorimer's.Ian Porterfield scored a volley in the 30th minute to beat Leeds and take the trophy.Since 1973 only two other clubs, Southampton in 1976,and West Ham United in 1980,have equalled Sunderland's achievement of lifting the FA Cup while playing outside the top tier of English football.
By winning the 1973 FA Cup Final, Sunderland qualified for the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, the club's only appearance in European competition to date.Sunderland beat Vasas Budapest 3–0 on aggregate, and were drawn against Lisbon club Sporting in the second round.They won the first leg at Roker Park 2–1 but were defeated 2–0 in the away leg, and were knocked out of the competition 3–2 on aggregate.After spending six seasons in the Second Division, Sunderland were promoted to Division One in the 1975–76 season; they topped the table over Bristol City by three points.However, Sunderland were relegated the following season back into Division Two, without their FA Cup Final winning manager Bob Stokoe, who had resigned because of health problems at the start of the season.The club celebrated its 100-year centenary in the 1979–80 season with a testimonial against an England XI side, which they lost 2–0.
Sunderland appeared in their only League Cup final in 1985, but lost 1–0 to Norwich City.In 1987, Sunderland saw one of the lowest points in their history, when they were relegated to the Third Division of the English league for the first time.Under new chairman Bob Murray and new manager Denis Smith, the club was promoted the following season.In 1990, they were promoted back to the top flight in unusual circumstances. Sunderland lost to Swindon Town in the play-off final, but Swindon's promotion was revoked after the club was found guilty of financial irregularities and Sunderland were promoted instead.They stayed up for one year before being relegated on the final day of the following season.
The Davy lamp monument, outside the Stadium of Light
Sunderland's last outing in a major final came in 1992 when, as a Second Division club, they returned to the FA Cup final. There was to be no repeat of the heroics of 1973, as Sunderland lost 2–0 to Liverpool.The early 1990s was a turbulent period for the club. In 1995, they faced the prospect of a return to the third-tier of English football.Peter Reid was brought in as manager, and quickly turned things around. Reid's time in charge had a stabilising effect; he remained manager for seven years.After promotion from Division One in the 1995–96 season, Sunderland began their first season in the Premier League, but finished third from the bottom and were relegated back to the First Division.In 1997, Sunderland left Roker Park, their home for 99 years. Bearing fond memories of the stadium, former Sunderland player Len Shackleton said, "There will never be another place like Roker".The club moved to the Stadium of Light, a 42,000-seat arena that, at the time, was the largest stadium built in England after the Second World War.The capacity was later increased to 49,000.
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