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Down and out
It seems that on Wearside, what goes up must come down.
A relegation that seemed largely inevitable as soon as this season's Premiership table began to take shape was confirmed by Sunderland's goalless draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Friday.
As well-earned as that point was, it was only the 12th for the Black Cats in their 33 games so far this season - and they must now start planning in earnest for next season in The Championship.
But are they the worst team the Premiership has ever seen?
SWINDON TOWN, 1993/94
The Robins' solitary season in the Premiership was doomed almost from the moment player-manager Glenn Hoddle packed his bags and left for Chelsea, just weeks after getting Swindon promoted.
SWINDON IN 1993/94
Goals scored: 47
Goals conceded: 100
Points per game: 0.71
Top scorer: Jan Fjortoft (13)
His assistant John Gorman took over and tried his best to work a miracle, but they were eventually relegated 13 points adrift of safety and with a Premiership goals against record that still stands.
Despite having six goalkeepers registered for action at the County Ground, Swindon leaked exactly 100 goals - including a 7-1 trouncing at Newcastle and a 6-2 thumping at Everton.
They conceded five times on four more occasions and only the goals of Norwegian striker Jan Aage Fjortoft saved them from utter humiliation.
Worse was to follow as Swindon were relegated the season after too, finding the old Division One a struggle as they managed to accrue just 48 points from 46 games.
Did you know? Fjortoft did not score in Swindon's first 20 matches of the 1993/94 season.
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IPSWICH TOWN IN 1994/95
Having stayed up by the skin of their teeth the season before, Ipswich made no mistake this time around, going down a massive 21 points adrift of safety.
IPSWICH'S 1994/95 FACTFILE
Goals scored: 36
Goals conceded: 93
Points per game: 0.64
Top scorer: Claus Thomsen (5)
John Lyall resigned as boss after a 2-1 home defeat by Manchester City in December and George Burley stepped into the Portman Road hot-seat, though in truth Town were already doomed.
Burley masterminded something of an upturn in fortunes for the Tractor Boys and supporters were treated to the first green shoots of recovery as they thrashed Leicester and won at Liverpool too.
But a 9-0 slaughtering at Manchester United in March ended any hopes of a great escape and they picked up just four points from their remaining 11 fixtures.
Credit to Burley, who launched Operation Recovery to finish seventh in the old Division One the season after, and following a series of play-off heartbreaks he finally steered them back into the top flight in 2000.
Did you know? Ipswich's Player of the Year for 1994/95 was goalkeeper Craig Forrest.
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WATFORD, 1999/2000
After winning promotion through the play-offs, Watford came crashing back down to earth with a then-record low points tally as they said goodbye to the Premiership.
WATFORD IN 1999/2000
Goals scored: 35
Goals conceded: 77
Points per game: 0.63
Top scorer: Heidar Helguson (6)
Graham Taylor worked wonders to get the Vicarage Road outfit back into the top flight after an 11-year absence, but he could not work the oracle to extend their stay beyond a season.
It started brightly enough, with 1-0 wins away at Liverpool and at home to Chelsea and at one stage the Hornets were ninth.
But a run of six points from 20 games either side of Christmas left them bottom and they failed to recover.
Twice Taylor shattered the club's record transfer fee to bring in Nordin Wooter for £950,000 and Heidar Helguson for £1.5m, but by then the strike duo had too much do to.
Former England manager Taylor led Watford to ninth in Division One the season after before announcing his retirement from the game - though within eight months he had been tempted back to have another crack at Aston Villa.
Did you know? Nigel Gibbs was the only player to feature who was around the last time Watford were in the top flight in 1988-89.
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SUNDERLAND, 2002/03
Another club that failed to heed the warning from the season before, as Sunderland bowed out of the Premiership having only just survived in the 2001/02 season.
SUNDERLAND IN 2002/03
Goals scored: 21
Goals conceded: 65
Points per game: 0.5
Top scorer: Kevin Phillips (6)
They broke almost every record going too as they failed to register a meaningful tally of goals or points - though they did thrash Cambridge 7-0 in the League Cup in October, a rare highlight.
Peter Reid spent £18m on Tore Andre Flo, Marcus Stewart, Stephen Wright and Matt Piper but was sacked in October as Howard Wilkinson and Steve Cotterill took over the hapless Black Cats.
Wilkinson's 20 league games saw a haul of only 11 points and he was dismissed as Mick McCarthy presided over the club's top-flight death knell.
They ended the season with 15 straight defeats and saved their heaviest until the last day of the season - a 4-0 crushing at home to runners-up Arsenal.
Did you know? Striker Kevin Phillips scored 30 Premier League goals in the 1999/2000 season, earning him the European Golden Shoe award.
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SUNDERLAND, 2005/06
If Black Cats' fans thought it could not get any worse than the 2002/03 season, they have been proved spectacularly wrong by the class of 2005/06.
SUNDERLAND IN 2005/06
Goals scored: 21
Goals conceded: 57
Points per game: 0.36
Top scorers: Dean Whitehead & Liam Lawrence (3)
Having romped to The Championship title last season, few could have seriously predicted the plight Mick McCarthy's men would find themselves in as another campaign degenerated into farce.
They lost their first five games in a row, were thrashed 4-1 at home by fellow relegation candidates Portsmouth in October and bizarrely decided to get rid of their manager in March, when the battle appeared to be already all over.
Among many, their main problem has been finding the net - £1.8m signing Jon Stead has one goal from 27 league games and top scorers Dean Whitehead and Liam Lawrence have just three each in the Premiership.
Whoever is manager at the Stadium of Light next season has a remarkably difficult job to take on as the Black Cats try to bounce back from a torrid top-flight experience for the second time in three years.
Did you know? Chairman Bob Murray was attacked by a Sunderland fan while having dinner with McCarthy in a restaurant in Newcastle in December. |
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