1995–96 Sunderland A.F.C. season

Sunderland

1995–96 season
Chairman	Bob Murray
Manager	Peter Reid
Stadium	Roker Park
First Division	1st
FA Cup	Third round
League Cup	Second round
Top goalscorer	League: Craig Russell (13) All: Craig Russell (14)
Highest home attendance	22,027 vs. West Bromwich Albion (27 April 1996)
Lowest home attendance	12,282 vs. Portsmouth (12 September 1995)
Average home league attendance	17,482
← 1994–95 1996–97 →

During the 1995–96 English football season, Sunderland A.F.C. competed in the Football League First Division.

Season summary[]

After saving Sunderland from relegation the season before, Peter Reid was appointed manager on a permanent basis. His first full season as Sunderland manager, 1995–96, was successful as the club won the First Division title and gained promotion to the Premier League for the first time since the League restructuring which had taken effect in 1992–93.^[1]

Final league table[]

Pos	Team v t	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Promotion or relegation
1	Sunderland	46	22	17	7	59	33	+26	83	Football League Champions, promoted to FA Premier League
2	Derby County	46	21	16	9	71	51	+20	79	Promoted to FA Premier League
3	Crystal Palace	46	20	15	11	67	48	+19	75	Participated in play-offs
4	Stoke City	46	20	13	13	60	49	+11	73
5	Leicester City	46	19	14	13	66	60	+6	71	Promoted to Premier League through play-offs

Results[]

Sunderland's score comes first

Legend[]

Win

Draw

Loss

Football League First Division[]

Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Scorers
12 August 1995	Leicester City	H	1–2	18,593	Agnew
19 August 1995	Norwich City	A	0–0	16,739
26 August 1995	Wolverhampton Wanderers	H	2–0	16,816	Melville, P Gray
30 August 1995	Port Vale	A	1–1	7,693	P Gray
2 September 1995	Ipswich Town	A	0–3	12,390
9 September 1995	Southend United	H	1–0	13,805	Russell
12 September 1995	Portsmouth	H	1–1	12,282	Melville
16 September 1995	Luton Town	A	2–0	6,955	Mullin, P Gray
23 September 1995	Millwall	A	2–1	8,691	Scott (pen), Smith
30 September 1995	Reading	H	2–2	17,503	Kelly, Melville
7 October 1995	Crystal Palace	A	1–0	13,754	Kelly
14 October 1995	Watford	H	1–1	17,790	Scott
21 October 1995	Huddersfield Town	A	1–1	16,054	P Gray
28 October 1995	Barnsley	H	2–1	17,024	Russell, Howey
5 November 1995	Charlton Athletic	A	1–1	11,626	M Gray
18 November 1995	Sheffield United	H	2–0	16,640	P Gray (2)
22 November 1995	Stoke City	A	0–1	11,754
25 November 1995	West Bromwich Albion	A	1–0	15,931	Howey
3 December 1995	Crystal Palace	H	1–0	12,777	Scott (pen)
9 December 1995	Millwall	H	6–0	18,951	Russell (4), Scott (pen), P Gray
16 December 1995	Reading	A	1–1	9,431	Smith
23 December 1995	Derby County	A	1–3	16,882	M Gray
14 January 1996	Norwich City	H	0–1	14,983
21 January 1996	Leicester City	A	0–0	16,130
24 January 1996	Grimsby Town	H	1–0	14,656	Ord
30 January 1996	Tranmere Rovers	H	0–0	17,616
3 February 1996	Wolverhampton Wanderers	A	0–3	26,537
10 February 1996	Port Vale	H	0–0	15,934
17 February 1996	Portsmouth	A	2–2	12,241	Howey, Agnew
20 February 1996	Ipswich Town	H	1–0	14,052	Russell
24 February 1996	Luton Town	H	1–0	16,693	James (own goal)
27 February 1996	Southend United	A	2–0	5,786	Scott (pen), Bridges
3 March 1996	Grimsby Town	A	4–0	5,318	Ball, P Gray, Bridges, Russell
9 March 1996	Derby County	H	3–0	21,644	Russell (2), Agnew
12 March 1996	Oldham Athletic	A	2–1	7,149	Ball, M Gray
17 March 1996	Birmingham City	A	2–0	23,251	Agnew, Melville
23 March 1996	Oldham Athletic	H	1–0	20,631	Scott
30 March 1996	Huddersfield Town	H	3–2	20,131	Bridges (2), Ball
2 April 1996	Watford	A	3–3	11,195	Russell, Agnew, Ball
6 April 1996	Barnsley	A	1–0	13,189	Russell
8 April 1996	Charlton Athletic	H	0–0	20,914
13 April 1996	Sheffield United	A	0–0	20,050
16 April 1996	Birmingham City	H	3–0	19,831	M Gray, Stewart, Russell
21 April 1996	Stoke City	H	0–0	21,276
27 April 1996	West Bromwich Albion	H	0–0	22,027
5 May 1996	Tranmere Rovers	A	0–2	16,193

FA Cup[]

Round	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Goalscorers
R3	6 January 1996	Manchester United	A	2–2	41,563	Russell, Agnew
R3R	16 January 1996	Manchester United	H	1–2	21,378	P Gray

League Cup[]

Round	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Goalscorers
R1 First Leg	15 August 1995	Preston North End	A	1–1	6,323	Angell
R1 Second Leg	22 August 1995	Preston North End	H	3–2	7,407	Howey (2), Ryan Kidd (own goal)
R2 First Leg	20 September 1995	Liverpool	A	0–2	25,579
R2 Second Leg	4 October 1995	Liverpool	H	0–1	20,560

Players[]

First-team squad[]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player — GK  ENG Alec Chamberlain — GK  ENG David Preece — GK  IRL Shay Given (on loan from Blackburn Rovers) — DF  ENG Gary Bennett — DF  ENG Michael Gray — DF  ENG Paul Heckingbottom — DF  ENG Darren Holloway — DF  ENG Lee Howey — DF  ENG Richard Ord — DF  ENG Martin Scott — DF  WAL Gareth Hall[notes 1] — DF  WAL Andy Melville — DF  POL Dariusz Kubicki — MF  ENG Steve Agnew — MF  ENG Sam Aiston — MF  ENG Gordon Armstrong

No. Pos. Nation Player — MF  ENG Brian Atkinson — MF  ENG Kevin Ball — MF  ENG Paul Bracewell — MF  ENG Terry Cooke (on loan from Manchester United) — MF  ENG Martin Gray — MF  ENG John Mullin — FW  ENG Brett Angell — FW  ENG Michael Bridges — FW  ENG Steve Brodie — FW  ENG Craig Russell — FW  ENG Martin Smith — FW  ENG Paul Stewart — FW  NIR Phil Gray — FW  IRL Stephen Grant — FW  IRL David Kelly[notes 2]

References[]

Notes[]