Having being elected to the Football League for the 1890–91 season, Sunderland topped the First Division on three occasions in four seasons (1891-92, 1892-93 and 1894-95, separated by a runner-up spot in 1893-94). In 1892–93 they became the first side to score 100 goals in a League season.
Their League record during these 4 seasons was:
P
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
F
|
A
|
PTS
|
116
|
81
|
13
|
22
|
345
|
153
|
175
|
This included just one home defeat!
On an individual level, Johnny Campbell scored a total of 83 goals in just 81 games in the three season in which the team won the League.
Tom Watson's Sunderland team of this period of success are generally referred to as The Team of All the Talents. In fact the name was coined quite specifically in response to one match*.
On September 17th 1892 Tom Watson and Sunderland Association Football Club traveled to Perry Barr to play Aston Villa . There were 12000 people present. Hughie Wilson scored one goal, Jimmy Hannah scored 2 goals, Johnny Campbell scored 2 goals and John Harvie scored one goal. Sunderland beat Aston Villa 6-1. The Villa president, William McGregor (the founder of the Football League), was impressed with Sunderland's display and commented that they had a talented man in every position. The Sunderland team had ten Scottish players. Tom Porteous was an Englishman from Newcastle, but he had played in Scotland for Kilmarnock and Heart of Midlothian.
*Some sources state that this occurred after Sunderland's 7-2 home win over Villa in a friendly on 05.04.90, but this is not the case.
GK
|
Ned Doig
|
RB
|
Tom Porteous
|
LB
|
Robert Smellie
|
RH
|
Hughie Wilson
|
CH
|
John Auld
|
LH
|
Will Gibson
|
OR
|
James Gillespie
|
IR
|
John Harvie
|
CF
|
Johnny Campbell
|
IL
|
Davy Hannah
|
OR
|
Jimmy Hannah
|
*Some sources state that this occurred after Sunderland's 7-2 home win over Villa in a friendly on 05.04.90, but this is not the case.
