It is fair to say that most of the highlights and successes at the highest level of Sunderland FC's history lie deep in the club's past and that their recent record in the Premier League has been patchy.

The Black Cats' first appearance in the Premier League, in 1996-97, lasted only one season, with Sunderland FC moving from their Roker Park ground to the newly-built Stadium of Light that campaign.

A decade of highs and lows for Sunderland FC allied to numerous managerial changes followed, including the Division One title win in 1999 with a record 105 points, followed in 2003 by relegation with just 19 points, the second lowest points tally ever.

Sunderland FC have see-sawed between the top two football divisions since, winning the Championship title in 2005 and again in 2007, the last time under chairman and former striker Niall Quinn and manager Roy Keane, who steered the club from the bottom of the Championship to title winners to earn that last promotion.

It was a schoolteacher from Glasgow, James Allan, who founded Sunderland FC and District Teachers' Association Football Club in 1879. The name was changed in 1881 to Sunderland FC and the club were elected to the Football League in 1890.

The Mackems were to remain in the top flight for 68 consecutive years, a record only recently broken by Arsenal Football Club.

Those early days were to be Sunderland FC's finest, as they won Football League titles in 1892 and 1893, were runners-up in 1894, won the League again in 1895, came second in 1898 and 1901, and won it for the fourth time in 1902.

In the 1908 season the Mackems thrilled football fans by thrashing fierce rivals Newcastle United 9-1, which still stands as a record away win in the top flight.

Sunderland FC almost did the double in 1913, winning the League crown for the fifth time, but lost out to Aston Villa in their first FA Cup final appearance. Their sixth and last top-flight title came in 1936, with the first of their two FA Cups won the following year.

The post-Second World War era heralded a downturn fortunes and although Sunderland stayed in the top division until 1958, they made little impression. Then followed years when the football club shuffled between the top two divisions.

The major highlight came in 1973, when legendary football manager Bob Stokoe led his Division Two side to FA Cup glory over huge favourites Leeds United thanks to a goal from Ian Porterfield and the athletic goalkeeping exploits of Jim Montgomery.

The lowest point came in 1987 when Sunderland FC was briefly relegated to the Third Division.