What can I say about this season that would do it justice. 

The Sunderland teams first venture into Div 1 started slowly and well with an opening victory, though this was shortly followed by the tragic and untimely passing of our top scorer and dear friend Tyrone Jones on the 13th October 2010. The response from the team when we returned to playing in the November was what I can only describe as fantastic. We came together again on the field and carried on, Sunderland and non Sunderland followers alike when it could have so easily have gone the other way. 

The season provided plenty of entertaining matches when we rode our luck and managed to somehow win or draw. A note of recognition must go to the new players who came in to fill some big shoes and they did so with honours. 

To finish Runners Up by May was a magnificent achievement, having gone head to head with the then current double holders Aberdeen (who won the league again) and Boro who went on to win the cup this season. We were so close to winning the league having only lost twice all season and were only out of the cup on penalties.  The fact the lads only conceded 17 goals all season is testament to the strength of the branch team in general for this season and past seasons. 

"It was the worst of times it was the best of times" someone once wrote. That is probably somewhere along the lines of how I would describe this 2010/11 season. From winning Div 2 in May 2010 to Tyrone's passing and through to May 2011 and finishing Div 1 runners up after being so close to back to back
championships.

Thank you all once again to everyone who played a part however small for the team this season.
Mark Hay

A season dedicated to Tyrone Daniel Jones 12.04.1978 - 13.10.2010

Appearances 52
Goals 82

"Win or Nothing"