West Brom vs Sunderland
Watch Live West Brom vs Sunderland online for FREE
West Bromwich Albion returned to the Barclays Premier League after a strong 2009/10 campaign which saw them finish runners-up behind runaway title-winners Newcastle United in the Championship.
Under the guidance of new head coach Roberto di Matteo, the Baggies finished comfortably 12 points clear of third-placed Nottingham Forest.Founded in 1878 the Midlands club became one of the original members of the Football League 10 years later.
They spent most of their early history in England's top tier, winning the league title in 1920, the FA Cup on five occasions and League Cup once. Their Premier League debut came in 2002.
They were relegated after just one season but returned two years later and stayed up on the final day of the 2004/05 campaign. It was only a temporary reprieve as they were relegated a year later only to bounce back at the first attempt as champions. They again lasted just one season but the "Boing Boing" Baggies again bounced straight back and now hope to get a firm foothold in the Barclays Premier League.
Heritage
The club was formed in 1878 by workers from George Salter's Spring Works in West Bromwich and took the name West Bromwich Strollers a year later.They were renamed West Bromwich Albion in 1880 - Albion was a district of West Bromwich where some of the players lived or worked.Albion entered the FA Cup in 1883 and were finalists in 1886 and 1887 before making it third time lucky with victory in the 1888 final where they beat Preston North End.
That same year, Albion became one of 12 founder members of the Football League and clinched the FA Cup again in 1892 with a 3-0 triumph over Aston Villa.Three years later, Villa beat them in the FA Cup final and relegation to Division Two followed in 1901 in the first season at their Hawthorns ground.
Although they won promotion at the first attempt as champions, they went down in their first season back in the top flight. Albion won the Division Two title in 1911 and were again FA Cup finalists a year later.The club claimed the league title in 1920 - the only time in their history - and finished as runners-up five years later.
Another relegation to Division Two came in 1927, but in 1931 they were celebrating promotion and added the FA Cup to their trophy cabinet with victory over Birmingham City.They were FA Cup finalists again in 1935 - were relegated three years later - but won promotion back to the big league in 1949 where they stayed for 24 seasons.
More FA Cup success arrived in 1954, when they also finished second in the top flight, establishing themselves as one of the best sides in the land.The League Cup was won in 1966 to go with the FA Cup two years after for a fifth time. Albion were League Cup finalists in 1967 and 1970.The Baggies have since spent the rest of their history between the top three divisions. Promotion to the Premier League was achieved in 2002.
Sunderland have established themselves as a Barclays Premier League side after winning the Championship title in 2006/07.
After their relegation in 2006, the club was taken over by Drumaville - a consortium of mainly Irish-based businessmen, headed up by former player Niall Quinn - which appointed Republic of Ireland legend and former Manchester United hero Roy Keane as manager, his first managerial post since hanging up his boots.
The club have not looked back since as Keane guided them from the bottom of the Championship to title winners. Keane led them to a 15th Barclays Premier League place finish in 2007/08 but left the club midway through the following season with the Black Cats struggling at the foot of the table.
Coach Ricky Sbragia moved up from coach to take charge until the end of the campaign and ensured the struggling Black Cats avoided the drop. Majority shareholder Ellis Short assumed 100 per cent control of the club with Quinn staying on as chairman. They appointed Steve Bruce as new manager and he steered the Black Cats to 13th position in 2009/10.
Club Heritage
Glaswegian schoolteacher James Allan founded Sunderland and District Teachers' Association Football Club in 1879, changing the name to Sunderland AFC a year later. They were elected to the newly-formed Football League in 1890/91 and were to remain in the top flight for 68 consecutive years - a record only recently passed by Arsenal.
Sunderland won the title three times in five years, only losing one home match in their first six seasons. The Mackems won another title in 1902, but a better prize in their fans eyes' was a 9-1 thrashing of fierce rivals Newcastle United - still a record away win in the top flight. The team came close to doing the double in 1913 but they lost the FA Cup final 1-0 to Aston Villa.
A post-war slump saw them beaten by Yeovil Town in the FA Cup - the first time a non-league club had beaten a top-flight team - and worse, relegated in 1958. Sunderland have spent most of their time since then bouncing between the top two divisions, with their only real glory being a 1973 FA Cup win over Leeds United - the first time in 40 years a club outside the top flight had won the trophy.
The Black Cats reached their lowest point in 1987 as they were relegated to the Third Division. But successive promotions saw them back in the top flight two years later.
Under the guidance of new head coach Roberto di Matteo, the Baggies finished comfortably 12 points clear of third-placed Nottingham Forest.Founded in 1878 the Midlands club became one of the original members of the Football League 10 years later.
They spent most of their early history in England's top tier, winning the league title in 1920, the FA Cup on five occasions and League Cup once. Their Premier League debut came in 2002.
They were relegated after just one season but returned two years later and stayed up on the final day of the 2004/05 campaign. It was only a temporary reprieve as they were relegated a year later only to bounce back at the first attempt as champions. They again lasted just one season but the "Boing Boing" Baggies again bounced straight back and now hope to get a firm foothold in the Barclays Premier League.
Heritage
The club was formed in 1878 by workers from George Salter's Spring Works in West Bromwich and took the name West Bromwich Strollers a year later.They were renamed West Bromwich Albion in 1880 - Albion was a district of West Bromwich where some of the players lived or worked.Albion entered the FA Cup in 1883 and were finalists in 1886 and 1887 before making it third time lucky with victory in the 1888 final where they beat Preston North End.
That same year, Albion became one of 12 founder members of the Football League and clinched the FA Cup again in 1892 with a 3-0 triumph over Aston Villa.Three years later, Villa beat them in the FA Cup final and relegation to Division Two followed in 1901 in the first season at their Hawthorns ground.
Although they won promotion at the first attempt as champions, they went down in their first season back in the top flight. Albion won the Division Two title in 1911 and were again FA Cup finalists a year later.The club claimed the league title in 1920 - the only time in their history - and finished as runners-up five years later.
Another relegation to Division Two came in 1927, but in 1931 they were celebrating promotion and added the FA Cup to their trophy cabinet with victory over Birmingham City.They were FA Cup finalists again in 1935 - were relegated three years later - but won promotion back to the big league in 1949 where they stayed for 24 seasons.
More FA Cup success arrived in 1954, when they also finished second in the top flight, establishing themselves as one of the best sides in the land.The League Cup was won in 1966 to go with the FA Cup two years after for a fifth time. Albion were League Cup finalists in 1967 and 1970.The Baggies have since spent the rest of their history between the top three divisions. Promotion to the Premier League was achieved in 2002.
Sunderland have established themselves as a Barclays Premier League side after winning the Championship title in 2006/07.
After their relegation in 2006, the club was taken over by Drumaville - a consortium of mainly Irish-based businessmen, headed up by former player Niall Quinn - which appointed Republic of Ireland legend and former Manchester United hero Roy Keane as manager, his first managerial post since hanging up his boots.
The club have not looked back since as Keane guided them from the bottom of the Championship to title winners. Keane led them to a 15th Barclays Premier League place finish in 2007/08 but left the club midway through the following season with the Black Cats struggling at the foot of the table.
Coach Ricky Sbragia moved up from coach to take charge until the end of the campaign and ensured the struggling Black Cats avoided the drop. Majority shareholder Ellis Short assumed 100 per cent control of the club with Quinn staying on as chairman. They appointed Steve Bruce as new manager and he steered the Black Cats to 13th position in 2009/10.
Club Heritage
Glaswegian schoolteacher James Allan founded Sunderland and District Teachers' Association Football Club in 1879, changing the name to Sunderland AFC a year later. They were elected to the newly-formed Football League in 1890/91 and were to remain in the top flight for 68 consecutive years - a record only recently passed by Arsenal.
Sunderland won the title three times in five years, only losing one home match in their first six seasons. The Mackems won another title in 1902, but a better prize in their fans eyes' was a 9-1 thrashing of fierce rivals Newcastle United - still a record away win in the top flight. The team came close to doing the double in 1913 but they lost the FA Cup final 1-0 to Aston Villa.
A post-war slump saw them beaten by Yeovil Town in the FA Cup - the first time a non-league club had beaten a top-flight team - and worse, relegated in 1958. Sunderland have spent most of their time since then bouncing between the top two divisions, with their only real glory being a 1973 FA Cup win over Leeds United - the first time in 40 years a club outside the top flight had won the trophy.
The Black Cats reached their lowest point in 1987 as they were relegated to the Third Division. But successive promotions saw them back in the top flight two years later.
Next Round Predictions
Latest News