We all know Sunderland are a huge club, but the fans more than proved it back in 2018 as they smashed a big target set by then-owner, Charlie Methven.
While the glory days of Sunderland’s stay in the top flight may be a distant memory now, there’s no denying the fans of the club are still incredibly loyal and among the best in the Football League.
It hasn’t always been positive, though, as Niall Quinn was once furious at the Sunderland supporters for watching games illegally rather than attending the stadium. But, they reacted in the best possible way and returned to the ground almost immediately.
Now, we look back at another time the fans stepped up and met the demands of the Sunderland owners, when a home crowd broke a huge record on Boxing Day in 2018.
Sunderland broke League One attendance record in 2018
Speaking to supporters at the ground on that evening in 2018 (via the Sunderland Echo), Methven hailed the fans for showing up in droves and absolutely smashing the League One attendance record in the process.
“I set a challenge to reach 40,000 today and I massively underestimated you,” Methven said. “You helped us beat Leeds’ record by over 8,000 people, so thank you very much.”
He added: “I hoped we would get around 40,000, but to get more than 46,000 is quite something.”
The previous record was 38,256 set by Leeds United way back in 2008. Sunderland managed to get 46,039 in the Stadium of Light to witness a 1-0 win over Bradford City.
Interestingly, the actual record for the third tier (before it was known as League One) of the Football League is believed to be roughly 49,000, set during the Sheffield derby in 1979.
Sunderland fans are still the best in the Championship
Even now that Sunderland are back in the Championship, the Black Cats still boast the strongest support in the division, with an average attendance in the current season of just under 40,000 per game.
That incredible home support is a big reason why Sunderland have such an impressive record at the Stadium of Light this season.
In truth, Sunderland as a club is a sleeping giant and a club that deserves to be in the top flight. Regis Le Bris will need to continue to push his young squad to their limits this season if they are to stay in the fight for promotion.