When Sunderland drew Coventry City 2-2 at the Stadium of Light on the 9th of November, a crowd of 43,374 was in attendance, the highest in the league this season. In six of their opening nine home matches in the campaign, there have been over 40,000 fans in the stadium, an impressive turnout from the supporters of the Championship club.

The Black Cats have held the highest attendance in the last three Championship seasons. No club has had a bigger home crowd in the division since Newcastle in the 2016/17 campaign.

Promotion Back to Premier League the Target This Season

Sunderland’s supporters have had a lot to cheer about this season. The Black Cats have 37 points after 20 matches. They are 7/5 in the Championship betting odds to get promoted at the end of the campaign. The North East club have spent seven years outside the Premier League now. They are 9/1 in the English Championship winner odds to return to the top flight as the champions, just like they did in 2007.

Evening, Gaffer 🫡 pic.twitter.com/kSzk4LW1ta

— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) November 29, 2024

French head coach Regis Le Bris took over the reins at the club back in June. He had a 100% record in his first month of the season, while he picked up the Manager of the Month Award in both August and October. 

Tyne-Wear Derby

Newcastle win the Tyne-Wear derby! ⚫️⚪️#SUNNEW | #FACup pic.twitter.com/trhUSuqFyo

— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) January 6, 2024

Sunderland’s rivalry with local neighbours Newcastle is one of the fiercest rivalries in English football. The two teams last played each in the Tyne-Wear derby back in January in the third round of the FA Cup. Newcastle were victorious in that encounter 3-0 at the Stadium of the Light.

The two clubs from the North East have not met in a league game since the 2015/16 Premier League season. Sunderland prevailed 3-0 in front of their home supporters, while in the return leg at St James’ Park, it finished in a 1-1 draw.

Just 12 miles separate Sunderland and Newcastle, and both cities have a rich history in football. The sides first met in 1888, and since then, their records in this derby could not be much closer, with Newcastle having 54 wins, Sunderland prevailing 53 times and there have been 50 draws.

Sunderland ‘Til I Die Documentary

The third series of the Sunderland ‘Til I Die was released in 2024, and the behind-the-scenes documentary showcased what it was like to be a fan of the club. The producers interviewed several Sunderland fans and followed them on match days.

In the latest series of the popular sports documentary, it follows Sunderland fans around their League One Play-Off victory in 2022. The Black Cats defeated Wycombe Wanderers 2-0 at Wembley to earn promotion to the Championship.

The success of Sunderland ‘Til I Die has encouraged other producers and football clubs to record similar content. Wrexham have successfully produced their rise to the Football League under their Hollywood owners in ‘Welcome To Wrexham’, while Burnley have also showcased their return to the Premier League in ‘Mission To Burnley’. In all three of those documentaries, the fans have played a key role in the storytelling.

Sunderland will be hoping to be back in the Premier League next year, and with the help of their passionate fan base, they will have a huge amount of support in their journey t