
🎥 'City players face tough week' - Rennie
Posted: Monday, June 27th 2022
Friday, February 9th 2018
City will be looking for a return to winning ways when they host Sunderland at Ashton Gate this weekend.
Lee Johnson's side slipped against relegation fighters Bolton Wanderers last week and so will be wary of a determined Black Cats, who themselves are looking to move out of the bottom three.
Formed: 1879
Nickname: Black Cats
Website: www.safc.com
Twitter: @SunderlandAFC
Ground: Stadium of Light
Capacity: 49,000
Honours:
First Division: 1891/92, 1892/93, 1894/85, 1901/02, 1912/13, 1935/36
Second Division: 1975/76, 1995/96, 1998/99, 2004/05, 2006/07
Second Division play-off winners: 1989/90
Third Division: 1987/88
FA Cup: 1937, 1973
Charity Shield: 1936
Last season:
League finish: 20th (Premier League)
FA Cup: Third round, lost to Burnley
EFL Cup: Fourth round, lost to Southampton
Top scorer: Jermain Defoe, 15 goals
Average attendance: 41,287
Sunderland have managed just five Sky Bet Championship wins all season, only securing their first home win for a year when they beat Fulham 1-0 in December.
It’s fair to say the Black Cats have struggled since their relegation from the Premier League in May and they face another relegation brawl now in the division below.
But there is a new-found sense of hope, following the appointment of former Wales boss Chris Coleman, who has overseen four of their handful of victories this season.
The club is synonymous with the Premier League, having appeared in England's top league 16 times in its 21-year history and there is a belief, if they can stay up during the current campaign, of mounting a serious challenge of a return to the big time next year.
Coleman is a new face at the Stadium of Light, having replaced Simon Grayson in November.
He stood down from his position of head coach of the Wales national team, where he famously guided the Dragons – now coached by Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs – to the 2016 European Championship semi-finals.
The Swansea-born manager was a defender in his playing days, which included a career with Manchester City, the Swans, Crystal Palace, Blackburn Rovers and Fulham.
His management career began at Craven Cottage ahead of spells at Real Sociedad and Coventry City, all before he took the national job with Wales and his subsequent move to Sunderland.
A Republic of Ireland international whose career has taken him to Scotland - where he actually was born - Russia and now England.
A tricky winger full of tricks, he joined Celtic in 2010 and progressed through their Academy to win three Scottish Premier League title and four cups.
He also landed three Young Player of the Year awards and the main award in 2008.
In 2010 he stunned Glasgow by joining Spartak Moscow for a fee of £9.5m - making him the most expensive Scottish export.
McGeady spent four years in Russia before returning to the UK with Everton.
Loan spells at Sheffield Wednesday and Preston North End followed, before he signed for Sunderland on a three-year deal in the summer, reuniting him with his old Preston boss.
Bristol City 2-0 Sunderland
Goals: Allison 82; Baird 90
Sunderland faded despite a bright start to the Halloween-weekend clash although City’s decisive goals would only come in the final ten minutes of the match.
Wayne Allison added to his goal tally as he opened the scoring, with an injury-time strike from Ian Baird killing off any chance of a point for the Black Cats.
Baird skipped past two challenges before burying the ball beyond Sunderland keeper Alec Chamberlain.
Attendance: 8,162
Officials
Referee: James Linington
Assistant Referees: Steven Meredith & Michael George
Fourth Official: Adam Bromley
Betting (via SkyBet)
Bristol City 4/6
Draw 11/4
Sunderland 17/4
The Grand Appeal is gearing up for a bumper summer of fundraising across Bristol and the South West as it marks the 25th Anniversary of the iconic dress-down event, Wallace & Gromit’s Wrong Trousers Day.
Posted: Monday, June 27th 2022 • Rugby
Andrew Turner made his England U20 debut as Alan Dickens' side were beaten 22-30 by South Africa U20 in their Six Nations Summer Series opener in Verona.
Posted: Friday, June 24th 2022 • Rugby
A team of riders from Xledger have raised £3,500 for the Community Foundation by cycling more than 350 miles in just five days.
Posted: Friday, June 24th 2022 • Rugby
Bristol Bears will face Saracens, Loughborough Lightning, Wasps and Sale Sharks in Pool A of the 2022/23 Allianz Cup.
Posted: Thursday, June 23rd 2022 • Rugby
Andrew Turner has named in the England U20 squad to face South Africa in the opening round of the Six Nations Under-20 Summer Series in Italy.
Posted: Thursday, June 23rd 2022 • Rugby