The platform that Jimmy Adamson had laid in the previous campaign was built upon and by the end Sunderland would end 4rth, just one point away from the Promised Land. In truth for much of the season it looked as though we may top the table after one or two stunning victories. As usual, end of season jitters/bad luck saw us miss out.

Turf Moor on 23 September 1978 will go down as one of the most memorable in Sunderlands recent history to all who were there as, down to 9 men the red and whites defeated Burnley 2 v 1. Both Joe Bolton and Mick Henderson had received their marching orders in the first half and the travelling Roker Roar wondered what was in store second half. They needn’t have worried.

It is often said that football is as much about attitude as ability, and this was the perfect example of overcoming all the odds. Sunderland played like their lives depended on the result and an early penalty, converted by Gary Rowell had the travelling hordes in near hysteria. That Rowell would score again just about had the roof off, and an anxious last few minutes were witnessed as Burnley pulled one back. The final whistle went and the red and white brothers and sisters went wild, the excitement knew no bounds. Fantastic stuff.

The managerial merry go round continued when on 25 October Jimmy Adamson resigned. He took up a position at Leeds United and as an interim Dave Merrington was appointed caretaker. He was in charge for 8 games, resigned and left the way open for Billy Elliott to steer the ship for the remainder of the season. That he did admirably.

24 February was probably the highlight and a game talked about on Wearside for years. At St James Park Sunderland ripped near neighbours Newcastle United to shreds and on that day Gary Rowell was immortalised with the Roker faithful.

Rowell had been signed from Seaham Juniors in 1975 and it couldn’t have possibly been in his wildest dreams that he would one day score a hat trick in the biggest English derby game of them all. But that he did, including a penalty. With Wayne Entwhistle scoring the other the red and white danced happily to Newcastle Central station, onto to Seaburn and into the city Centre. There were plenty of sore heads the next morning.

The season went pear shaped in the last 5 games with 2 disastrous home defeats.

Beaten by Blackburn Rovers 16 April, consecutive victories at Cambridge United and a 6 v 2 thrashing of The Blades at Roker Park, it was left to Cardiff City to smash our hopes. The game against the Welshmen was a horror story. We lost 1 v 2 in front of 36,526 and even if we won at Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground, promotion was not guaranteed. We did win at Wrexham, 2 v 1, having been one nil down, and as the supporters spilled onto the pitch at the end, thinking promotion was ours, the tannoy announcement told us otherwise. Gutting!

In truth it was our home form that had let us down, losing 5, whilst away from Roker we succumbed only 4 times. Rare for a team to lose more at home than away. In fact from 21 November 1978 until 1 September 1979 we never lost away from home. 15 league and cup games.

Billy Elliott left in the May and was replaced by Ken Knighton. One month later and Frank Clark left Nottingham forest, despite the best efforts of Brian Clough to keep him, and Sunderland now had one of the youngest managerial combinations in England.

Promotion in the next campaign was a formality; wasn’t it?