It was probably due to others deficiencies than our strengths that this campaign would end up the best since 1955/56, although once more the crowd didn’t think so. The average league crowd of just 16,608 was very poor. In essence I guess the old adage of it is better to be doing well at the top of a lower division that at the bottom of one higher was being played out.

The season started in what was now characteristically bad fashion. With only 2 victories in the first 10 games, one of them inexplicably at Anfield, saw us in trouble right from the off. In truth we never recovered and although we would end the campaign 13th it was due to yet another last gasp victory. But more of that later.

The next 15 games did see us prosper and we recorded only 3 defeats. However with such a bad start all it did was close us up and get us in on the pack. Included in this run was another thrashing, this time at the hands of Notts County.

The turn of the year would bring about another change in Manager after 4 defeats in 7 games was too much for Sunderlands fans and its board of directors. Alan Durban was sacked after the defeat at Old Trafford, replaced for former Sunderland player Len Ashurst, whom had been fairly successful in his time at Newport County.

Actually prior to Lens appointment, stalwart Pop Robson was installed as Caretaker for one game, a home draw with Arsenal. Perhaps the most damning indictment of the dismissal was this. From the appointment of Tom Watson in the latter half of the 19th century until the end of the William Murray era on 26 June 1957 Sunderland AFC had employed just 6 managers. By the time of the Ashurst appointment, in just over 26 years the club had no fewer than 14 incumbents.

The above statistic isn’t so much saying that you shouldn’t change your managers, but what it does testify too is that without some sort of consistency and stability then you are bound to struggle. Sunderland AFC had struggled, in reality, since 1958, and although we didn’t know it at the time, worse was to follow.

All the time you got the impression that Sunderland AFC were doing just enough to get by. Something was going to happen, you just knew it. You didn’t know when, you didn’t know what it would be, but you just knew that when "it came home to roost" that it was going to be bad. There were now 13 games remaining and all you hoped was that Len Ashurst could turn it around.

Fortunately for us he did and whilst the final cameo brought about 5 defeats it also brought with it 5 victories and 3 draws. The final success at Filbert Street, Leicester enough to see us safe. It was poignant that the caretaker manager of earlier in the season Pop Robson should score one of the goals that ensured our stay in the top flight.

Once more the season had seen poor fortune in the cup competitions.

After 2 games against Cambridge United, defeat off Norwich city at Roker Park ended our participation, to continue our dismal League Cup record. The FA cup brought a good victory at Bolton 3 v 0 before Birmingham put us out of our misery.