To get to a major Wembley final and be relegated in the same season just about sums our luck up. It couldn’t happen could it? It did.

The season started with a 3 v 1 victory over Southampton. Little did we know then but this would be our last opening day home victory until the 1998/99 season.

The campaign had seen the arrival of many new players as Len Ashurst dismantled the team built by Alan Durban. Out went Paul Bracewell, Lee Chapman, Colin West and famously Gary Rowell. In came a certain Gary Bennett, who not content with scoring on his debut would become one of only a few to play over 400 times for Sunderland AFC.

The season started well for Sunderland and its followers and after 13 games, with just 3 defeats we were handily placed. People were optimistic, but that wouldn’t last long. We then went into decline and in the next 30 games we would win only 5. By the end of the season we had "amassed" only 40 points and languished in 21st place.

The last league match at Roker Park, against Ipswich town (on the day of the Bradford fire) drew a crowd of only 9,398. Those of us present knew that things just weren’t right.

As always with Sunderland the roller coaster had been in full swing, and whilst demotion came a as a bitter blow the campaign had a bright and beautiful horizon, well until we got to Wembley that is.

Len Ashurst had been appointed exactly one year when he took Sunderland to the League/Milk Cup Final. Once more a Wearside team would rise above itself, and conquer, now more illustrious opponents.

It was a sad indictment on Sunderland that in the programme notes at Wembley Sunderland were now referred to as "one of the less fashionable clubs". How far the mighty had fallen.

Having beaten Norwich city 3 v 1 the week before in the league meeting at Carrow Road, hopes were high of a repeat performance. Furthermore Sunderland's Assistant Manager Frank Burrows, acquired from Southampton, had tasted League Cup success, famously with Swindon Town, who had beaten Arsenal in 1969. Hopefully this was a good omen.

The game turned out to be poor and a major disappointment to the Roker Roar which could be visible populating almost every section of the ground. The second Sunday final in Wembley's history, saw a bizarre own goal settle a drab affair, with Clive Walker famously missing a penalty. The first in an English Wembley final. The red and whites would be relegated

Trust Sunderland.