Alan Sunderland

Alan Sunderland
Personal information
Full name Alan Sunderland[1]
Date of birth (1953-07-01) 1 July 1953
Place of birth Conisbrough, Yorkshire, England
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Playing position Forward
Youth career
1969–1971 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1971–1977 Wolverhampton Wanderers 158 (30)
1977–1984 Arsenal 206 (55)
1984 → Ipswich Town (loan) 15 (3)
1984–1986 Ipswich Town 43 (8)
1987 Derry City 4 (2)
National team
1974 England U23 1 (0)
1976 England U21 1 (0)
1978–1981 England B 7 (1)
1980 England 1 (0)
Teams managed
1996–1997 Birkirkara

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.


Alan Sunderland (born 1 July 1953) is an English former footballer who played in the Football League for Wolverhampton Wanderers, Arsenal and Ipswich Town. He was capped once for England.[2]

Club career

Sunderland was born in Conisbrough, Yorkshire, and began his career at Wolverhampton Wanderers as an apprentice in the playing in the midfield.[3] He made nearly 200 appearances with 30 goals in total for the Midlands side,[4][5] winning the 1974 League Cup[6] and the Football League Second Division championship in the 1977 season for the Wolves.[7]

In November of 1977, he joined Arsenal for £220,000; [8][9] wherein his role as a midfielder, he switched position to a centre forward.[10] Sunderland became a regular starter for the club, playing in the 1978 FA Cup Final, which Arsenal lost to Ipswich Town.[11]

Sunderland's most famous moment came in the 1979 FA Cup Final; Arsenal had gone 2–0 up against Manchester United, with goals from Brian Talbot and Frank Stapleton, and looked set for victory with only five minutes remaining. However, United scored twice in three minutes, with goals from Gordon McQueen and Sammy McIlroy, and extra time loomed. In the very last minute of the match, however, Arsenal pushed forward in a desperate counter-attack; Liam Brady fed Graham Rix on the left wing, and his cross was converted by Sunderland at the far post to make the score 3–2, and win Arsenal the cup.[12]

Sunderland stayed at Arsenal for another five years, forming an impressive partnership with Frank Stapleton for two seasons.[13] He was the club's top scorer in 1979–80 together with 1981–82, and featured in the Arsenal sides that lost the 1980 FA Cup[14] and Cup Winners' Cup finals.[15]

However, after a spate of injuries and the arrivals of Tony Woodcock and Charlie Nicholas, he thus found himself out of the first team. Sunderland eventually left Arsenal after netting 92 goals from 281 appearances for the Gooners.[8] He went on then joining Ipswich Town on loan in February of 1984. He helped them to avoid relegation from the First Division, and made the move permanent later in the summer.[16] He played for Ipswich until 1986, then had a brief stint at Irish club Derry City, before calling it a day.[17]

Personal life

Following retirement, he opened a pub in Ipswich and became involved in the Insurance and Letting businesses. Sunderland is also the father of three children. He eventually emigrated to Malta[17][18] where he coached local team Birkirkara.[19]

International career

Sunderland won a single England cap which came in a 2–1 friendly win over Australia in Sydney on 31 May 1980,[1] and also represented his country at under-21 (as an over-age player),[20] under-23[21] and 'B' team level.[22]

Honours

Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arsenal

References

  1. 1 2 "Alan Sunderland". Englandstats.com. Retrieved 17 November 2009.
  2. ↑ Alan Sunderland career at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database
  3. ↑ Davies, Gareth A (17 May 2005). "My Sport: Alan Sunderland". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 17 November 2009.
  4. ↑ "Whatever haapened to Alan Sunderland". Football Fancast.com.
  5. ↑ "Players. A–Z". Wolves-Stats. Archived from the original on 1 November 2009. Retrieved 17 November 2009.
  6. 1 2 Fort, Didier (25 February 2001). "England – League Cup Finals 1961–2001". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 12 October 2009. Retrieved 17 November 2009.
  7. 1 2 "General Stats: 1976–1977". Wolves-Stats. Retrieved 17 November 2009.
  8. 1 2 "Alan Sunderland: Profile". Arsenal.
  9. ↑ "On this day in...". Arsenal F.C. Archived from the original on 3 October 2009. Retrieved 17 November 2009.
  10. ↑ "Alan Sunderland". Arsenal Player Database. Arsenal F.C. Archived from the original on 26 October 2009. Retrieved 17 November 2009.
  11. ↑ Fox, Norman (8 May 1978). "The country blues show at Wembley". The Times. p. 13.
  12. 1 2 "'The Five Minute Final' stuns Manchester Utd". Arsenal F.C. Retrieved 17 November 2009.
  13. ↑ "Stapleton's Arsenal years". Manchester United F.C. 15 September 2006. Archived from the original on 29 March 2010. Retrieved 17 November 2009. Initially I had Malcolm MacDonald as my strike partner, but later it was Alan Sunderland, who I formed a great partnership with. With him it just worked.
  14. ↑ Fox, Norman (12 May 1980). "West Ham's vision of glory carries the day". The Times. p. 10.
  15. ↑ White, Clive (15 May 1980). "Valencia beat Arsenal on penalties". The Times. p. 12.
  16. ↑ "Sunderland on contract". The Times. 7 July 1984. p. 32.
  17. 1 2 "Alan Sunderland was the hero". Daily Mail.co.uk.
  18. ↑ Hart, Michael (18 May 2005). "Sunderland gone from game but never forgotten". Evening Standard. London. Retrieved 17 November 2009.
  19. ↑ "Five-minute final: Where are they now?". BBC Sport. 19 May 2005. Retrieved 17 November 2009.
  20. ↑ Courtney, Barrie (10 January 2004). "England – U-21 International Results 1976–1985 – Details". RSSSF. Retrieved 17 November 2009.
  21. ↑ Courtney, Barrie (27 March 2004). "England – U-23 International Results- Details". RSSSF. Retrieved 17 November 2009.
  22. ↑ Courtney, Barrie (21 March 2004). "England – International Results B-Team – Details". RSSSF. Retrieved 17 November 2009.

External links

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