# 1988–89 Sunderland A.F.C. season

During the 1988–89 season Sunderland competed in the Football League Second Division. They finished 11th in the league after being promoted from the Third Division the previous season.

## Squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | GK | ENG | Tim Carter |
| — | GK | ENG | Iain Hesford |
| — | GK | WAL | Tony Norman |
| — | DF | ENG | Gary Bennett |
| — | DF | SCO | Frank Gray |
| — | DF | ENG | Alan Hay |
| — | DF | ENG | John Kay |
| — | DF | SCO | Gary Ogilvie |
| — | DF | ENG | Richard Ord |
| — | DF | ENG | Reuben Agboola |
| — | DF | SCO | John MacPhail |
| — | DF | IRL | Tommy Lynch |
| — | MF | ENG | Gordon Armstrong |
| — | MF | ENG | Brian Atkinson |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | MF | ENG | Peter Barnes |
| — | MF | ENG | John Cornforth |
| — | MF | ENG | Tony Cullen |
| — | MF | WAL | Steve Doyle |
| — | MF | ENG | Paul Lemon |
| — | MF | ENG | Gary Owers |
| — | MF | WAL | Colin Pascoe |
| — | MF | WAL | Sean Wharton |
| — | FW | ENG | Marco Gabbiadini |
| — | FW | WAL | Riccardo Gabbiadini |
| — | FW | ENG | Eric Gates |
| — | FW | GER | Thomas Hauser |
| — | FW | ENG | Warren Hawke |
| — | FW | ENG | Billy Whitehurst |

## Results

Sunderland's score comes first.
| Win | Draw | Loss |

### Friendlies

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 4 August 1988 | Newcastle Town | Lyme Valley Parkway Stadium | 5-0 | 740 | Lemon, Pascoe, Gabbiadini (3) |
| 6 August 1988 | Macclesfield Town | Moss Rose | 1-1 | N/A | Gates |
| 13 August 1988 | Seattle Storm | Roker Park | 3-0 | 3,393 | Gabbiadini, MacPhail (pen), Bennett |

### Second Division

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 27 August 1988 | Bournemouth | Roker Park | 1-1 | 17,998 | Bennett (39') |
| 3 September 1988 | Ipswich Town | Portman Road | 0-2 | 12,835 | |
| 10 September 1988 | Bradford City | Roker Park | 0-0 | 16,286 | |
| 17 September 1988 | Birmingham City | St. Andrew's | 2-3 | 6,817 | Pascoe (84', 89') |
| 20 September 1988 | Crystal Palace | Roker Park | 1-1 | 13,150 | Pascoe (78') |
| 24 September 1988 | Shrewsbury Town | Gay Meadow | 0-0 | 4,195 | |
| 1 October 1988 | Oldham Athletic | Roker Park | 3-2 | 12,529 | Gabbiadini (10'), MacPhail (34' pen.), Pascoe (72') |
| 4 October 1988 | Leeds United | Roker Park | 2-1 | 12,671 | Gabbiadini (9'), Whitehurst (60') |
| 8 October 1988 | Walsall | Fellows Park | 0-2 | 6,150 | |
| 15 October 1988 | Hull City | Boothferry Park | 0-0 | 8,261 | |
| 22 October 1988 | Swindon Town | Roker Park | 4-0 | 13,520 | Owers (20'), Gabbiadini (26', 80'), Whitehurst (73') |
| 25 October 1988 | Blackburn Rovers | Roker Park | 2-0 | 16,601 | Gabbiadini (4'), Hendry (12' o.g.) |
| 29 October 1988 | Manchester City | Maine Road | 1-1 | 22,398 | Armstrong (29') |
| 2 November 1988 | Oxford United | Manor Ground | 4-2 | 6,270 | Whitehurst (19'), Armstrong (30'), Gabbiadini (34'), MacPhail (61' pen.) |
| 5 November 1988 | Stoke City | Roker Park | 1-1 | 17,9123 | Doyle (52') |
| 12 November 1988 | Chelsea | Stamford Bridge | 1-1 | 19,210 | Gabbiadini (11') |
| 19 November 1988 | West Brom | Roker Park | 1-1 | 18,141 | Bennett (85') |
| 26 November 1988 | Brighton & Hove Albion | Goldstone Ground | 0-3 | 10,039 | |
| 3 December 1988 | Watford | Roker Park | 1-1 | 16,330 | MacPhail (60' pen.) |
| 10 December 1988 | Leicester City | Filbert Street | 1-3 | 11,093 | Pascoe (72') |
| 18 December 1988 | Plymouth Argyle | Home Park | 4-1 | 13,498 | Armstrong (27'), Pascoe (43'), Gabbiadini (64'), Gates (84') |
| 26 December 1988 | Barnsley | Roker Park | 1-0 | 21,994 | Dobbin (76' o.g.) |
| 31 December 1988 | Portsmouth | Roker Park | 4-0 | 21,566 | Gates (33'), Ord (44'), Armstrong (61'), Pascoe (75') |
| 2 January 1989 | Bradford City | Valley Parade | 0-1 | 12,186 | |
| 14 January 1989 | Oxford United | Roker Park | 1-0 | 12,853 | Owers (5') |
| 21 January 1989 | Bournemouth | Dean Court | 1-0 | 8,922 | Gates (10') |
| 4 February 1989 | Leeds United | Elland Road | 0-2 | 31,985 | |
| 11 February 1989 | Walsall | Roker Park | 0-3 | 14,203 | |
| 18 February 1989 | Swindon Town | County Ground | 1-4 | 7,432 | Armstrong (4') |
| 25 February 1989 | Hull City | Roker Park | 2-0 | 14,719 | Pascoe (71'), Gabbiadini (81') |
| 28 February 1989 | Blackburn Rovers | Ewood Park | 2-2 | 8,288 | Gabbiadini (6' pen, 27') |
| 11 March 1989 | Stoke City | Victoria Ground | 0-2 | 12,489 | |
| 14 March 1989 | Manchester City | Roker Park | 2-4 | 16,101 | Gabbiadini (18'), Gates (75') |
| 18 March 1989 | Crystal Palace | Selhurst Park | 0-1 | 9,108 | |
| 21 March 1989 | Chelsea | Roker Park | 1-2 | 14,714 | Gabbiadini (18') |
| 25 March 1989 | Ipswich Town | Roker Park | 4-0 | 13,859 | Gabbiadini (36' pen, 88', 89'), Owers (55') |
| 27 March 1989 | Barnsley | Oakwell | 0-3 | 8,070 | |
| 1 April 1989 | Birmingham City | Roker Park | 2-2 | 10,969 | Lemon (33'), Gabbiadini (76') |
| 4 April 1989 | Plymouth Argyle | Roker Park | 2-1 | 8,003 | Armstrong (6', 17') |
| 8 April 1989 | Portsmouth | Fratton Park | 0-2 | 7,724 | |
| 15 April 1989 | Oldham Athletic | Boundary Park | 2-2 | 5,944 | MacPhail (2'), Hauser (14') |
| 22 April 1989 | Shrewsbury Town | Roker Park | 2-1 | 9,427 | Hauser (6'), Armstrong (82') |
| 29 April 1989 | Brighton & Hove Albion | Roker Park | 1-0 | 12,856 | Pascoe (20') |
| 1 May 1989 | Watford | Vicarage Road | 1-0 | 13,499 | Gabbiadini (23') |
| 6 May 1989 | West Brom | The Hawthorns | 0-0 | 10,451 | |
| 13 May 1989 | Leicester City | Roker Park | 2-2 | 15,832 | Bennett (61'), Pascoe (68') |

#### League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 9 | West Bromwich Albion | 46 | 18 | 18 | 10 | 65 | 41 | +24 | 72 |
| 10 | Leeds United | 46 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 59 | 50 | +9 | 67 |
| 11 | Sunderland | 46 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 60 | 60 | 0 | 63 |
| 12 | Bournemouth | 46 | 18 | 8 | 20 | 53 | 62 | −9 | 62 |
| 13 | Stoke City | 46 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 57 | 72 | −15 | 59 |

### League Cup

| Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 30 August 1988 | Round 1 Leg 1 | York City | Bootham Crescent | 0-0 | 4,204 | |
| 6 September 1988 | Round 1 Leg 2 | York City | Roker Park | 4-0 | 9,388 | Gabbiadini (13', 88'), Pascoe (24', 85') |
| 27 September 1988 | Round 2 Leg 1 | West Ham United | Roker Park | 0-3 | 13,691 | |
| 12 October 1988 | Round 2 Leg 2 | West Ham United | Boleyn Ground | 1-2 | 10,558 | Gabbiadini (74') |

### Full Members Cup

| Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 8 November 1988 | Round 1 | Charlton Athletic | Selhurst Park | 1-0 | 1,666 | Gabbiadini (43') |
| 22 December 1988 | Round 2 | Blackburn Rovers | Ewood Park | 1-2 | 4,457 | Gabbiadini (67') |

### FA Cup

| Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 7 January 1989 | 3rd Round | Oxford United | Roker Park | 1-1 | 17,074 | Ord (33') |
| 11 January 1989 | 3rd Round Replay | Oxford United | Manor Ground | 0-2 | 7,236 | |

## Statistics

| Name | League | League Cup | FA Cup | Total |
| Marco Gabbiadini | 18 | 3 | 0 | 23 |
| Colin Pascoe | 10 | 2 | 0 | 12 |
| Gordon Armstrong | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Eric Gates | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| John MacPhail | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Gary Bennett | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Gary Owers | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Billy Whitehurst | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Richard Ord | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Thomas Hauser | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Steve Doyle | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Paul Lemon | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |