# 1992–93 Sunderland A.F.C. season

During the 1992–93 English football season, Sunderland A.F.C. competed in the Football League First Division.

## Season summary

In the 1992–93 season and despite guiding the Black Cats to an FA Cup final the previous season, Crosby failed to inspire Sunderland in the league, and he was sacked in February 1993 to be replaced by Terry Butcher.
Butcher managed to achieve survival for Sunderland finishing one point above the relegation zone, despite winning only 5 of their final 18 league games.

## Final league table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 19 | Birmingham City | 46 | 13 | 12 | 21 | 50 | 72 | −22 | 51 | |
| 20 | Luton Town | 46 | 10 | 21 | 15 | 48 | 62 | −14 | 51 | |
| 21 | Sunderland | 46 | 13 | 11 | 22 | 50 | 64 | −14 | 50 | |
| 22 | Brentford (R) | 46 | 13 | 10 | 23 | 52 | 71 | −19 | 49 | Relegation to the Second Division |
| 23 | Cambridge United (R) | 46 | 11 | 16 | 19 | 48 | 69 | −21 | 49 | Relegation to the Second Division |

## Results

Sunderland's score comes first

### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### Football League First Division

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 15 August 1992 | Swindon Town | A | 0–1 | 11,094 | |
| 22 August 1992 | Tranmere Rovers | H | 1–0 | 16,667 | Cunnington |
| 29 August 1992 | Bristol City | A | 0–0 | 14,076 | |
| 5 September 1992 | Charlton Athletic | H | 0–2 | 17,954 | |
| 12 September 1992 | Oxford United | A | 1–0 | 6,003 | Rush |
| 19 September 1992 | Cambridge United | A | 1–2 | 5,383 | Rush |
| 26 September 1992 | Bristol Rovers | H | 1–1 | 15,593 | Byrne |
| 29 September 1992 | Watford | A | 1–2 | 6,263 | Goodman |
| 3 October 1992 | Millwall | H | 2–0 | 14,871 | Goodman (2) |
| 11 October 1992 | West Ham United | A | 0–6 | 10,326 | |
| 18 October 1992 | Newcastle United | H | 1–2 | 28,098 | Armstrong |
| 24 October 1992 | Portsmouth | A | 0–2 | 10,689 | |
| 31 October 1992 | Notts County | H | 2–2 | 15,473 | Owers, Ball |
| 3 November 1992 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 2–0 | 15,144 | Cunnington, Goodman |
| 7 November 1992 | Peterborough United | A | 2–5 | 8,193 | Davenport (pen), Rush |
| 15 November 1992 | Leicester City | H | 1–2 | 14,945 | Davenport |
| 21 November 1992 | Derby County | A | 1–0 | 17,581 | Goodman |
| 28 November 1992 | Southend United | A | 1–0 | 4,584 | Sampson |
| 5 December 1992 | Barnsley | H | 2–1 | 17,395 | Gray, Cunnington |
| 12 December 1992 | Brentford | H | 1–3 | 16,972 | Cunnington |
| 19 December 1992 | Luton Town | A | 0–0 | 8,286 | |
| 28 December 1992 | Grimsby Town | H | 2–0 | 20,771 | Goodman, Rush |
| 9 January 1993 | Cambridge United | H | 3–3 | 16,778 | Mooney, Rush, Atkinson |
| 16 January 1993 | Bristol Rovers | A | 2–2 | 6,140 | Rush, Cunnington |
| 27 January 1993 | Watford | H | 1–2 | 14,703 | Ball |
| 6 February 1993 | Swindon Town | H | 0–1 | 17,234 | |
| 9 February 1993 | Oxford United | H | 2–0 | 13,314 | Goodman (pen), Gray |
| 13 February 1993 | Charlton Athletic | A | 1–0 | 8,151 | Goodman (pen) |
| 20 February 1993 | Bristol City | H | 0–0 | 17,122 | |
| 27 February 1993 | West Ham United | H | 0–0 | 19,068 | |
| 6 March 1993 | Millwall | A | 0–0 | 8,761 | |
| 10 March 1993 | Leicester City | A | 2–3 | 15,609 | Goodman, Armstrong |
| 13 March 1993 | Peterborough United | H | 3–0 | 18,372 | Davenport, Goodman, Cunnington |
| 16 March 1993 | Birmingham City | A | 0–1 | 10,934 | |
| 21 March 1993 | Barnsley | A | 0–2 | 7,278 | |
| 24 March 1993 | Derby County | H | 1–0 | 17,246 | Cunnington |
| 27 March 1993 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 1–2 | 12,731 | Harford |
| 3 April 1993 | Southend United | H | 2–4 | 15,071 | Harford, Goodman |
| 6 April 1993 | Brentford | A | 1–1 | 9,302 | Goodman |
| 10 April 1993 | Birmingham City | H | 1–2 | 16,382 | Davenport |
| 12 April 1993 | Grimsby Town | A | 0–1 | 8,090 | |
| 17 April 1993 | Luton Town | H | 2–2 | 16,493 | Goodman (2) |
| 25 April 1993 | Newcastle United | A | 0–1 | 30,364 | |
| 1 May 1993 | Portsmouth | H | 4–1 | 21,309 | Goodman (2 pens), Gray, Armstrong |
| 4 May 1993 | Tranmere Rovers | A | 1–2 | 9,683 | Atkinson |
| 8 May 1993 | Notts County | A | 1–3 | 14,417 | Ball |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R3 | 12 January 1993 | Notts County | A | 2–0 | 8,522 | Cunnington, Goodman |
| R4 | 20 January 1993 | Sheffield Wednesday | A | 0–1 | 33,422 | |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R1 First Leg | 18 August 1992 | Huddersfield Town | H | 2–3 | 10,726 | Butcher, Ball |
| R1 Second Leg | 26 August 1992 | Huddersfield Town | A | 1–0 (lost on away goals) | 6,737 | Davenport |

### Anglo-Italian Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| PR Group 3 | 1 September 1992 | Cambridge United | A | 1–1 | 2,199 | Armstrong |
| PR Group 3 | 15 September 1992 | Birmingham City | H | 0–1 | 5,871 | |

## 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 | WAL | Tony Norman |
| — | DF | ENG | Gary Bennett |
| — | DF | ENG | Terry Butcher (player-manager from 5 February) |
| — | DF | ENG | Michael Gray |
| — | DF | ENG | Lee Howey |
| — | DF | ENG | John Kay |
| — | DF | ENG | Richard Ord |
| — | DF | ENG | Ian Sampson |
| — | DF | ENG | Anthony Smith |
| — | DF | NIR | Anton Rogan |
| — | MF | ENG | Gordon Armstrong |
| — | MF | ENG | Brian Atkinson |
| — | MF | ENG | Kevin Ball |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | MF | ENG | Shaun Cunnington |
| — | MF | ENG | Martin Gray |
| — | MF | ENG | Gary Owers |
| — | MF | IRL | Brian Mooney |
| — | FW | ENG | Steve Brodie |
| — | FW | ENG | Peter Davenport |
| — | FW | ENG | Don Goodman |
| — | FW | ENG | Mick Harford |
| — | FW | ENG | Warren Hawke |
| — | FW | ENG | Craig Russell |
| — | FW | ENG | David Rush |
| — | FW | ENG | Martin Smith |
| — | FW | SCO | John Colquhoun |
| — | FW | IRL | John Byrne |