 To consolidate themselves in the First Division, Sunderland made several large money signings, including a world record fee of £ 5,500 (£ 271,000 today) for the signing of Warney Cresswell from South Shields. In the 1922 – 23 season they came close to another League championship title, finishing runners-up to Liverpool by six points with Buchan breaking the 30 goal mark. In the 1923 – 24 season Sunderland were involved in a dispute with the English and Scottish national teams. Buchan and William Clunas had been called up by England and Scotland respectively. Sunderland were two points clear at the top of the table, but without Buchan and Clunas they travelled to Arsenal and were beaten 2 – 0, a defeat which helped cost them the title race for that season.
