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Sunderland & District Teachers Association Football Club was formed in 1879.  Glasgow-born James Allan was the driving force behind the club’s formation.  One year later, membership was opened to all, and they became Sunderland AFC.  The club was elected to the Football League in 1890.  They were the only club in the league from the north-east of england, and had to pay travel expenses for visiting clubs.  With a board of directors made wealthy by the region’s coal and shipbuilding industries, the club was able to assemble a strong, primarily Scottish, squad.  Sunderland quickly won 3 Titles: in 1892, 1893, and 1895 (and were runners-up in 1894).  They were famously called “the Team of All Talents.”  In 1898, they moved into their new ground, Roker Park, which had a capacity of 30,000.  1902 saw them win their fourth League Title.  In 1913, Sunderland won the league for the fifth time, and were runners-up in the FA Cup, losing to Aston Villa 1-0, in front of 120,000, at the old Crystal Palace.   They won their sixth, and final title 71 years ago, in 1936.  In 1937, they won their first FA Cup, beating Preston North End 3-1, at the old Wembley.   After World War II, Sunderland began drawing huge crowds.  Roker Park (see picture) became famous for it’s noise: “the Roker Roar.”  Their peak was 1950, when they averaged 47,700, and finished in 3rd place.  Investing heavily in players, they were derisively nicknamed “The Bank of England,” as they broke transfer records.    But the money spent was for nought, and they were relegated to the 2nd division in 1958.  Their 68-year run in the First Division (1890-1958) is the second-longest in English league history, exceeded only by Arsenal (currently at 81 seasons).  After six seasons in the second tier (1958-64), the club returned to the top flight for six seasons (1964-70), but they never finished above 15th place.  Sunderland won the FA Cup, while in the 2nd Division, in 1973.  (see this article)  Their surprise defeat of Leeds, 1-0, was marked by a great double-save by goalkeeper Jimmy Montgomery, and a winning volley by Ian Porterfield.  It was the Black Cat’s last trophy. (see this You Tube tribute)  The club returned to the First division in 1977, only to be relegated again.  This began a pattern of relegation (7 times) and promotion (7 times) that has continued to this day.   Their low point was the one season spent in the Third Division (1987-88).  They had a brief spell of promise in the 2000 and 2001 seasons, twice finishing in 7th.  But since then, they have went up and down twice.  This pattern may have been halted, though.  Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane was hired as manager, in September, 2006, when Sunderland was bottom of the second tier.  Keane, who has shown a legendary level of intensity throughout his career, (see this article) has been surprisingly restrained, and extremely effective, in this his first shot as boss.  Sunderland went on to steamroll up the table, and win promotion as champs.  This season, the Black Cats will do well to avoid the drop, but Keane seems to have fashioned aside that is up to the challenge.

Thanks to all the sites I linked up to on this post, plus Historical Football Kits website (www[dot]historicalkits[dot]co[dot]uk), whose kits (the five on the bottom left of the chart) are reproduced by kind permission.  Also thanks to Colours of Football website (www[dot]colours-of-football[dot]com, for the newer kits. Thanks to Curley’s Corner Shop (www[dot]south-shields[dot]myby[dot]co[dot]uk), and www[dot]omrawan[dot]forumslog[dot]com for photos.  Also thanks to the Roker Roar, whose catchy Sunderland ’73 FA Cup song is now stuck in my head.

Hotspur FC was formed in 1882, by a group of teenagers in the North London district of Tottenham, and named after Henry IV (Henry Hotspur, of Shakespearean fame), who had lived there in the 14th century, and whose descendants owned land there.  The name was changed to Tottenham Hotspur FC in 1884.   The club turned professional in 1895.  They joined the Southern League the following year.  In 1898, they began wearing white jerseys and navy blue pants, in emulation of Preston North End, the top English club of the time.  They won the FA Cup in 1901, as the first non-League club to win the trophy, beating Sheffield United 3-2, in the replay.  They were elected to the Second Division in 1908, and immediately won promotion to the First Division, in 1909.  However, their form suffered, and by 1915, the time of the Great War (now called World War I), they were bottom of the league. 

Resumption of the league, in 1919, brought about expansion to 22 teams.  Chelsea, set to be relegated, as they finished second-from-bottom in 1915, were allowed to remain in the top flight.  But the other new spot was not given to last-place Tottenham, but rather to Arsenal, even though Arsenal had finished 5th place in the Second Division.  This, compounded by Arsenal’s encroachment into Tottenham’s territory five years earlier, led to the bad feelings toward Arsenal that have continued to this day. (See this article.)  The club bounced right back to the top flight the next season, though, and won their second FA Cup (1921).  They beat Wolverhampton 3-1, before 71,000 at Stamford Bridge.  A second-place finish the next season was followed by a steady decline, ending in relegation in 1928.  From 1928 to 1950, they  languished, spending 13 of 15 seasons in the Second Division.  But under Athur Rowe, starting in 1949, Tottenham began playing in an agressive, fluid style, called “push and run,” that was marked by give-and-go passing.  Key players included Alf Ramsay and Bill Nicholson.  They gained promotion in 1950, then won their first National Title, in 1951, their first season back in the First Division.  In the next nine seasons, they finished second place twice, and third place twice, but also finished in 16th and 18th place two times.  Tottenham won their second (and last) Title in 1961.  In fact, they became the first English club in the twentieth century to win “The Double” (League Title + FA Cup), by beating Leicester City 3-1, at Wembley.  This legendary side was managed by Bill Nicholson, and featured Jimmy Greaves, Danny Blanchflower, and Dave Mackay.  The next season, they finished second, and won their fourth FA Cup, defeating Burnley 3-1.  In 1963, they became the first British team to win silverware on the continent, claiming the European Cup Winners’ Cup over Atletico Madrid, 5-1.  Tottenham won their fifth FA Cup in 1967, beating Chelsea 2-1.  More Euro glory was gained in 1973, when Tottenham won the new UEFA Cup, over Wolverhampton. 
Since 1950, Tottenham Hotspur have spent just one season in the second level: 1977-78.  Back in the top tier, in 1978, they signed two Argentinian World Cup winners, Ossie Ardiles and Ricardo Villa.  This was an unusual act for the era, and it helped propel the club to back-to-back FA Cup wins in 1981 and 1982.  Both of these Cup finals went to replays; the ’81: 3-2 over Manchester City, the ’82: 1-0 over Queens Park Rangers.  Tottenham won their second UEFA Cup in 1987, over Anderlecht of Belgium.  That year was ultimately a disappointment, though, as they frittered away the league title, and lost to their nemesis Arsenal, in the FA Cup final.  They did win their eighth FA Cup, though, in 1991, with a side that included Gary Linekar and Paul Gascoigne.   Since then, the club has won no silverware, and their best finish has been 5th place, in 2006 and 2007.  (They blew a 4th place finish in 2006, on the last game of the season, after half their starting lineup fell ill from food poisoning.  Fourth place is so important in England, because that is the last European Champions League spot, and is basically the ticket to the promised land of Big Club status.)  This 25-year run of failure has led to mounting frustration amongst the fans, and pressure from the board for results.  Being such a high profile club from London, with one of the most successful clubs in all of England only 4 miles away, has turned the need for results into a mania.  Which can partially explain the poor way in which the board, under chairman Daniel Levy, handled the dismissal of much-loved manager Martin Jol, in late October, 2007.  This after a poor start to a season where they were odds-on favorites to finally break into the coveted top 4.  New manager Juande Ramos, fresh off two straight UEFA Cup wins at Sevilla,  takes over a club that boasts an explosive attack, but is prone to sieve-like defensive displays.   Tottenham has huge ambitions, including a new stadium, and there are plenty of funds in the transfer kitty, but Ramos still has his work cut out for him.

Find out Tottenham Hotspur FAQ here.

Thanks to colours-of-football[dot]com, for the new kits; historicalkits[dot]co[dot]uk for the old kits (the 5 kits at the bottom left-hand corner), which are copyright Historical Football Kits, and reproduced by kind permission. Thanks to org[dot]ntnu[dot]no, and sportsgallery[dot]co[dot]uk for the photos.  Thanks to tottenhamhotspur-mad[dot]co[dot]uk, and european-football-statistics[dot]co[dot]uk for stats.  Thanks to wikipedia for info.  Thanks to FourFourTwo for the great article.

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The football club of the Thames Ironworks was formed in 1895.  The club joined the Southern league in 1898.  They re-formed, as a professional club, in 1900, changing their name to West Ham United FC.  (The club gets it’s nickname, The Hammers, from it’s origins as a metal-works team, not as a derivation of “Ham;” their crest features a pair of rivet hammers)  In 1919, West Ham were elected to Division 2 of the Football League.  1923 was a watershed year for the club.  They participated in one of the most famous FA Cup Finals, losing 2-0 to Bolton Wanderers, in the first cup final played at Wembley Stadium.  Known as “The White Horse Final,” (see this article) it was attended by over 125,000 spectators.  That defeat was tempered by their promotion to the First Division the same spring.  Their first stay in the top flight only lasted 9 years, though, as they were relegated in 1932.  They languished in the second division for 19 seasons, finally winning promotion in 1958, the year Bobby Moore debuted.

In 1961, Ron Greenwood became manager, and West Ham’s golden age began.  They won the 1964 FA Cup, defeating Preston North End 3-2.  One year later, they beat Munich 1860 to win the (now defunct) European Cup Winners’ Cup.  Three West Ham players had crucial roles in England’s 1966 World Cup victory: Captain Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst (who scored a hat trick in the final, over Germany 4-2), and Martin Peters (who also scored in the final).  West Ham won the FA Cup again, in 1975, this time over Fulham, 2-0.  West Ham’s great run ended when they were relegated, in 1978.  But while in the 2nd Division, they then won their third FA Cup, defeating Arsenal 1-0, in 1980.  The Hammers were promoted the following year (1981).  Since then, they have spent 22 seasons in the top flight, and 5 in the 2nd level; with 3 separate relegations and subsequent promotions.  Their last promotion was in 2005, under manager Alan Pardew.  They did well in the 2005-06 Premier League season, finishing 9th.  But a poor start, and injuries, put the Hammers in a relegation battle the next season.  Pardew was sacked in December 2006, replaced by ex-Charlton manager Alan Curbishley.  They survived relegation by winning 7 of their last 9 games, the greatest escape from relegation the Premier League has ever seen.  The controversial acquistion (illegal, actually) of Argentine phenom Carlos Tevez proved crucial to the club’s survival, as he scored 7 goals in their last 10 games.

West Ham United is famous for the quality of it’s developmental system.  They have consistently produced fine talent, many from near their hardscrabble East London base.  The club bills themselves as “The Academy of Football.”  Their supporters have sometimes been maligned as full of a hooligan element, but those days (the 1970′s and 80′s) are thankfully in the past.  Their true rival is Millwall, who play just across the Thames River from West Ham.  But Millwall’s recent downturn in form (they’re stuck in the 3rd Division) has chilled the rivalry.  They have no love for the more posh North and West London clubs of Arsenal, Tottenham, and Chelsea.

Thanks to these sites.  Photos: stadiumguide[dot]com; footballgroundguide[dot]co[dot]uk and en[dot]wikipedia[dot]org.  Newer kits: colours-of-football[dot]com; old kits: historicalkits[dot]co[dot]uk.  Statistics: westhamutd-mad[dot]co[dot]uk.  Attendance figures: european-football-statistics[dot]co[dot]uk.

Wigan Athletic FC are also known as the Latics, which is a corruption of the word “Athletic.”  Wigan has made it to the lofty reaches of the English Premier League because of the massive investment owner Dave Whelan has put into the club.  The multi-millionaire is former owner of JJB Sports, a large retail sporting goods chain. Whelan played for Blackburn Rovers FC in the late 1950s and early 1960s, before a broken leg forced an early retirement.  He used the compensation-money to purchase his first store, which he eventually parlayed into JJB.  After making JJB Sports the biggest sports retailers in the UK, Whelan turned his attention back to football, assuming Chairmanship of Wigan in 1995.  The club had only joined the Football League in 1978, and had an extremely small fan base. The first game under his reign, Wigan drew 1,452 to their old ground, Springfield Park.  But that situation soon changed, as Whelan invested heavily, and Wigan rose meteorically up the leagues.  The Latics made it to the Premier League in 2005, and surprised everyone by finishing 10th in 2005-06, under manager Paul Jewell.  In their second Premiership season (2006-07), they avoided relegation by the thinnest of margins, beating Sheffield United away, pipping them on goal difference.  Jewell was burned out by the stress, though,  and stepped down.  His successor, Chris Hutchings lasted only 12 games, with Wigan mired in the relegation zone.  Steve Bruce was named the new manager on November 23, 2007.  Bruce, who had briefly managed Wigan in 2001, before having a six-year spell at Birmingham City, will try to pull the Latics out of their 11 game winless streak.  Poor league form aside, Wigan also face an uphill battle attracting fans.  Their sleek park (which they moved into in 2000), home also to the Rugby team the Wigan Warriors, is often embarrasingly empty for games.  They are on their way to having the worst attendance in the league again, around 18,400.  There simply may be too much top-level football in the northwest of England.  Manchester is just 25 miles down the road (where around 115,000 fans comprise the Manchester United/Manchester City attendance base); Liverpool is also 25 miles away (Liverpool/Everton making up about 85,000 average spectators);  Bolton (22,000 or so per game) is right next door; and Blackburn (24,000) is also nearby.  Plus, there are 3 second-division clubs within 50 miles of Wigan.  The Latics really have their work cut out for them.   The bloom is off their fairy-tale rise, fans have stopped showing up, they play in a region with a glut of football clubs, and perhaps most damning of all, most quality football players would really rather play somewhere more glamorous.

Thanks to these websites: FootballGroundsGuide[dot]co[dot]uk, and chilvers1[dot]demon[dot]co[uk] for photos; and Colours-Of-Football[dot]com for the kits.