| 2012–13 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Ellis Short | ||
| Manager | Martin O'Neill (until 30 March 2013) Paolo Di Canio (from 31 March 2013) | ||
| Stadium | Stadium of Light | ||
| Premier League | 17th | ||
| FA Cup | Third round | ||
| League Cup | Fourth round | ||
| Top goalscorer | League: Steven Fletcher (11) All: Steven Fletcher (11) | ||
| Highest home attendance | 47,456 (vs.Newcastle United) | ||
| Lowest home attendance | 17,505 (vs.Bolton Wanderers) | ||
| Average home league attendance | 40,544 | ||
The2012–13 season wasSunderland's sixth consecutive season in the top division ofEnglish football, thePremier League. They finished the season in 17th place.
| Date | Opponents | H / A | Result H – A | Scorers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 July 2012 | Hartlepool United | A | 1–0 | – |
| 4 August 2012 | Helsingborg | A | 2–0 | – |
| 8 August 2012 | Derby County | A | 1–1 | McClean 71' |
| 11 August 2012 | Leicester City | A | 1–0 | – |
Sunderland, along withEredivisie sideGroningen,K-League sideSeongnam, andBundesliga sideHamburg, will compete in a friendly tournament,2012 Peace Cup. All matches will be played at theSuwon World Cup Stadium in theKorean city ofSuwon.
| Date | Opponents | H / A | Result H – A | Scorers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 July 2012 | Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma | N | 1–0 | – |
| 22 July 2012 | Groningen | N | 3–2 | Wickham 19',Campbell 88',Noble 90' |
| Date | Opponents | H / A | Result H – A | Scorers | Attendance | League position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 August 2012 | Arsenal | A | 0–0 | – | 60,078 | 11th |
| 25 August 2012 | Reading | H | P–P | – | – | 13th |
| 1 September 2012 | Swansea City | A | 2–2 | Fletcher 40', 45' | 20,350 | 13th |
| 15 September 2012 | Liverpool | H | 1–1 | Fletcher 29' | 41,997 | 14th |
| 22 September 2012 | West Ham United | A | 1–1 | Fletcher 10' | 33,052 | 12th |
| 29 September 2012 | Wigan Athletic | H | 1–0 | Fletcher 51' | 37,742 | 11th |
| 6 October 2012 | Manchester City | A | 0–3 | – | 47,036 | 13th |
| 21 October 2012 | Newcastle United | H | 1–1 | Ba 86'o.g. | 47,456 | 14th |
| 27 October 2012 | Stoke City | A | 0–0 | – | 27,005 | 14th |
| 3 November 2012 | Aston Villa | H | 0–1 | – | 41,515 | 16th |
| 10 November 2012 | Everton | A | 1–2 | Johnson 45' | 35,999 | 16th |
| 18 November 2012 | Fulham | A | 3–1 | Fletcher 50',Cuéllar 65',Sessègnon 70' | 25,646 | 15th |
| 24 November 2012 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 2–4 | Gardner 73',Sessègnon 87' | 36,390 | 16th |
| 27 November 2012 | Queens Park Rangers | H | 0–0 | – | 36,513 | 16th |
| 2 December 2012 | Norwich City | A | 1–2 | Gardner 45' | 26,228 | 17th |
| 8 December 2012 | Chelsea | H | 1–3 | Johnson 66' | 39,273 | 18th |
| 11 December 2012 | Reading | H | 3–0 | McClean 3',Fletcher 28',Sessègnon 90' | 37,723 | 15th |
| 15 December 2012 | Manchester United | A | 1–3 | Campbell 72' | 75,582 | 16th |
| 22 December 2012 | Southampton | A | 1–0 | Fletcher 42' | 31,275 | 15th |
| 26 December 2012 | Manchester City | H | 1–0 | Johnson 53' | 42,190 | 13th |
| 29 December 2012 | Tottenham Hotspur | H | 1–2 | O'Shea 40' | 41,168 | 13th |
| 2 January 2013 | Liverpool | A | 0–3 | – | 44,228 | 14th |
| 12 January 2013 | West Ham United | H | 3–0 | Larsson 12',Johnson 48',McClean 74' | 39,918 | 14th |
| 19 January 2013 | Wigan Athletic | A | 3–2 | Gardner 17'(pen),Fletcher 21', 42' | 19,219 | 11th |
| 29 January 2013 | Swansea City | H | 0–0 | – | 35,628 | 11th |
| 2 February 2013 | Reading | A | 2–1 | Gardner 28'(pen) | 23,829 | 11th |
| 9 February 2013 | Arsenal | H | 0–1 | – | 46,402 | 13th |
| 23 February 2013 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 2–1 | Sessègnon 79' | 25,924 | 14th |
| 2 March 2013 | Fulham | H | 2–2 | Gardner 37'(pen),Sessègnon 70' | 39,312 | 14th |
| 9 March 2013 | Queens Park Rangers | A | 1–3 | Fletcher 20' | 18,169 | 15th |
| 17 March 2013 | Norwich City | H | 1–1 | Gardner(pen)40' | 38,625 | 16th |
| 30 March 2013 | Manchester United | H | 0–1 | – | 43,760 | 16th |
| 7 April 2013 | Chelsea | A | 1–2 | Azpilicuetaog 45' | 41,500 | 17th |
| 14 April 2013 | Newcastle United | A | 0–3 | Sessègnon 27',Johnson 74',Vaughan 82' | 52,000 | 15th |
| 20 April 2013 | Everton | H | 1–0 | Sessègnon 45' | 44,614 | 14th |
| 29 April 2013 | Aston Villa | A | 6–1 | Rose 32' | 37,428 | 15th |
| 6 May 2013 | Stoke | H | 1–1 | O'Shea 62' | 38,130 | 15th |
| 12 May 2013 | Southampton | H | 1–1 | Bardsley 68' | 41,988 | 17th |
| 19 May 2013 | Tottenham Hotspur | A | 1–0 | 36,258 | 17th |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | Aston Villa | 38 | 10 | 11 | 17 | 47 | 69 | −22 | 41 | |
| 16 | Newcastle United | 38 | 11 | 8 | 19 | 45 | 68 | −23 | 41 | |
| 17 | Sunderland | 38 | 9 | 12 | 17 | 41 | 54 | −13 | 39 | |
| 18 | Wigan Athletic(R) | 38 | 9 | 9 | 20 | 47 | 73 | −26 | 36 | Qualification for theEuropa League group stage and relegation toFootball League Championship[a] |
| 19 | Reading(R) | 38 | 6 | 10 | 22 | 43 | 73 | −30 | 28 | Relegation toFootball League Championship |
| Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | Result H – A | Scorers | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 August 2012 | Second round | Morecambe | H | 2–0 | McClean 24', 65' | 22,871 |
| 25 September 2012 | Third round | Milton Keynes Dons | A | 2–0 | Gardner 54',McClean 82' | 10,489 |
| 30 October 2012 | Fourth round | Middlesbrough | H | 0–1 | – | 32,535 |
| Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | Result H – A | Scorers | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 January 2013 | Third round | Bolton Wanderers | A | 2–2 | Wickham 60',Gardner 75' | 12,204 |
| 15 January 2013 | Replay | Bolton Wanderers | H | 0–2 | – | 17,505 |
| Position | Nation | Number | Name | Premier League | FA Cup | League Cup | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FW | 26 | Steven Fletcher | 11 | 0 | 0 | 11 | |
| MF | 8 | Craig Gardner | 6 | 1 | 1 | 8 | |
| FW | 28 | Stéphane Sessègnon | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | |
| MF | 21 | Adam Johnson | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| MF | 23 | James McClean | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 | |
| DF | 16 | John O'Shea | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| DF | 2 | Phil Bardsley | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| FW | 9 | Fraizer Campbell | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| DF | 24 | Carlos Cuéllar | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| MF | 7 | Sebastian Larsson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| DF | 3 | Danny Rose | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| MF | 15 | David Vaughan | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| FW | 10 | Connor Wickham | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| Own goals | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |||
| Totals | 41 | 2 | 4 | 47 | |||
| Games played | 30 (25Premier League, 3League Cup, 2FA Cup) |
| Games won | 9 (7Premier League, 2League Cup) |
| Games drawn | 9 (8Premier League, 1FA Cup) |
| Games lost | 12 (10Premier League, 1League Cup, 1FA Cup) |
| Goals scored | 34 (28Premier League, 4League Cup, 2FA Cup) |
| Goals conceded | 38 (33Premier League, 1League Cup, 4FA Cup) |
| Goal difference | -4 |
| Clean sheets | 11 (9Premier League, 2League Cup) |
| Most appearances | Stéphane Sessègnon 28 |
| Top scorer | Steven Fletcher 10 |
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nat. | Name | Age | EU | Moving from | Type | Transfer window | Ends | Transfer fee | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | DF | Carlos Cuéllar | 30 | EU | Aston Villa | Transfer | Summer | 2014 | Free | ||
| DF | David Ferguson | 18 | EU | Darlington | Transfer | Summer | 2013 | Free | |||
| MF | Wade Joyce | 18 | EU | Bury | Transfer | Summer | 2013 | Free | |||
| 25 | FW | Louis Saha | 34 | EU | Tottenham Hotspur | Transfer | Summer | 2013 | Free | ||
| 26 | FW | Steven Fletcher | 25 | EU | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Transfer | Summer | 2016 | £12 million | ||
| 21 | MF | Adam Johnson | 25 | EU | Manchester City | Transfer | Summer | 2016 | £12 million | ||
| 3 | DF | Danny Rose | 22 | EU | Tottenham Hotspur | Loan | Summer | 2013 | Loan | ||
| FW | Scott Harrison | 19 | EU | Darlington | Transfer | None | 2013 | Free | |||
| 11 | FW | James McFadden | 29 | EU | Everton | Transfer | None | January 2013 | Free | ||
| 4 | MF | Alfred N'Diaye | 22 | EU | Bursaspor | Transfer | Winter | 2016 | £3.8 million | ||
| 18 | DF | Kader Mangane | 29 | EU | Al-Hilal | Loan | Winter | 2013 | Loan | ||
| 9 | FW | Danny Graham | 27 | EU | Swansea City | Transfer | Winter | 2016 | £5 million |
| No. | Pos. | Nat. | Name | Age | EU | Moving to | Type | Transfer window | Transfer fee | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Craig Gordon | 29 | EU | Free agent | Contract expired | Summer | Sky Sports | |||
| DF | Liam Bagnall | 20 | EU | Free agent | Contract expired | Summer | Sky Sports | |||
| 1 | GK | Trevor Carson | 24 | EU | Bury | Contract expired | Summer | Sky Sports | ||
| 16 | MF | Cristian Riveros | 29 | Non-EU | Kayserispor | Transfer | Summer | Goal.com | ||
| 3 | DF | George McCartney | 31 | EU | West Ham United | Transfer | Summer | SAFC | ||
| 3 | FW | Asamoah Gyan | 26 | Non-EU | Al Ain | Transfer | Summer | Goal.com | ||
| 17 | FW | Jordan Cook | 22 | EU | Charlton Athletic | Contract expired | Summer | CAFC | ||
| 3 | DF | Michael Liddle | 22 | EU | Accrington Stanley | Transfer | Summer | Sky Sports | ||
| 14 | DF | Marcos Angeleri | 29 | Non-EU | Estudiantes | Transfer | Summer | Sky Sports | ||
| 6 | DF | Michael Turner | 28 | EU | Norwich City | Transfer | Summer | Sky Sports | ||
| 21 | GK | Lewis King | 19 | EU | Stockport County | Contract expired | Summer | Stockport County | ||
| 27 | MF | Ahmed Elmohamady | 24 | Non-EU | Hull City | Loan | Summer | SAFC | ||
| 6 | MF | Brett Elliott | 19 | EU | University of Charleston | Contract expired | Summer | UC Golden Eagles | ||
| 15 | MF | Kieran Richardson | 27 | EU | Fulham | Transfer | Summer | Sky Sports | ||
| FW | Oumare Tounkara | 22 | EU | Red Star | Contract expired | Summer | Soccerway | |||
| 24 | FW | Craig Lynch | 20 | EU | Hartlepool United | Loan | None | SAFC | ||
| 27 | GK | Ben Wilson | 20 | EU | Chesterfield | Loan | None | SAFC | ||
| 35 | FW | Ryan Noble | 21 | EU | Hartlepool | Loan | None | SAFC | ||
| 34 | MF | Billy Knott | 19 | EU | Woking | Loan | None | SAFC | ||
| 22 | DF | John Egan | 20 | EU | Bradford City | Loan | None | Sky Sports | ||
| 31 | MF | David Meyler | 23 | EU | Hull City | Loan | None | Hull City AFC | ||
| 39 | DF | Blair Adams | 21 | EU | Coventry City | Loan | None | SAFC | ||
| MF | Nathan Thomas | 18 | EU | Darlington 1883 | Youth Loan | None | SAFC | |||
| DF | Johnny Burn | 18 | EU | Darlington 1883 | Youth Loan | None | SAFC | |||
| 27 | FW | Ji Dong-won | 21 | Non-EU | FC Augsburg | Loan | Winter | SAFC | ||
| 31 | MF | David Meyler | 23 | EU | Hull City | Transfer | Winter | SAFC | ||
| 39 | DF | Blair Adams | 21 | EU | Coventry City | Transfer | Winter | SAFC | ||
| 27 | FW | Fraizer Campbell | 25 | EU | Cardiff City | Transfer | Winter | SAFC | ||
| 7 | MF | Adam Reed | 21 | EU | Portsmouth | Loan | Winter | SAFC | ||
| FW | James McFadden | 29 | EU | Motherwell | Contract expired | Winter | SAFC | |||
| 25 | GK | Jonny Maddison | 18 | EU | Crawley Town | Youth Loan | Winter | SAFC | ||
| 27 | MF | Ahmed Elmohamady | 25 | Non-EU | Hull City | Loan | Winter | SAFC | ||
| 28 | FW | Louis Saha | 34 | EU | Lazio | Mutual Consent | Winter | SAFC | ||
| 22 | FW | Connor Wickham | 19 | EU | Sheffield Wednesday | Loan | None | SAFC | ||
| GK | Joel Dixon | 18 | EU | Workington | Youth Loan | None | Workington AFC |
EU = if holds or not aEuropean Union passport;Country: when 2 flags, 1st flag = country that plays for internationally, 2nd flag = country of birth;N = number on jersey;P =Position (for position name, pause mouse pointer on abbreviation);Name = Name on jersey (for more extensive name, pause mouse pointer on name);Age = age on the day of the signing;Moving from = only indicate the club the player was playing before start playing for this club in this season, for the type of the moving see Status column;Moving to = only indicates the club the player is going to play next, for the type of the moving see Status column;Ends = when the player's current contract ends;n/a = Not applicable.
| Award | Month/Round/Year | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| Premier League Player of the Month | September | Steven Fletcher |
| North-East Football Writers' Association's Player of the Year | 2012 | Simon Mignolet |