Football
When Was The Last Time Sunderland Were In The Premier League? Black Cats Advance To Championship Play-Off Final
Cai is a news and features writer that specialises in football, but has experience covering a variety of other sports, including darts, basketball, American football, MMA, boxing and more. He holds a degree in Football Journalism (BA Hons) from the University of Derby, and worked with Nottingham Forest FC and Burton Albion FC throughout his studies. Cai also has experience working in social media with the Football Association of Wales, where he worked on a freelance basis, and has also been an accredited writer in the JD Cymru Premier for both Y Clwb Pêl-Droed and welshfootie since the 2019/20 season.
Get to know Cai Parry betterPublished21 May 2025
Sunderland are into the Championship play-off final, and with promotion to the Premier League firmly in their sights, we’re taking a look at when the Black Cats last were last in the top-flight.
Regis Le Bris’ Sunderland booked their spot in the Championship play-off final with a dramatic win over Coventry last week, as Daniel Ballard headed home a 122nd-minute winner in extra-time to seal a 3-2 aggregate victory.
WE'RE GOING TO WEMBLEY!! 😍#TilTheEnd pic.twitter.com/QqrEljjqsG
— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) May 13, 2025
The Black Cats, who finished the regular season in fourth place in the table, will go head-to-head with Sheffield United, who finished third, at Wembley Stadium for the final promotion position up to the Premier League.
But when is the Championship play-off final? Check out our guide for everything you need to know ahead of the ‘richest game in football’.
When Were Sunderland Last In The Premier League?
Sunderland last played in the Premier League in 2016-17, before they were relegated to the second tier.
It was the Black Cats’ 10th consecutive season in the English top-flight, having been promoted from the Championship in 2006-07, but it ended in despair, as they finished rock bottom, 16 points adrift of safety.
They have spent a total of 16 seasons in the Premier League since its formation in February 1992, with their first campaign in the division coming in 1996-97. Sunderland also spent four successive seasons in the league between 1999 and 2003 and spent another singular campaign in the league during the 2005-06 season.
Of course, the Tyne and Wear outfit spent the majority of their early history in the Football League First Division, the former top-flight of English football, and they actually won the league on six occasions between 1891 and 1936.
Their best-ever finish in the Premier League (discounting the First Division) came during the 1999-2000 and 2000-01 seasons, as they ended both campaigns in seventh place in the table. They have also finished bottom of the table on three different occasions, in 2002-03, 2005-06 and, of course, 2016-17.
Following their relegation in 2017, the Black Cats suffered a gut-wrenching second consecutive demotion after finishing bottom of the Championship and spent four seasons in League One between 2018 and 2022.
They returned to the second tier in 2022-23 after winning the League One play-offs in 2021-22 and finished in sixth place in their first season back, thus securing their position in the Championship play-offs.
Managed by Tony Mowbray, they were beaten 3-2 on aggregate by Luton Town in the semi-finals.
This time around though, they’ve made it to the final and are just one game away from making their long-awaited return to the promised land. Do the Mackems have what it takes to overcome an inspired Sheffield United side?
Sunderland Seasons In The Premier League
- 1996-97 – 18th place (relegated)
- 1999-2000 – 7th place
- 2000-01 – 7th place
- 2001-02 – 17th place
- 2002-03 – 20th place (relegated)
- 2005-06 – 20th place (relegated)
- 2007-08 – 15th place
- 2008-09 – 16th place
- 2009-10 – 13th place
- 2010-11 -10th place
- 2011-12 – 13th place
- 2012-13 – 17th place
- 2013-14 – 14th place
- 2014-15 – 16th place
- 2015-16 – 17th place
- 2016-17 – 20th place (relegated)