1913 - Watson’s Successor Seals Fifth Crown

Sunderland’s longest-serving manager, Robert Kyle, sealed his first trophy in the 1912–13 season as the Lads were crowned champions for a fifth time. After a sluggish start to the campaign, during which the club were winless in their opening seven matches, Sunderland found form with a fine run of five straight wins. Just one defeat between December and February sparked a title charge, which was sealed following a run of nine wins from the final ten games of the season. The triumph made Sunderland genuine contenders for a historic league and cup double, though they narrowly missed out after losing the 1913 FA Cup final to Aston Villa. Still, the title stood as one of the finest achievements of the pre-war “Team of All Talents” era.