Sunderland AFC, League Champions, 1901/02

Sunderland AFC – League Champions 1901/02

The Complete Story of Sunderland's Fourth Football League Championship

By Paul Days

Published by World Vintage Colours

Advance Orders Closing Date - 15 August 2026

For the first time, Sunderland AFC's historic 1901/02 Football League Championship-winning season has been reconstructed in extraordinary detail.

Drawing almost entirely upon contemporary newspapers, official records, football journals and publications of the period, this book recreates an entire Edwardian football season exactly as it unfolded more than 120 years ago.

Rather than relying upon modern interpretation or retrospective analysis, the story is told through the eyes of those who witnessed it. Week by week and month by month, readers follow Sunderland's remarkable journey as the club overcame expectation to secure its fourth Football League Championship, reaffirming its place amongst the greatest football clubs of the Victorian and Edwardian eras.

Set against the backdrop of industrial Wearside, where football belonged to the shipbuilder, the miner, the engineer and the railwayman, this is far more than the story of one successful season. It is a vivid portrait of football during one of the most important periods in its history, when the professional game was rapidly establishing the traditions, rivalries and culture that continue to shape it today.

Compiled from an extraordinary wealth of original source material, the book brings back to life not only Sunderland's Championship-winning campaign but the wider football world of 1901/02.

Inside you'll discover:

• Every Football League match covered in chronological order
• Sunderland's successful pursuit of the Football League Championship
• Contemporary newspaper reports from across Britain
• Comprehensive player biographies
• Transfers, team selections and representative honours
• Statistical records and league tables
• Football articles from the Edwardian press
• Restored contemporary illustrations and photographs
• High-quality colour artwork throughout
• The wider football world during the 1901/02 season
• The tragic Ibrox Disaster and its impact upon British football
• The people, places and events that shaped one of Sunderland AFC's greatest seasons

Book Specification

• Premium Hardback Edition
• ISBN Registered
• Larger than A4 Format
• Approximately 280 Pages
• Full Colour Throughout
• Premium Dust Jacket
• Ribbon Page Marker
• Individually Numbered Certificate of Issue
• Exclusive A4 Sunderland AFC Commemorative Print Included Free with Every Copy

Strictly Limited Edition

This is a niche and limited edition publication.

Only enough copies to satisfy advance orders will be printed, with a maximum edition of just ten copies.

Once the advance-order period has closed and the books have been printed, no further copies will ever be produced.

Every book will be supplied with its own Certificate of Issue, making each copy part of an exceptionally scarce edition. We produce football books that are amongst the rarest in the world. 

As with all World Vintage Colours publications, this book is intended not only to be read but collected.

Publication Date

22 August 2026

The publication date co-incides with Sunderland AFC's opening fixture of the 2026/27 season – however delivery will be in September/October 2026.

Price

£60.00

Postage & Packing: £4.49 (UK)

Advance Orders

Advance orders are now being taken.

About the Author

Paul Days is a football historian, author and the founder of World Vintage Colours, specialising in the history of Sunderland AFC and the early development of association football.

He is the author of numerous books on Sunderland AFC and football history, including the club's official history book, and formerly ran the official Sunderland AFC website on a freelance basis, researching and writing extensively about the club's rich heritage.

For many years, Paul has undertaken extensive original research into Sunderland AFC's formative years, examining thousands of contemporary newspapers, official records and archive documents. His work led to the discovery of the club's true founding date in 1880, and he subsequently rewrote Sunderland AFC's founding story using primary historical sources, correcting a long-standing narrative and helping to reshape the understanding of the club's earliest history.

His publications combine meticulous historical research with restored contemporary illustrations, photographs and high-quality colour artwork, bringing football's Victorian and Edwardian eras vividly back to life.

Every World Vintage Colours publication is produced to the highest possible standard as a premium limited edition for supporters, collectors and football historians who value historical accuracy, originality and exceptional production quality.

A Season Worth Remembering

More than a century after Sunderland lifted their fourth Football League Championship, the achievements of the team of 1901/02 continue to deserve recognition. They represented one of Britain's greatest industrial communities, stood amongst the pioneers of the professional game and further established Sunderland AFC as one of the dominant clubs of English football's formative years.

This book tells their story in greater depth than ever before—and is likely to remain the only publication ever devoted exclusively to Sunderland AFC's historic 1901/02 Championship-winning season.

Specification

• Limited to 10 copies
• Oversized A4 hardback
• 280 pages
• Full colour throughout
• ISBN 

978-1-8383561-4-9

Price: £60 + £4.49 postage and packing