Alreet, marra - here we go, then. The start of another campaign that we all hope will be a continuation of the last one. Precious little in the way of additions to the squad, and the one we did get (in our usual quick and quiet fashion) is still on World Cup holiday. World Cup? The less said the better. The squad, never mind the starting eleven, is a bit of a mystery given that there are so many absentees, but presumably those fans who were quick to call Xhaka "Judas" as soon as the rumours...

On this day in 1990, striker Peter Davenport signed for Sunderland from Middlesbrough. Peter played almost 100 league games for the Lads, but managed just 15 goals. Dav began his professional career in 1982, signing for Nottingham Forest after being scouted playing semi-pro on Merseyside. The transfer was a strange deal, as Forest suggested that instead of paying a fee, they would give his club Cammell Laird a new home kit – typical Brian Clough! It turned out to be a stroke of genius from...

Following Sunday's events, ALS co-editor Sobs was asked to put his thoughts into writing for a piece on the club's website... They say that to appreciate the good times, you have to experience the bad, which is fair enough, and we Sunderland fans had gratefully accepted the turnaround that saw us climb from League One to the Premier League. What happened next is truly the stuff of legend, of film scripts, and of pure fantasy. On the first anniversary of that dramatic Wembley win, the Lads...