I don’t know about anyone else, but I feel like under Lee Johnson we have turned a corner and are starting to right the wrongs of the past few years. For me one of the most notable things under Johnson is that we are overcoming our ‘bogey teams’ and breaking our unwanted records, the most notable being ending the losing streak at Wembley.
However, we have also beaten Fleetwood for the first time, beaten a Joey Barton for the first time and won at Fratton park for the first time since 1997. Watching these ‘curses’ ending and our bogey teams being beaten got me thinking of who else we have a considered a bogey team or bogey player in the past.
TIM CAHILL
I couldn’t start this list with anyone else. Cahill is arguably the biggest thorn in our side ever, he always scored against us and to make it worse he would do that stupid corner flag punch celebration after. Cahill scored eight goals in 17 appearances against Sunderland in all competitions. Not only that, he never tasted defeat against us in those 17 outings. Cahill faced Sunderland twice when playing for Millwall, once in the league and once in the FA Cup, both in the 2003-04 season. He failed to score the first time he faced Sunderland as the Lions won 1-0 at the SOL, but Cahill scored the only goal to settle the FA Cup semi-final at Old Trafford in April 2004. Cahill then moved to Everton and his scoring streak continued, he scored in a 3-0 FA Cup win at Goodison Park in January 2005. The next season he scored for the third game in a row against the lads to give Everton a 1-0 Premier League win at the Stadium of Light. Cahill netted twice in the 7-1 drubbing over Roy Keane’s side at Goodison Park in November 2007, which was the same day as my 8th birthday party, needless to see that ruined my day. After it seemed like the Cahill curse was lifted after a four-game ‘drought’ he scored in a 2-0 Premier League win at Goodison in January 2010, and then again in another league clash which ended in a 2-2 draw at Sunderland in November 2010. His last goal against Sunderland secured a 1-1 FA Cup Quarter Final draw on Merseyside in March 2012. Cahill didn’t score in the replay however he didn’t need to as David Vaughan decided to do it for him by scoring a quite spectacular own goal. Vaughan managed to clear a Jelavic shot back off his foot and into the net as Everton won 2-0. Cahill left Everton in the summer of 2012 but returned to Millwall in 2018. Cahill came on as a substitute in a 1-1 draw at the Den in March 2018, extending his unbeaten run against Sunderland.
CHARLTON
Probably not what you want to hear considering we play the Addicks on Saturday but Charlton have been a bogey team for the lads over the years. Charlton have twice beaten us at Wembley in a Play Off Final, once on penalties and once in the last minute. Our record in the league against Charlton isn’t much better either, we have only won 1 out of our last ten games against the Addicks, that win was a 2-1 victory in our first game in League One in August 2018 with a 96th minute header from Lynden Gooch. Apart from that win we have drew five and lost four of the last ten games against the side from South East London. Another reason why Charlton can be classed as a bogey team is because Sunderland managed to score three own goals in seven minutes against the Addicks in 2003. Stephen Wright deflected Mark Fish’s effort past Sorensen before Michael Proctor scored two own goals in three minutes as we lost 3-1 at the Stadium of Light.
TOTTENHAM
Spurs have been a team we have struggled to beat over the years. Sunderland have lost ten of their last 14 fixtures against Spurs, with our last victory coming back in April 2010 when we won 3-1 at the Stadium of Light. Between 1995 and 2006 we lost 11 out of 13 games, suggesting that Spurs are a bogey side for us. Our trips to White Hart Lane weren’t joyous either. We lost 14 of our last 16 visits to White Hart Lane, winning once and drawing on the other occasion. The only victory came in August 2008 when we won 2-1 with Djibril Cisse scoring the winner.
SELECTED BOGEY PLAYERS
JAMES MILNER
James Milner was anything but boring when he played against Sunderland as he scored against us for five different clubs. In December 2002 at 16 years and 356 days he became the youngest player to score in the Premier League, with a goal in a 2–1 win against Sunderland. His record was broken by James Vaughan of Everton in 2005. Milner then scored a fluke in the 1-1 Tyne-Wear derby draw in 2007, Milner’s cross was watched into the goal by Craig Gordon at the Stadium of Light. After moving to Aston Villa, Milner scored twice against the lads in a 2-1 win in the 08/09 season and again at the Stadium of light in a 2-0 win in the 09/10 season. Milner continued his scoring spree against Sunderland when he moved to Manchester City, scoring in a 3-0 victory at the Etihad in the 12/13 season. Even at his current club Liverpool Milner scored against Sunderland in a 2-0 victory at Anfield, which was our last season in the Prem in the 2016/17 season.
FERNANDO TORRES
The ex-Liverpool and Chelsea striker was regularly on the scoresheet against Sunderland as Torres scored six times against us. Torres got his first goal against Sunderland in a 3-0 win at Anfield in February 2008. The Spanish striker then scored again in a 1-0 opening day win at the SOL in August 2008. The former Atletico Madrid striker continued his good form against SAFC when scored twice in a 3-0 win at Anfield in March 2010. Torres moved to Stamford Bridge for a then British record fee of £50 million in January 2011. Even though he had an unsuccessful at Chelsea, Torres still managed to score twice in a 3-1 victory at the Stadium of Light in December 2012.
SHOLA AMEOBI
Also known as the ‘Mackem Slayer’, that nickname is still hilarious even to this day. Ameobi apparently warranted this nickname due to his impact in the Tyne-Wear derbies. Ameobi played in 16 derbies and scored seven times. Ameobi also experienced six wins from 16 matches against Sunderland, drawing another six and losing four.
