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On April 26, 1897, Sunderland AFC faced a critical moment as they struggled to avoid relegation after a series of poor performances. The departure of secretary Tom Watson and the appointment of Robert Campbell marked a turning point for the aging squad.
Sunderland AFC spent most of its early years enjoying success, so 1896/1897 was something of a shock, with the team taking things to the wire before avoiding what would’ve been a humiliating relegation.
Football League champions in 1891/1892, 1892/1893 and 1894/1895, our reign of dominance had ended abruptly with a sharp drop off in performances.
Fifth in 1895/1896 was bad enough but following the campaign, secretary Tom Watson departed for Liverpool and in his absence the downward spiral continued apace, with his replacement Robert Campbell unable to get a regular tune out of an ageing squad.
Maybe Watson had seen the writing on the wall or didn’t have the heart to break up a group of players that had served him so well during the build up to and early years in the league, but with Campbell handed the job of freshening things up, his time in charge saw him on the back foot from the off.
A former shipyard storekeeper, Campbell had at one point been lodging at Watson’s home and initially started helping the club as a trainer, then took over the ‘A’ team before getting his big promotion.
His new task would’ve been made all the harder had the club been plunged into the second tier, so retaining our top our flight status was the immediate priority.
Following Watson was an unenviable task but it appeared as if he had the backing of the Wearside community and in early April 1897, he was gifted a “handsome timepiece” by local football representatives. Grateful for the support he’d given non-league clubs in the town, the group also presented Mrs Campbell with a gold broach as a sign of their gratitude — but out on the pitch, opponents weren’t always as generous.
Sunderland endured a difficult transitional period and whilst a late surge of form avoided the ignominy of finishing dead last in 1896/1897, the Lads remained in trouble due to the prospect of a series of difficult ‘Test Matches’.
These games saw the top two teams in the Second Division going head to head with the bottom two in Division One, and they had the club teetering on the edge of relegation for a few weeks yet.
A defeat and a draw to Division Two winners Notts County heaped even more pressure on clashes with second-placed Newton Heath, and a 1-1 draw in Manchester on Saturday 24 April set up a decisive return at Newcastle Road two days later when victory — alongside a favourable result at Turf Moor in the Notts County/Burnley fixture — was needed to secure survival.
Sunderland AFC struggled to avoid relegation during the 1896/1897 season after a decline in performance.
Tom Watson was the secretary of Sunderland AFC before his departure to Liverpool, leading to a decline in the team's performance.
The team's performance declined due to the departure of key personnel and the inability of new management to rejuvenate an aging squad.
Before the 1896/1897 season, Sunderland AFC won the Football League championship in 1891/1892, 1892/1893, and 1894/1895.
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Burnley had been the only team to finish below Sunderland in the table and in March had conceded a vital second half equaliser to Robert Campbell’s half-brother Johnny when they’d visited the Lads.
The draw sparked an unbeaten five-game stretch prior to the Test Matches, with the final regular league game bringing another tie away at Bury. Johnny was also on the scoresheet in that one, with the two goals proving to be his last for the club. One of our earliest stars, he’d been the country’s top scorer during the three title wins but was one whose time was coming to an end.
A benefit match had been staged on behalf of Johnny Campbell in September, with opponents Newcastle United attracting gate receipts of around £35. However, the total handed over to the striker was even higher – fifty guineas — with the directors also presenting him with a gold ring as a memento.
Perhaps the board were feeling flush, as during the same week as the game, it was announced that the players had enquired about a possible change in club policy to one that would allow them to travel to away games on the day, rather than staying overnight. This was expected to save the club huge amounts in accommodation fees but did little to improve results on the road.
However, not only were the fans having to come to terms with poor showings and an unfamiliar league placing, they were also witnessing the breakup of their much-loved squad.
The do-or-die tussle was to be final outing for Johnny Campbell plus his teammates James Gillespie, Donald Gow, James Hannah and the club’s first ever professional John Harvie, and on an emotionally-charged occasion, the old favourites rolled back the years to keep their legacies intact.
A trumpeter playing a rather apt rendition of The Campbells Are Coming greeted the teams as they entered the pitch ahead of the 18:00 start and a fired-up Sunderland soon got to work amidst perfect weather conditions.
However, there was no party atmosphere despite the music.
The Lads pressed high up the pitch, and within fifteen minutes they were a goal ahead, with the season’s top scorer Gillespie heading in. The side continued thereafter to push a clearly rattled Newton Heath with Johnny Campbell — moved out onto the wing — working tirelessly alongside a forward line that was able to create a number of chances. Unfortunately, a collective failure to convert prompted an increase of the tension, and come the second half, things got a little tetchy.
Even with visiting left-half James McNaught having to go off for a lengthy bout of treatment either side of the half time break Sunderland were struggling to get what would have been a crucial second.
Newton Heath were becoming more desperate in their defensive efforts and the tackles were starting to fly. In contrast, the hosts were solid at the back but there was always the danger of a sucker punch and Gillespie’s second goal via a free kick with ten minutes remaining, was met with great relief in the stands.
Spectators then flooded the pitch at full time to chair the players back to the changing rooms, and with Burnley’s draw against Notts County confirmed, players and team alike were able to not quite celebrate but acknowledge still that their club had kept its position amongst the elite.
With Newton Heath remaining in the second division and being joined by Burnley, Notts moved back up.
They struggled to establish themselves in 1897/1898, whereas Robert Campbell started making some headway; alongside trainer Billy Williams he whipped a new-look group into shape and his disciplined squad finished in second place – not quite top of the tree, admittedly, but at the end of the table that folk had been more accustomed to nonetheless.
Monday 26 April 1897
Football League Test Match
Newcastle Road
Attendance: 8,000
Sunderland 2 (Gillespie 15’, 80’)
Newton Heath 0
Sunderland: Doig, McNeill, Gow; Ferguson, McAllister, Wilson; Gillespie, Harvie, Morgan; Hannah, Campbell