The thought of Sunderland winning the League Cup is terrifying Part 2
Corner now works for Durham police and co-owns a taxi in Sunderland. At weekends he often goes for a drink with the driver of the cab. At least twice each Sunday, his friend reckons, somebody comes up to him and says, "Yer should've just put it out, Davie lad."
A few years ago, the driver tells everybody who gets in his cab – if they respond appropriately to his (hilarious) impression of Don Goodman doing an impression of Mick McCarthy – Corner was called to a disturbance in Seaham where a man was going berserk with an ornamental sword. All attempts to reason with him failed until he caught sight of Corner and the tell-tale flash of orange hair.
"Are yiz ... are yiz Davie Corner?" he asked disbelievingly. Corner confirmed he was. The man dropped the sword and offered his hands to be cuffed. "Yer've not had much luck, son," he said. "So I'll give yer this 'un. But, Davie lad, why didn't yer just put it out?"
I was eight at the time of the 1985 Milk Cup final. It was the first time I'd really understood that disappointment and triumph went hand-in-hand, that you could have a narrative arc that seemed like a fairy story but that everybody might not live happily ever after.
It was in the fourth round that it seemed something special might be happening. Sunderland had beaten Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest – after a replay and extra-time – to set up a tie against Tottenham, second in the table at the time. Chris Turner was superb in securing a 0-0 draw at Roker Park, but he was even better in the replay.
Few had expected much and when Graham Roberts put Spurs ahead with a first-half penalty, I went to bed. The next morning, though, my parents had gleeful news. Clive Walker equalised on the counter from Howard Gayle's low cross and when Glenn Hoddle miskicked another Gayle cross, Chisholm put Sunderland ahead. But then Elliott mystifyingly handled a Chris Hughton cross – was he nudged in the back? Did Sunderland's historical tendency to self-destruction just overwhelm him? – and Spurs had another penalty. Roberts took it, hard to his left, Turner flew across his goal and turned the ball away with an extended right hand.
"Oh, what a save!" yelled John Motson. "One of the great saves of the season, surely." It was more than that: it was, by some margin, the single greatest moment of the 80s.
Watford were beaten in the quarters but by then Sunderland's league form had collapsed. They'd gone seventh when they came from 2-0 down to beat Manchester United in the November – I was staying at my gran's and persuaded her to let me sit up to watch Match of the Day for the first time – but nine defeats in 11 games saw them drop to 18th. And then came the infamous semi-final against Chelsea.
On the pitch, the first leg, at Roker, was almost entirely about Dale Jasper and Colin West. Twice Jasper gave away penalties – the first a handball, the second a tug on West – and twice West, a bustling six-footer from Wallsend, took them. The first went straight in, the second was turned on to a post by Eddie Niedzwiecki but bounced back kindly for West to nod home. What lives in the memory, though, is the violence that followed, the fights along Fulwell Road, the attacks on cars and shops and pubs. I remember looking at the broken windows at Fulwell library the next day and feeling nauseous. In my head, this was akin to the sacking of the library at Alexandria: truly, these people were barbarians.
What happened in the second leg was even worse (the clip is worth persevering with if only for the excruciatingly awkward player interviews at the end). Sunderland won 3-2, but of far more significance were the 104 arrests and the 40 people injured.
Remarkably, because the Chelsea chairman Ken Bates had demanded £20,000 for rights, no television company covered the game, so the only footage that survives was shot by a company hired by Sunderland for match analysis. Chelsea went ahead but Walker, a former Chelsea player, levelled nine minutes before the break and when he squeezed in a second 19 minutes from time, the tie was as good as done.
It was that goal that prompted the violence, fans attacking police and pouring into the pitch, being cleared only after charges from mounted officers. There was even a horse on the pitch as West scored Sunderland's third. David Speedie was sent off for a horrendous challenge on Elliott and the last few seconds were characterised by players shuffling towards the tunnel, desperate to be as near as possible when the final whistle went. Sunderland fans were then targeted outside the ground, with reports of roadblocks being set up to try to trap coaches heading back to the north-east.
The final couldn't have been more different. Huge games of football broke out between Norwich and Sunderland in car-parks across north-west London and so amiable was the atmosphere that the Friendship Trophy was established, to be awarded to the side that won on aggregate over the two games whenever they were in the same division (such was Sunderland's ineptitude that they didn't actually win the trophy for 14 years). Nor did they win the final.
Sunderland were given the chance to level when Dennis van Wijk, having slipped in challenging Barry Venison, the youngest ever captain in a Wembley final, flicked at the ball with his hand as he lay on the ground. But the luck Sunderland had had with penalties all through that run deserted them and Walker hit a post.
Gary Bennett, just becoming a cult figure, made a couple of surges from the back, but Sunderland never really threatened after that. The barber my mam took me to in Roker brought me a programme from the final: it was beautiful and yellow and smelt of new paper, but I never opened it. Sunderland and Norwich were both relegated that season and the Heysel ban meant Norwich didn't even get their European campaign.
The next time Sunderland went to Wembley, Bennett scored an own goal as they lost the 1990 play-off final to Swindon (but went up anyway).
Two years after that they never turned up for an FA Cup final against Liverpool and were well-beaten 2-0. And six years after that, they drew 4-4 against Charlton in the play-off final and lost on penalties.
There was a lot of luck used up in 1973.
I bumped into Bennett at Arsenal on Saturday, passing him on the stairs after the final whistle. He shook his head and muttered, "Glad that's over." Ostensibly he was talking about the game, in which Sunderland had been abject in losing 4-1, but he was also talking about the wait before Wembley: no more worrying about injuries and suspensions (the heart-in-mouth moment when the Manchester City game was postponed and I forgot the Southampton FA Cup tie and thought Wes Brown's suspension from the Hull game would carry over), no more going through the motions before the game that everything has been geared towards since the penalty shootout victory over Manchester United.
Infuriatingly, I was on a plane to Sri Lanka when that second leg took place. United led the second leg 1-0 when we took off, so I'd happily written the game off as lost, only for the full drama of the denouement to be brought home by the 36 texts I'd received from various people that I read – in strict order – on the runway as soon as we'd landed at Colombo: a real-time record of 15 of the daftest minutes in football history.
I'll be there on Sunday, though, assuming my accreditation comes through for Sunderland's fifth final (including play-offs) in my lifetime. I fully anticipate a fifth defeat. To be honest, the thought of victory terrifies me: what if we do win and it doesn't feel as good as I hope it will? What if we do win and I realise, as my dad did at the final whistle in 1973, that football will never be as good again? It horrifies me as well that my dad then was three years younger than I am now. How did that happen? In 1992, it seemed there would be at least a handful more chances to win things: 22 years on, I have to accept this may be the last one.
You fear as well the creation of another scapegoat. For Corner, the disgrace must have been particularly acute because he was local and a kid. He was actually quite promising – he played for England at the World Youth Championship later that year – but his reputation never really recovered after the final and he left Sunderland in 1988 having made only 33 appearances. A further 19 followed for Leyton Orient and Darlington before, in 1991, he dropped into non-league football with Gateshead.
There are two local players in the team this time – Adam Johnson and Jack Colback, neither quite as local as Corner and neither anywhere near as inexperienced, but you look at Colback's hair and see an echo of Corner's vibrant ginger, and you just hope that two decades from now he's not being patronised after disarming a man with an ornamental sword.
Mr. Potato Heed's Hull City to host Sunderland in The FA Cup live on ITV
ITV viewers will see Steve Bruce reunited with Sunderland when Hull City host the Black Cats in The FA Cup Sixth Round on Sunday 9 March at 1.30pm.
Bruce departed the Stadium of Light in 2011 after a two year spell in charge at the Premier League club.
His Hull City side saw off Brighton & Hove Albion by 2-1 in a Fifth Round replay at the KC Stadium on Monday night thanks to first half goals from Curtis Davies and Robert Koren.
Leonardo Ulloa pulled one back for the Seagulls with just over 20 minutes remaining but it wasn’t enough for the Championship side.
Brighton were just five minutes away from the last eight last week, before Yannick Sagbo’s close range strike on the South Coast forced a replay.
Victory for Sunderland in the quarter final will mean yet another trip to Wembley Stadium for Gus Poyet’s charges.
The north-east side meet Manchester City in the League Cup Final this Sunday after previosuly beating Southampton by 1-0 in the FA Cup Fifth Round Proper.
Both Hull City and Sunderland will receive £247,500 from The FA in live broadcast fees while the winning team will get £360,000 from The FA Cup prize fund.
Hull City v Sunderland
The FA Cup with Budweiser
Sixth Round Proper
1.30pm, Sunday 9 March
KC Stadium, Hull
Winners receive £360,000
TV money is £247,500
Development squad suffer narrow defeat in north west.
Sunderland’s development squad suffered their first defeat in six games as the young Black Cats went down 1-0 to Manchester United at Salford City’s AJ Bell Stadium.
Jesse Lingard scored the only goal of the game on a cold and windy evening in Greater Manchester.
Kevin Ball made one change from last week’s 2-0 victory at Wolves as Louis Laing replaced Liam Agnew.
Connor Oliver fired over from 25 yards inside the opening two minutes as Sunderland began with intent and a high-pitch press.
Joel Dixon then had to be sharp to deny United forward David Petrucci from six yards as the Italian forward latched onto Andreas Pereira’s cross.
Lingard saw his near post header headed off the line by John Egan before Pereira’s right-foot shot curled narrowly past Dixon’s left-hand post as the hosts continued to see more of the ball.
The young Black Cats were restricting United to efforts from range as Egan and Scott Harrison marshalled the back four well throughout the opening 45 minutes.
The hosts, however, did manage to get in front five minutes before the break as Lingard intercepted Andrew Cartwright’s pass and fired into Dixon’s left-hand corner from 25 yards.
Jordan Laidler went close to an immediate equaliser as the North Shields-based striker was denied by a good save from United stopper Joel Pereira after being played in by Louis Laing.
Egan prevented Janko from doubling the hosts’ advantage early in the second half with a fine block after the winger cut in from the left-hand side.
Petrucci then hit the post from Rothwell’s cut-back as United’s pacey front four continued to make life difficult for the Black Cats’ defence.
Dixon made a couple of good saves to keep Sunderland in the game – most notably down low to his right to deny Pereira.
Ball’s side came closest to equalising when Adam Mitchell fired a 25-yard free-kick against the bar after Lynden Gooch had been brought down by Guillermo Varela.
United hit the woodwork themselves in the closing stages as substitute James Wilson saw his deflected against the top of the bar.
Despite sending bodies forward in heavy numbers, the Black Cats couldn’t grab an equaliser and instead were denied for the first time this season.
Jesse Lingard's solo effort was enough to earn Manchester United's Under-21s an excellent 1-0 win over Sunderland at the AJ Bell Stadium on Monday.
The Warrington-born forward struck the only goal during a match of few chances, helping Warren Joyce's side record a third consecutive victory in the Barclays Premier League against a Black Cats team that would have gone top with three points. United's triumph was also noteworthy because of an illness that had spread through the camp in the week, forcing several players to miss training ahead ahead of kick-off.
Though the first half was lacking quality in front of goal, the Reds were well on top and probably should have taken the lead when the impressive Saidy Janko worked the ball out wide to Andreas Pereira, whose cross was shot away from goal by Davide Petrucci.
Moments later, Jesse Lingard was similarly wasteful as he latched onto Janko’s neat inside pass to blast high and wide. The Warrington-born forward made amends by intercepting a wayward pass, driving past a Black Cats defender and firing home from 20 yards in the 40th minute.
After the half-time break, United restarted brightly and went close to doubling the lead following some excellent work from Joe Rothwell, who got to the by-line to feed Petrucci. Unfortunately, the Italian could only hit the post from six yards before his follow-up effort was saved by the goalkeeper.
The game descended into chaos in the 65th minute when Ross Holland made an overly raucous challenge on Guillermo Varela before appearing to strike the protesting Rothwell, an incident that caused a considerable melee and resulted in the Sunderland man receiving a yellow card from the lenient referee.
That stoppage disrupted the flow and, though United were still largely in control, the visitors began to regain a foothold on proceedings as the clock ticked on, most notably hitting the bar with a free-kick in the 81st minute.
Encouragingly, the Reds kept their composure with captain Michael Keane showing his experience and authority at the back, helping his side see out a potentially influential victory that moves them up to sixth in the table.
United's next match is against Wolves on 10 March at AFC Telford United.
United: J Pereira; Varela, M Keane, Blackett, James; Pearson, Rothwell; Janko (Wilson 72), Petrucci, Lingard; A Pereira (Rowley 82).
Subs not used: Gollini, McNair, Rudge
Booked: Pearson, Varela
Development squad coach pleased with progress after narrow defeat in Salford.
Sunderland’s development squad coach, Kevin Ball, says Monday evening’s narrow 1-0 defeat at Manchester United shows how far his young side have come this campaign.
The young Black Cats, who lie third in the Barclays U21 Premier League, went down to a Jesse Lingard strike just before half-time in a game they could well have got something from with both
Jordan Laidler and Adam Mitchell going close to equalising.
And Ball believe the way the Red Devils went about their business at the AJ Bell Stadium shows the respect and growing reputation Sunderland are getting at youth level.
“I think we did really well,” Ball said. “When we travel down to these games the expectations are quite high because we’ve shown what we can do.
“United were well up for it and the face they had called one back from a youth loan (Tyler Blackett from Birmingham City) and had a few who have been around the Championship (Lingard and Michael Keane) shows that they knew they had a game on their hands.
“The way they got at us from the off and the way they pressed the ball when we played out from the back was a back-handed compliment in that they’d obviously done their homework.
“We showed good resilience to stay in the game; the only downside for us was that we conceded just before half-time and, as a coach, that’s the worst time because it robs you of that chance to build on what you have done in the first-half.”
Ball praised defenders John Egan and Scott Harrison as the pair turned out arguably their best performances of the campaign with the former making only his fifth Barclays U21 Premier League appearance of the campaign.
“I thought Scott and John were both resilient,” he added. “Scott’s passing and his diagonal balls from the back were both excellent.
“I was pleased with John and he’s got to be pleased with himself because he did well, especially when you consider his long-term layoff and the little niggles he’s had recently as well.
“Our only defensive issue was that we’d like to see the back four move up more and become a bit more compact, quickly.
“We can never fault our players for effort, though, and it’s just disappointing result-wise but there was lots we can build on ahead of the game at Norwich.”
The young Black Cats face a two-week wait before their trip to Carrow Road to face the Canaries and Ball says the players will be allowed to enjoy the Capital One Cup final experience before returning to training on Monday ahead of a big push for the top four in the final third of the campaign.
“I’m a firm believer in letting the lads enjoy the experience [of the Capital One Cup final],” Ball continued.
“But Monday, it will be back to hard work and preparing well for the Norwich game.”
Sunderland’s penalty drama so tough on a great bunch
PETER Reid is hoping for the same sort of occasion at Wembley, but a different result for Sunderland this weekend.
He’s talking about the 1998 play-off final of course, when the Black Cats lost out on promotion to the Premier League in one of the most memorable games ever played at Wembley.
He talked to the Echo’s GRAEME ANDERSON about that unforgettable day.
FORMER Sunderland boss Peter Reid has featured in many memorable photographs in the Echo archives over the years.
But surely one of the most evocative comes from that sweltering hot play-off final day at Wembley as he ambled over the lush turf, post-match, jacket over his shoulders, looking to console his players.
Behind him stands 23-year-old Mickey Gray, the man who missed the crucial spot-kick in the epic penalty shoot-out, looking about as inconsolable as it is possible for any human being to look.
“Yeah, obviously it was tough to take at the time, very, very tough,” recalls Reid, who will be back at Wembley again this weekend, suited and booted, but this time watching from the pundit’s chair rather than dug-out.
“It felt harsh because the majority of the team that would set a new league record of 105 points the following season were at the club at the time and in the run-up to the play-offs they had played fantastically well.
“We played some amazing stuff in that 105-point season but some of the stuff we played in the final few months of 1997-98 was just as good as we recovered from a disappointing start.
“And going to Wembley, we felt as though it was going to be our day. Everyone felt good about it.
“I remember what a fantastic occasion for us it was, for our fans – the noise and the colour from Sunderland fans was amazing and they seemed to be all around the stadium.
“I’m sure it will be the same again this weekend – they travel in massive numbers and they make incredible noise.
“And whatever happens this Sunday, I’m sure they will be the most fantastic advert for Sunderland Football Club – just as they were in the play-offs.”
The play-off final ended 4-4 after extra time and then went to 7-6 on penalties before Charlton Athletic keeper Sasa Ilic saved Gray’s tame effort and Sunderland’s stunning late gallop to the Premier League fell at the final hurdle.
“You could say we were unfortunate,” shrugs Reid. “We got 90 points but finished one behind Middlesbrough, who took second place.
“We had the youngest back four in the club’s history I remember and they had been great for us but then we maybe got caught out a bit.
“And then when it came to penalties, Kevin Phillips and Lee Clark had already been substituted.
“We could have done with someone from Sunderland scoring a hat-trick on the day and I suppose on did – unfortunately for us it was Clive Mendonca!
“But looking back on it, I don’t really believe it was the play-off final which cost us promotion – it was a game against Queens Park Rangers the previous month.
“We were 2-0 up at home and cruising with well over an hour gone but then we let them back into it; something which should never have happened.
“We ended up drawing 2-2 a game we should have won comfortably.
“If we had seen it out, we would have had 92 points and never have needed to go to Wembley in the first place.”
Whereas Wembley was the consolation prize in 1998 for Sunderland’s late surge towards the top of the table, this time it’s the reward for a dogged League Cup run which has given the Wearsiders their first cup final of the 21st century.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” said Reid. “I’m doing a bit of TV work and I’ll be there for the match.
“My one big regret during my time as Sunderland manager was that I was never able to give the fans a trophy.
“They’ve waited a long time for one and who knows, that wait could end this Sunday.
“I’m sure Gus Poyet would love nothing better than to be the boss who takes silverware back to Wearside for the first time in more than 40 years.
”It wasn’t a great end to the day the last time Sunderland fans were at Wembley - we got everything except the right result and it was heartbreaking at the time.
“Maybe this weekend will be different and Sunderland fans will enjoy one of the best days of their lives
“They’re great fans and it’s fantastic they’re going to a Wembley final.
“No one’s suggesting it won’t be anything but a very difficult game for Gus and his players.
“But it’s a final, it’s a one-off, and it all depends on what happens on the day.”
SUNDERLAND fans will be hoping the greatest moment in the club’s League Cup history comes on Sunday, when they take on Manchester City in the Capital One Cup final.
In the days leading up to the showpiece occasion at Wembley, the Gazette is going to take you through the top 10 moments the club has enjoyed in the competition.
Gazette sports writer DANIEL PRINCE talks us through No 3 on the list: Sunderland’s last League Cup final appearance, in 1985.
On the face of it, Sunderland’s loss to Norwich City in the 1985 final would not make the highlights list of many fans.
Hopes were high that the Black Cats would bring the trophy home to Wearside after an excellent run to the final.
However, they contributed to their own downfall as they lost 1-0 to the Canaries at Wembley.
Gordon Chisholm’s own goal was the difference between the two sides, while Clive Walker also missed a penalty for Sunderland.
While it was a painful day for Cats fans, it was still a hugely significant one in the history of the club.
It was also a proud day for many supporters, with Sunderland fans “taking over” Wembley in the eyes of some of those in the 100,000 crowd.
There was a real friendly atmosphere between the two sets of supporters, so much so that the Friendship Trophy is still contested when the clubs face each other.
It may not have been the finest moment in Sunderland’s League Cup history, but it was certainly among the most memorable.
Sky Sports and BT confirm live schedule for April... and it's bad news for Sunderland and Newcastle fans with 550-mile round trips on a Monday night to north London
Sky Sports and BT Sport have announced their live Premier League coverage for April as the four-horse title race hots up.
The standout fixtures see Liverpool hosting Chelsea on Sunday, April 27 at 2.05pm, and Liverpool also hosting Manchester City on Sunday, April 13 at the same time.
But Sunderland and Newcastle fans will be dismayed to discover their trips to north London have been scheduled for Monday night fixtures, meaning they face a 550-mile round trip to the capital.
Sunderland face Spurs on Monday, April 7 at 8pm, while the Toon army make the trip to the Emirates to face Arsenal on Monday, April 28 at 8pm.
Aston Villa are the only side not on television in April, but this should be made up by the fact their next four Premier League games were broadcasted, as well as their last two.
Manchester City v Southampton - Saturday 5 April, 12.45pm (BT Sport)
Chelsea v Stoke City - Saturday 5 April, 5.30pm (Sky Sports)
Everton v Arsenal - Sunday 6 April, 1.30pm (Sky Sports)
West Ham United v Liverpool - Sunday 6 April, 4pm (Sky Sports)
Tottenham Hotspur v Sunderland - Monday 7 April, 8pm (Sky Sports)
Arsenal v West Ham United - Sunday 13 April, midday (Sky Sports)
Liverpool v Manchester City - Sunday 13 April, 2.05pm (Sky Sports)
Swansea City v Chelsea - Sunday 13 April, 4.10pm (Sky Sports)
Tottenham Hotspur v Fulham - Saturday 19 April, 12.45pm (BT Sport)
Hull City v Arsenal - Saturday 19 April, 5.30pm (Sky Sports)
Norwich City v Liverpool - Sunday 20 April, midday (Sky Sports)
Chelsea v Sunderland - Sunday 20 April, 2.05pm (Sky Sports)
Everton v Manchester United - Sunday 20 April, 4.10pm (Sky Sports)
Manchester City v West Bromwich Albion - Monday 21 April, 8pm (Sky Sports)
Southampton v Everton - Saturday 26 April, 12.45pm (BT Sport)
Manchester United v Norwich City - Saturday 26 April, 5.30pm (Sky Sports)
Sunderland v Cardiff City - Sunday 27 April, midday (Sky Sports)
Liverpool v Chelsea - Sunday 27 April, 2.05pm (Sky Sports)
Crystal Palace v Manchester City - Sunday 27 April, 4.10pm (Sky Sports)
Arsenal v Newcastle United - Monday 28 April, 8pm (Sky Sports)
Colback was a Geordie but now he's a Mackem... and hoping to bring Sunderland their first piece of silverware since 1973
He may be the only academy player in Sunderland’s Football League Cup final squad yet Jack Colback has not exactly been overwhelmed with ticket requests from the family.
The Sunderland midfielder is from the north of the River Tyne, brought up a Geordie but a product of Sunderland legend Kevin Ball’s hard work in a youth system which also developed and nurtured his close friend Jordan Henderson.
Colback is Sunderland through and through now – as his reaction to his recent goal at St James’ Park demonstrated. He is in talks with Gus Poyet to extend the contract which expires at the end of this season and if anyone among the Uruguayan’s squad can understand the pain of 41 years without a trophy for the Mackem faithful, it is the boy from Cramlington.
He joined Sunderland at the age of 10 – after turning them down two years earlier – and has always been earmarked as a star for the future, by the likes of Ball and his previous managers Steve Bruce, Martin O’Neill, Paolo Di Canio and now Poyet, as well as Roy Keane, who took him on loan at Ipswich after he’d left Wearside.
Colback said: ‘I first went on trial at Middlesbrough and trained there for a while but the travelling was a bit too far and I felt I was a bit too young at the time aged eight or nine.
‘I came to Sunderland initially at that age but I thought I was still a bit too young. I came back to Sunderland a second time and felt it was the right time to do so.
‘They said there was an opportunity to be part of the academy and I took it. I never thought twice about it. Obviously parts of my family support Newcastle, but they certainly weren't going to tell me not to sign for Sunderland. It was an opportunity I had to take. It was a massive chance for me.
‘As players it's your job, isn't it, it doesn't matter where you're from, it's your job to go out on the pitch and play as well as you can for whoever you play for and that's what I do.
‘I've not got as many family going to the final as some of the lads. I know some of the players have been getting 40-odd tickets – and I think Craig Gardner has about 140 - but I’ve got a few and I've got my kids going down so that will be nice.
‘I’ve had a few texts from people coming out of the woodwork and everyone on the Sunderland side of the family is desperate to go because we don't get many chances to go to a Wembley final. Everyone wants to be there.’
This will be Colback’s first visit to Wembley in any capacity, a signal perhaps of the distance between the 24-year-old and the players he will come up against directly on Sunday, the likes of Yaya Toure, Fernandinho, Jesus Navas, James Milner, Samir Nasri.
Sunderland go to the capital as the overwhelming underdogs – just as Bob Stokoe’ s side did for the club’s last success in the 1973 FA Cup Final – but they have form against City.
City have suffered four successive defeats at the Stadium of Light, albeit after peppering the Sunderland goal in each game. And that is giving the likes of Colback some hope as they prepare for the club’s first Wembley final since Liverpool easily overcame Malcolm Crosby’s team of 92.
Colback added: ‘We've won the four at our place 1-0 against them. The year before, we drew 3-3 at their place when we should have won as we were 3-1 up with five minutes to go. It's all about how you play on the day. We'll be working on them this week and trying to deal with how they can hurt us and we can hurt them. We need to go out and pay our own game.
'When we defend we have to defend well. We have to hope we cm nick one at the other end, we know how good they are and we have to try and match them. the majority of people will expect City to win, that's part and parcel of when a big team comes up against a smaller team.
‘It's all about what happens on the day. Last year in the FA Cup, they got beaten by Wigan and there's no reason why can't do the same this time.
‘We've beaten them three of four times in recent seasons and while other teams have been beaten by them by heavy margins we've managed to get the better of them. It shows we can beat them and it gives us confidence.
‘They've got world class players all over the pitch so we know how tough it will be. If we go out with a bit of confidence and play well we could upset the odds.
‘It would be massive if we won a trophy. The fans have got memories for 1973. At every club there's a pressure of wining something, even at the likes of Man City or Arsenal. Their fans get to watch good football every week, but they're still desperate for a trophy.
‘It's not often an opportunity like this comes along so we'll be absolutely buzzing if we win it.’
MANCHESTER CITY vs SUNDERLAND: All the latest team news and stats ahead of the Capital One Cup final at Wembley
Wembley Stadium (Sunday, 2pm)
Big match stats:
This is Manchester City’s first final appearance since 1976, where they beat Newcastle United at Wembley 2-1.
Sunderland’s only previous League Cup final appearance came in the 1984/85 season, where they lost 1-0 to Norwich City.
In City’s three league cup finals (1970, 1974 and 1976) each game has ended 2-1, with The Citizens winning twice.
The only previous League Cup clash between Man City and Sunderland came in the third round in 1979/80. The Mackems progressed in a replay beating City at Maine Road 1-0.
Sunderland have only lost one of their last five games against Manchester City, winning three and drawing once.
In fact, each of Sunderland’s last four wins over Manchester City has come by a goal to nil.
Alvaro Negredo and Edin Dzeko are the joint-top scorers in the competition, with six goals apiece.
Only Chris Burke (4) has assisted more often in this season’s competition than James Milner (3).
On their way to the final, Man City kept four clean sheets while Sunderland managed just one (v Peterborough).
Sunderland have been shown 19 yellow cards in the competition so far, 11 more than any other team. City have been shown just six.
Manchester City have scored 19 goals in the Capital One Cup this season, conceding just once.
The last team to make the final conceding just once in the tournament were Chelsea in 2006/07.
Should City win the final without conceding, they would be the first team to lift the trophy by only conceding once (Chelsea conceded twice in 2006/07 in total).
Four of the five teams that have conceded just once or fewer in the run-up to the League Cup final have lost the showpiece.
The last team to score more goals than Manchester City have in the League Cup this season before the final (19) were Spurs in 2001/02 (20).
Sunderland strike up partnership with Mike Ashley-owned store
Sunderland's first team players and managers will be donning suits from Newcastle-based store Cruise which is owned by Sports Direct
Sunderland have a surprise supporter this weekend... in the form of Mike Ashley.
The Black Cats will be kitted out in Hugo Boss suits from Sports Direct-owned fashion store Cruise on Princess Square in Newcastle after the two parties struck up a partnership.
Yesterday, Sunderland AFC announced the partnership with Cruise, in an agreement which sees the brand become the club’s official suit provider for the Capital One Cup final this weekend through to the 2014/15 season.
The agreement will see Cruise enjoy a range of rights including LED perimeter and jumbo screen advertising at the Stadium of Light along with matchday programme advertising at all home games.
Ashley bought the luxury chain, which has 10 stores across the country, along with high street outlet USC back in 2011.
The tycoon acquired the shops in a £7m move from Scottish retail entrepreneur Sir Tom Hunter who kept a 20% shareholding in the firms.
Cruise will now be dressing key representatives of the club, including manager Gus Poyet and first-team players for their trip to Wembley for the cup final battle against Manchester City.
Gary Hutchinson, Sunderland commercial director, said: “We are delighted to welcome Cruise to the Sunderland family.
“The Hugo Boss suits provided by Cruise are of an exceptional standard and are highly on trend with this season’s latest cut and will give players and staff a unified and sophisticated appearance, the suits will be worn by members of the squad and staff at official club engagements.”
Cruise general manager Robert Young added: “The partnership with Sunderland is a perfect example of success and we are privileged to be a partner to the club for the Cup final and into the 2014/15 season. Our collaboration firms a strong bond between football and fashion, both in terms of lifestyle and ambition.”
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Alan Pardew shrugs off lack of cup success ahead of Sunderland's trip to Wembley.
Alan Pardew shrugs off lack of cup success ahead of Sunderland's trip to Wembley for League Cup final
Alan Pardew has suggested he is prepared to take the hit of a lack of success in the domestic cups if it means Newcastle United remain a Premier League club.
This weekend Newcastle fans will have to watch on as Sunderland tackle Manchester City in the League Cup final.
When weighing up the two arguments, Pardew said ahead of the trip to FA Cup quarter-finalists Hull - who still aren’t safe from relegation - at the KC Stadium: “There is half of you that would like to be playing for a trophy or some tangible reward at the end of the season like a European place.
“But there’s also that other side where you don’t want to be involved in at the bottom like we were last year and have that stress.
“We haven’t got that to worry about now.
“For us, it’s about finishing as strongly as we can and maybe looking at one or two youngsters as well as we go along.”
Pardew also said that sealing top flight safety also handed him the chance to try out new systems and formations in the last 11 games.
He said: “I’ll certainly take the opportunity to look at one or two and sometimes the formations that we play too.
“We’ll see if someone can do a different role and we’ve had good success with that over the years I’ve been here.
“We’ll maybe look for one or two to play in unusual positions and see if they can perform in that role.”
And speaking on team news ahead of the clash in Hull, Pardew said:“Sylvain Marveaux is fit, but he’ll have to wait and see if he gets involved in the squad.
“But Davide Santon and Hatem Ben Arfa both have knocks at the moment so they won’t be involved at Hull City.”
Mark Lawrenson's Capital One Cup final predictions.
Capital One Cup final: Man City v Sunderland (14:00 GMT)
Surely Manchester City won't make the same mistake they did in last season's FA Cup final, when they lost to Wigan and basically did not turn up?
I was really surprised they did that at Wembley in May because it was a big game and City have got big game players.
I cannot see that happening again. I can tell you from personal experience that, once you have been to a cup final and lost, it is so absolutely horrible that you give everything for it not to happen again.
I think Sunderland will be resolute and full of vim and vigour but City's quality, along with hard work, will see them through.
Sunderland beat City at the Stadium of Light in November but Wembley is a big pitch and, when you are playing against a good side, you think it is even bigger because you end up chasing the ball.
What City are good at is finding space. I just see them playing really well on Sunday, no matter what Sunderland try to do to stop them.
Lawro's prediction: 2-0
Tim's prediction: This could be one of those terrible cup finals where the big club wins 4-0. But Sunderland will be bang up for it so it might be closer than that. 2-1
City v Sunderland: a tale of takeover, tempests and turn-ups
When the Blues meet Sunday's cup final opponents, anything can happen - and it usually does!
Strange things happen when City play Sunderland.
Forget the fact that the Black Cats are a bogey team for the Blues, who have failed to win at the Stadium of Light since Sheikh Mansour’s takeover in September, 2008.
The bookies would have you believe that City are a shoo-in when the two teams meet on the neutral territory of Wembley Stadium in the League Cup final on Sunday.
No-one in the City dressing room will be thinking that way and Sunderland already have the comfort of knowing that they beat the Blues in the only meeting of the two teams so far this season.
Salford lad Phil Bardsley grabbed a rare goal to secure victory for Gus Poyet’s team in November, the fourth time on the trot that City have lost 1-0 at that cursed venue.
The return fixture should have been a fortnight ago, until Storm Charlie ripped in from the Atlantic, causing havoc and forcing postponement of the game - and that is not the first bizarre occurrence to hit this fixture.
City fans will remember only too well the last time they actually DID win at Sunderland, on August 31, 2008, when Shaun Wright-Phillips scored twice and Stevie Ireland got the other as Mark Hughes’ team hit the heady heights of third in the table.
If that was not rich reward enough for Blues who were still emerging from the traumas of the late 90s and early noughties, within 24 hours they would be the richest club on the planet.
Hughes was on a golf course as that spectacular revolution took place, and 16 months later his City career was in a bunker - with Sunderland the visitors to the City of Manchester Stadium.
That was a surreal December day, and not because Roque Santa Cruz scored twice in a 4-3 win. News had spread around the ground that Hughes would be fired immediately after the game, and the match was played out to a background of discontent and confusion.
Adam Johnson, set to play for Sunderland on Sunday, scored the last City goal at the Stadium of Light, a brilliant, last-minute curler in 2010.
In 2012, the drama was astonishing as the Blues, who had a 100 per cent home record that had carried them to the top of the table, trailed Sunderland at the Etihad by 3-1, as the game moved into the last five minutes.
Aleks Kolarov and Mario Balotelli fired in goals to make it 3-3, but it was still seen as two dropped points, especially when United won two days later to go five points clear at the top.
Six weeks later, the draw was being hailed as the moment the title was won, as that late fightback and solitary point made all the difference in a tight finish.
That draw was the only time City have dropped points at home to Sunderland in the Mansour era - they have won the other four, scoring 13 goals in the process.
Manuel Pellegrini’s sole experience of Sunderland came just over three months ago, when he watched in bafflement as his team had 16 shots to the opponents’ four, put in 39 crosses to ten and won the corner count 14-0.
In the end that stat that counted was that Bardsley, albeit with the help of a nudge in James Milner’s back, had scored the only goal.
For all their dominance, City lacked real spark that day, maybe down to the fact that they were without Vincent Kompany, David Silva and Fernandinho, while Pablo Zabaleta was on the bench
All being well, City will have that key quartet in their team at Wembley and that should edge the odds in their favour - barring tempests, takeovers or turn-ups.
The Dossier: What Sunderland can learn from Wigan's Wembley wonder win
Gus Poyet's men must look to replicate the fearlessness, on the ball and off it, shown by the Latics against Manchester City, and improve upon their own failings at Arsenal
ANALYSIS
By Ewan Roberts
Another year, another Wembley cup final that sees Manchester City take on a relative minnow. They ended a 35-year wait for silverware when Stoke were defeated in the FA Cup final three years ago, though last season were stunned by Wigan – the final nail in Roberto Mancini's insufficiently holistic coffin.
Now City travel south once more for the Capital One Cup final to take on a Sunderland side scrapping for their Premier League status, but the promises of atonement and renewed determination suggest the mark Wigan left on City will not allow them to take Sunday's test lightly. The Latics, perhaps, have heightened the task facing Gus Poyet's men, but they also left lessons that can be utilised to spring another upset.
Paramount to Sunderland's gameplan, just as it was for Wigan, will be possession. Roberto Martinez's side were tutored to nurture the ball throughout his tenure, and duly recorded 49 per cent possession in last May's encounter, completing a mere 14 passes fewer than City (who recorded 505 in total).
Wigan never allowed their more illustrious opponents to take control of a largely even encounter, and in fact their average pass streak was superior. They were able to take the tempo and sting out of passages of play and avoided being put under concerted pressure – at least until the latter stages of the contest.
Such a tactic would appear beyond Sunderland based on their most recent outing against Arsenal, a practice run for the final in which they slumped to a 4-1 defeat at the Emirates Stadium. Prior to Olivier Giroud's fifth-minute strike the home side had boasted 93% possession, which settled to 65% by the end of the match, and completed 717 passes to the visitors' 394.
Particularly in the first half, Sunderland were completely incapable of stopping Arsenal from playing, or retaining possession themselves. While not a true reflection of how Poyet intends for his side to play, it did provide a worrying glimpse of the perils of sitting back, dropping deep and failing to pressure the opposition, especially one that shares so many similarities with City (as the former Brighton boss noted).
“Arsenal are difficult to play against when they are fresh and pass the ball well, but that [accepting opposition superiority] is not the way I play football and we were poor in many things,” the Uruguayan noted afterwards. “[We learnt] how good you need to be technically to play against the better teams, how much possession you have to keep, and when you have a chance to break you have to finish the actions.”
The return of Lee Cattermole, present in wins over Chelsea and Manchester United en route to Wembley, will be a massive boost. The tough-tackling midfielder was not risked against Arsenal, but is guaranteed to start in the final. “If there is one player starting next week, it is Lee Cattermole,” said his manager. “The rest at the moment are substitutes.”
The 25-year-old, who ironically once played his football at the DW Stadium, brings exactly the combination of ball-winning tenacity and deceptive poise in possession needed, and, with Poyet reluctant to use three at the back as Martinez did, can drop in and help his centre-back's outnumber City's two strikers.
Like Wigan before them, Sunderland must take the game to City; press them aggressively, resist the temptation to retreat, be brave on the ball and look to harness their counter-attacking strengths – only Liverpool have scored more goals from fast breaks in the Premier League this term, but, as a percentage of total goals scored, Sunderland (11%) actually rely more heavily on counter-attacking goals than the Merseysiders (8.5%).
The Black Cats did not show their countering claws in north London, though, failing to muster a single shot following a break, and much of that was due to the meek performances of left winger Adam Johnson and bulldozing frontman Jozy Altidore. Both were hauled off at half-time, perhaps rested, perhaps prime examples of the players Poyet warned were no longer guaranteed a start.
But the productive displays of hard-working frontman Arouna Kone and tricky winger Callum McManaman in last season's FA Cup final highlight the match-defining importance their Sunderland counterparts could have on the game.
Against Arsenal, Altidore was too isolated – partly through Arsenal's restricted, stifling possession, and partly by his own unwillingness to drop deep and reconnect with the midfield. The American, who touched the ball just 14 times in his 45 minutes on the pitch, seemed keener to test his own strength and aerial ability against Per Mertesacker rather than try to move the German around and exploit his lack of mobility and pace.
That is exactly the trap he cannot afford to fall into against City. What Kone did perfectly was to move Vincent Kompany around – a centre-back who likes to step up though usually falls somewhere between clumsy and reckless when doing so – and frequently pulled out wide when City's full-backs had advanced up the field, thus dragging the Belgian with him.
Just as it did for McManaman, that movement and involvement of the centre-forward should create more space and opportunities for Johnson. However, the former City winger – who has scored or assisted eight goals in seven league matches in 2014 and looked primed to punish his old club this weekend – will have to shed the shackles he donned at the Emirates.
The 26-year-old, once again snubbed by Roy Hodgson in his latest England squad, touched the ball just 11 times, the worst of any player who started, and completed zero dribbles. He never ran at Nacho Monreal, he never committed the Spaniard and he was far too conservative, with his average position deep in his own half.
Not only does that lie in stark contrast to McManaman, who completed nine dribbles and had 49 touches against City, terrorising Gael Clichy and drawing foul after foul (even luring Pablo Zabaleta towards a red card), but it was also in contrast to Johnson's replacement on Saturday, Sebastian Larsson. The Swede retained his width, stayed high up the field and created three chances – the joint-most of any player on either side.
Though defeated against Arsenal, the match was an important dress rehearsal for what Sunderland can expect at Wembley and a necessary reminder of why the Black Cats should look to the aspects Wigan did so well in last year's FA Cup final. Now Poyet has a second chance to get it right, and must ensure his side show the fearlessness on the ball required to prevent a repeat of their Emirates collapse and pull off another upset at City's expense.
Can Sunderland win?
It's 41 years since Sunderland won a major trophy and they're huge underdogs for Sunday's Capital One Cup final against Manchester City at Wembley. But Adam Bate makes the case for a Black Cats upset...
Ben Watson's stoppage-time header delivered one of the great cup stories last season as little Wigan Athletic saw off mighty Manchester City to win the FA Cup. Now it's Sunderland hoping to stop the City juggernaut as they visit Wembley for the Capital One Cup final.
Of course, it won't just be those in the Sunderland dressing room discussing the events of last May. City's stars will surely be determined to ensure that history does not repeat itself. It is a huge ask for Sunderland to recreate Wigan's stylish efforts, but having already seen off Chelsea and Manchester United in this cup run, there are ways in which they can at least boost their chances. Adam Bate looks at six steps to spark Sunderland optimism...
Cattermole to provide the bite
Sunderland didn't exactly warm up in style for the big game with a sloppy display as they were hammered 4-1 by Arsenal last weekend. Three goals down by half-time, Gus Poyet's men were never in it. "You need to be smart enough to slow down the game and organise," said Poyet afterwards. "You have to be patient and press the ball, but we didn't."
Indeed, perhaps the most alarming aspect to the defeat was that Sunderland were not only outplayed but outfought as Arsenal's slick stars were allowed to dance through the Black Cats midfield. That's exactly the sort of football that the returning Lee Cattermole will be out to stop. The midfielder was rested for the trip to the Emirates Stadium with the cup final in mind.
Poyet even suggested that the 25-year-old was omitted over fears that referee Andre Marriner would send him off against the Gunners and while the result sparked debate as to the wisdom of that decision, few would argue the manager's concerns were groundless. Sunderland have the most red cards of any team in the Premier League this season, with Cattermole among the culprits.
However, the midfield bite that Cattermole can provide is exactly the sort of approach Poyet must put his faith in at Wembley. Breaking up City's fluid passing game will be essential if his team are to prevail. "If there is one player starting next week, it is Lee Cattermole," said Poyet after the disappointment of the Arsenal result. "The rest at the moment are substitutes."
Recall Giaccherini
Poyet continued: "No one has put them on the sheet for next week. No one. Everything I had in mind for next week is gone in 90 minutes, gone completely, so we start from zero." That's good news for winger Emanuele Giaccherini as the summer signing tries to force his way into the starting line-up following his return from injury.
The Italy international made an encouraging comeback in the FA Cup win over Southampton and his consolation goal at Arsenal might well have swayed Poyet's thinking. That could be crucial to Sunderland's hopes for a couple of reasons. Not only would a fit and in-form Giaccherini help the side, but his inclusion could see Fabio Borini move to his favoured central striker role. And that presents particularly intriguing possibilities against City...
Expose City's lack of pace at the back
Martin Demichelis has become something of a focal point for concerned City supporters with his unconvincing performances. However, the full horror of his display against Barcelona was a little overplayed. In fact, the Argentine succeeded in keeping compatriot Lionel Messi quiet for almost an hour prior to his sending off. You'd think Jozy Altidore should be a walk in the Wembley park.
Poyet eyes trophy success
But there is an issue there. While Demichelis isn't the slowest once he's properly into his stride, against Stoke last weekend the Premier League tracking data revealed that his average speed was inferior to any other outfield player on the pitch. This reflects a sluggishness off the mark that is all too painfully evident to the naked eye.
For Sunderland, this is an opportunity and there is a chance to expose their illustrious opponents with pace in behind the defence. An out-of-form Altidore might not be the man to do it, while Steven Fletcher is struggling for full fitness, but Borini might prove a good option. The Italian's 59 sprints against Arsenal were more than anyone else on either side and Borini versus Demichelis is a match-up that any savvy manager would surely go out of his way to facilitate. Get Borini up top.
Hope Aguero is not fully fit
Of course, keeping Manuel Pellegrini's free-scoring side quiet at the other end can be a very difficult challenge. And yet, if Sergio Aguero is not back to full fitness then there is plenty of evidence to suggest that this task becomes rather more doable. City were on a run of 18 wins and two draws from their 20 games up to and including the 5-1 win at Tottenham in which Aguero was injured. They've lost two and drawn one of the five games since.
Moreover, the goals have dried up. City have netted just three goals in five games without the diminutive Argentine striker, with Edin Dzeko proving a comically inadequate replacement against Stoke. Alvaro Negredo with Jesus Navas, David Silva and Samir Nasri on the bench remains an attack to fear, but Poyet is entitled to feel an awful lot happier if Aguero is on the sidelines.
Make it a long-distance shooting contest
If City are without their fox in the box, it will only aid Sunderland's hopes of keeping City at arm's length. And a long-distance shooting contest would certainly favour the underdogs. Recent statistical research by Colin Trainor, available here on the Statsbomb website, somewhat counter-intuitively suggests shooting from distance is a good option for sides and - crucially - that there is little difference in that shot success between good sides and bad. As Phil Bardsley showed in forcing an error from David de Gea in the semi-final at Old Trafford, if you don't buy a ticket...
Furthermore, there is evidence to suggest it could be a particularly lucrative option for Sunderland against Manchester City. Pellegrini's men have actually conceded more goals from outside the box than Sunderland this season. Vito Mannone has the best save percentage from outside the box (94.2 per cent) of any regular goalkeeper in the Premier League. By contrast, Joe Hart languishes down at 85.7 per cent, while alternative Costel Pantilimon - Pellegrini's choice thus far in the competition - has done little to inspire confidence. Could Sunderland have a goalkeeping hero?
Settle it with set-pieces
If the cup final long shots are to rely on, err, long shots, then Jack Colback's poor performance against Arsenal could hardly have been more unfortunately timed. Sebastian Larsson made a good impression from the bench and the Swede's dead-ball delivery means Poyet is unlikely to require much of an excuse to turn to the midfielder instead. In fact, with set-pieces vital to Sunderland's hopes, how can he ignore him?
No Premier League team has been more reliant on dead-ball situations this season, with 12 of their 26 goals coming from this source - a huge 46 per cent. With only 10 players in the top flight having created more chances from set-pieces than Larsson, there is a strong case for using the 28-year-old in order to maximise what are likely to be limited opportunities at Wembley. It won't be easy and they'll need some luck, but that's our Sunderland side to make history on Sunday...
League Cup final: Steve Cram on Sunderland's FA Cup win
CAPITAL ONE CUP FINAL: MAN CITY V SUNDERLAND
Venue: Wembley Date: Sunday 2 March Kick-off: 14:00 GMT
Coverage: Live text commentary on the BBC Sport website; live commentary on BBC Radio 5 live
Sunderland face Manchester City in the Capital One Cup final at Wembley on Sunday. It is 41 years since the Black Cats last won a major trophy - BBC athletics commentator and Sunderland fan Steve Cram reflects on that FA Cup win over Leeds in 1973.
I was 12 when Sunderland beat the mighty Leeds United to win the 1973 FA Cup. As we celebrated for days afterwards, even getting our hands on the trophy itself, nobody told us that such a wonderful thing may never happen again in our lifetime.
Sunderland were massive underdogs to beat a great Leeds side on a special day for everyone associated with the club. Can we do it again against Manchester City on Sunday?
I was - and still am - a huge fan. I'd been to all of the early rounds at home but I didn't make it to the semi-final and it was decided that I was a bit young for a day out in London on my own.
My dad was a policeman and he was working on that day, so that was it. Decision made. Our next door neighbour went, he did at one point suggest that he might take me but it didn't materialise.
Cup final day
At home in those days we still had a black-and-white television, so I watched it two doors down at a friend's house. They were the talk of the street as they had recently got a colour television. It was the first match I'd seen in colour.
It was quite a scene, two or three families huddled around the set. I can remember it all.
It's hard to imagine now, but the FA Cup was the only live football on television. Every year it was a huge day and for your team to be in the final was a massive occasion. The TV coverage started in the morning, then you would have It's a Knockout between Sunderland and Leeds, then a Question of Sport, a whole bunch of programmes leading up to it. As a 12-year-old it was very special indeed.
Sunderland were in the second division and Leeds were probably the best team in Europe at that time, certainly the best in the UK, full of stars.
In the 12 years I had been alive Leeds had won the league once and been runners-up five times. They had Billy Bremner, Allan Clarke, Norman Hunter, Peter Lorimer, Johnny Giles. They were the FA Cup holders, these guys were superstars - very much the Yaya Toure and Sergio Aguero of their day.
We had a team of very good players but they hadn't become a team of names at that point. People like Dave Watson, Dennis Tueart, Jimmy Montgomery. They weren't known too far beyond Sunderland.
I knew them all. I used to go on my own to home games, catching the bus from Jarrow bus station.
My dad used to be on duty at a lot of games at Roker Park, sometimes I could see him from the terraces. I quite often got a lift home in a police van - for all the right reasons.
Roker Park could hold 65,000 fans back then but there were plenty of occasions when there were 20,000 in there and you could shout to each other.
It was surreal seeing these players - who I was used to watch lining-up against Luton, Orient or Oxford - walking out at Wembley. I was really nervous, I remember that.
After the six hours of build-up that little house was full of energy by the time the game kicked-off. It was a fairly even first half without many chances and then it happened - we scored!
We never thought we would score from a corner. We weren't renowned for being good in the air but the ball just dropped for Ian Porterfield and he slammed it into the net. What a moment for the man, for us fans, for the whole town. Brilliant.
Lorimer makes it one each - No! Astonishing!
Leeds then laid siege to our goal for the whole of the second half, and the moment everyone remembers is Jimmy Montgomery's miraculous double save.
I thought it was a goal, most people did.
e saved a header from Trevor Cherry and then it was an incredible effort to turn Peter Lorimer's follow-up on to the crossbar.
When it dropped out you thought they would still bury the rebound but we somehow kept it out. In those days replays took quite a long time to appear on the TV so for a while we weren't too sure how he'd stopped it. It was a great save.
Monty is someone I've got to know well over the years. The club had a 70th birthday party for him recently, we had a nice dinner and quite a few members of that team were there. The funny thing is that the players said that in that same season away at Hull he made an even better save.
It was in the days before all games were on TV, so there is no footage of it but you ask all the players - that was the better save.
He was a brilliant goalkeeper. It's just a shame he was around in the era of Gordon Banks, Peter Bonetti, Peter Shilton and Ray Clemence or he would have won a lot of England caps. He is one of the all-time heroes at Sunderland and his save is one of the great FA Cup moments.
How I met the Cup
About four or five days after the final the players were invited to a social club and brought the FA Cup with them. They had a good night out and the Cup was given to Jarrow police to look after overnight.
My dad Bill was on a night shift so he came home, got me and my brother Kevin out of bed, got us dressed in our best bib and tucker and took us down to the station to have our picture taken. It's still on my dad's mantelpiece to this day.
I also took the day off school for the victory parade, you had to queue up to get tickets for the end of it at the stadium.
You were allowed two each and I bought mine and came out of the exit at the turnstile. This bloke thought that I'd been pushed out of the queue so he put me back into it at the front, and I had just enough money to buy two more! I was very popular with my pals.
This year's team
We've done well in recent times against Manchester City. On paper we shouldn't beat them but in a one-off game we have a chance. They are the best team to watch at the moment and going forward they can be frightening. They have taken much better teams than us apart.
Steve Cram
"I used to play up front, I wasn't bad but my running took over. There was a guy in my year group from a school down the road called Chris Waddle. We all knew he was going to be a professional from the age of nine or 10, he was an amazing player."
But we will go there in confident mood. Gus Poyet has got us playing some good stuff, and we beat Chelsea and Manchester United on the way. We deserve to be there.
I was in Kenya for the second leg of the semi-final against Manchester United, with GB athletes at the training camp. I was jumping around celebrating at 2am like an idiot when we won the penalty shoot-out.
I was worried that the final was while I was away at the Winter Olympics in Sochi and I would miss it. But I am going, with my kids.
I've had a few days at Wembley with Sunderland - they've all ended in defeat. Let's hope it's fourth time lucky.
Supporting a team like Sunderland is often misery and false hope and these are the days to cherish every 10 or 15 years or so. It will be a massive day for Sunderland fans.
I'm not sure who would win if our side from 1973 played today's XI. There may well be three or four red cards. We had some tough-tackling players in the 70s that would make Lee Cattermole look tame.
What I do know is that if Gus Poyet gets his side to play with the same spirit and togetherness that Bob Stokoe was able to generate over 40 years ago, then we will have every chance of producing another famous Wembley upset.
Steve Cram was talking to BBC Sport's Tom Rostance
Could Sunderland beat Manchester City in the Capital One Cup final?
The agonising wait since that unforgettable, epic night at Old Trafford is almost over as Black Cat fans across both Wearside and the rest of the country board planes, trains and automobiles to begin their journey to the capital for the biggest game in Sunderland’s recent history.
Make no mistake, Cup finals don’t come around very often for Sunderland fans, with their last close encounter with silverware coming back in 1992, in a time where the Premier League was still seen as a suspicious experiment and shorts were, by their very nature, short.
In fact the 92 Cup final is one of my earliest footballing memories, with only a random flashback of an Italia 90 football, a gift from my father, coming from further back in the annals of my memory. The fact it was more than likely a freebie from the local petrol station was lost on me as a five-year-old.
The FA Cup final of 1992 coincided with my birthday, for which I was presented a crisp, new Sunderland home shirt, glistening in all its nylon glory. Truth be told, at the time, football was still something of an enigma to me. My dad was not really into the sport at the time and it was only “just” a game to me at the time.
As the full-day, pre-match build up, as was customary at the time, ramped up the anticipation to kick-off I was blissfully unaware that there was even the slightest chance that Liverpool could beat my side…
How wrong I was and tears were shed.
What perhaps cemented my love for the club was the open top bus parade to welcome the valiant hero’s home. Yes, you read that right. A veritable carnival that is usually reserved to revel in a victorious cup campaign was lavishly celebrated by the people of Wearside who packed the streets of Sunderland as the bus wound its way through the city’s streets.
You see, success is not something which is easily attributable to a club such as Sunderland. We often flirt with the idea of winning something before catastrophically making a mess of the whole ordeal. Yo-yo’ing between leagues was par for the course not long ago and even now, as an established Premier League club if you like, and we are still in severe danger of relegation.
So you see, it is not just the fact that Sunderland face the imposing prospect of Manchester City on Sunday that will have many fans not expecting to emerge victorious but also the fact that success just doesn’t seem to happen to a club like ours.
However, while there may not be expectation, there is certainly hope and a whole barrel load of dreams. Gus Poyet was asked on the Old Trafford field if his side can win the game, his response was both subtle yet quietly rousing: ‘Of course, why not’.
Here’s hoping the inspirational Uruguayan is right .
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Colin Murray: Demise of ‘Milk Cup’ leaves a sour taste
While it’s not even the most talked about game this weekend, let alone this week, I’m looking forward to Sunday’s Milk Cup – sorry, it’s an age thing.
Like most fans, I still refer to the League Cup by the first sponsor I can remember. In my case, it was the Milk Marketing Board. Oh, how football has changed.
Those in their early 30s will often let a misplaced ‘Littlewoods’ or ‘Rumbelows’ slip out. And what have all those sponsors got in common? They no longer exist.
The tournament itself has not yet gone the way of its original three backers, but it’s showing real signs of wear and tear.
For big clubs, it is often used to stretch the legs of youngsters and fringe players, while the money up for grabs is peanuts to the elite sides.
This season, Championship outfit Brighton and Hove Albion put out a weakened starting XI in the last 16 of the FA Cup, so what hope has its lesser cup cousin got?
Many managers will view it as a hindrance, prioritising other trophies or survival ahead of this particular Wembley trip. And it’s hard to blame them, given what’s at stake elsewhere.
Unless clubs lower their prices, we see many League Cup games taking place in ghost towns of stadiums, the chattering empty seats making more noise than the diehard fans.
Still, I don’t see why football should always work to the pace of the biggest clubs.
The shrug of the big boys leaves the door open for less-fancied teams, with European football also on offer to the eventual winners. Seven different clubs have lifted this trophy in the last ten seasons, and there hasn’t been a ‘big-four’ final since 2007, when Chelsea beat Arsenal.
Aston Villa, Middlesbrough, Birmingham, Wigan, Cardiff, Swansea and Bradford fans have all made the final in the past decade, and Sunderland’s North-East army will be rightfully buzzing as they make their way south this weekend.
To be fair, so will the Manchester City supporters who, like all real football fans, care more about winning trophies than share prices.
Still, this upside is a by-product of the League Cup’s decline in importance. Maybe there needs to be a radical rethink to breathe new life into this tournament, or I fear it could go the same way as a certain electrical retailer.
Personally, I want it not only to survive but thrive, although some might think I’m already crying over spilt milk.
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Capital One Cup final: The lowdown on Sunderland v Manchester City
Sunday’s Capital One Cup final pits big-money Manchester City against Sunderland, a club threatened with relegation who haven’t won a trophy since 1973.
But recent League Cup finals have shown the big guns don’t always have it their way and Black Cats boss Gus Poyet says victory at Wembley would make his players the happiest in England.
Here’s how the two clubs reached Wembley, and a look at the players and managers who will decide who goes home with the silverware on Sunday night.
Flashback: Sunderland's 1973 giantkilling of Leeds can act as inspiration against Manchester City in League Cup final.
In 1973, as a Second Division club, Sunderland toppled Leeds United in the FA Cup final. They take on Manchester City on Sunday in the League Cup final hoping history repeats itself
Sunderland have been here before. The task of upsetting English football's dominant force, in a showpiece occasion at Wembley, might cause some ripples of anxiety among the 31,000 Wearsiders heading south on Sunday for the Capital One Cup final against Manchester City, but the last time Sunderland were faced with such apparently insurmountable odds, they not only played above themselves but returned north clutching silverware.
That moment came in 1973 when, as a Second Division club, Sunderland toppled Leeds United in the FA Cup final. Leeds were omnipotent, a swaggering but well-drilled outfit under Don Revie that not only punished lesser teams at home, but also abroad.
Sunderland were written off as plucky runners up even while they were receiving praise for reaching Wembley.
Their subsequent triumph - Sunderland won 1-0 victory through Ian Porterfield's goal - has become so enshrined in the club's DNA that midfielder Jack Colback revealed this week the date is the security code for the main entrance at the training ground.
As Gus Poyet's team prepare to encounter an equally formidable City on Sunday afternoon, it is timely proof that there is no such thing as a lost cause in knockout football.
"Sunderland playing Man City, it's almost an identical scenario to when we played Leeds," said goalkeeper Jim Montgomery, whose brilliant double save in the second half against Leeds guaranteed him iconic status on Wearside.
"Leeds were the dominant side in the land at the time and Man City are probably the best team now. We beat Man City and Arsenal on the way to the final, they were two excellent sides, and this team have beaten Chelsea and Manchester United to get to the final.
"The similarities are there and I'm hoping history repeats itself. To beat top teams on the way to the final, it gives you a lot belief that you can win the final as well. We were full of confidence before the game, people didn't realise how confident we were."
Sunderland took the lead with just over half an hour played when Vic Halom chested down a corner from Billy Hughes. With centre-back Dave Watson making a nuisance of himself, Porterfield was able to control the ball and fire past Leeds goalkeeper David Harvey.
Leeds poured forward in search of an equaliser and dominated, but Montgomery made a succession of wonderful saves, none more so than the double block which denied Trevor Cherry and then Peter Lorimer, the goalkeeper somehow parrying the latter's close-range shot onto the underside of the crossbar.
It is a save often compared to Gordon Banks's famous leap to keep out Pele's header when England drew with Brazil at the 1970 World Cup, but Montgomery, who has a suite named after him at the Stadium of Light, remains as modest today as he was then.
"People talk about the double save and I suppose it is part of Sunderland folklore and English football folklore," he said. "I don't think it was as good as Gordon Banks's against Brazil, but the memory is etched in my mind.
"I didn't really think about the significance of it at the time, the ball had gone out for a throw in and I had to deal with the next situation. It was only after the game when we did the post-match interviews and everyone was asking me about it.
"I just remember parrying the first one and I knew I had to get off the ground and try to stop the second one. It was sort of thing I did in training all the time. There's no point making the first save if you let in the second shot.
"It took two or three days for it to sink in. We had a game down at Cardiff City on the Monday night and another one on the Wednesday against QPR. The season wasn't finished so we couldn't really go out and enjoy ourselves. I'd love Sunderland to have something else to hark back to."
Leeds, who were the cup holders, could not believe they had lost, but one of Sunderland's players, former England international Dennis Tueart, insisted the favourites were tense and nervous before kick-off, which fuelled their own self-belief.
"We were probably more confident after we had seen the pre-match interviews," said Tueart, who scored a stunning overhead kick for Manchester City against his hometown club Newcastle United in the 1976 League Cup final, the last time City won the trophy.
"On the morning of the game, the teams were interviewed at the hotel. We were quite relaxed. One of the players, Billy Hughes, had one of those laughing boxes you could buy from a joke shop and during the interview he pressed it. We all creased up and fell about laughing and joking.
"Conversely, Leeds didn't do theirs live, it was pre-recorded. Done Revie wouldn't allow any outside interference on a matchday and they were sat up straight in club suits. We were there in flares and kipper ties, they looked rigid and uptight. We played with freedom, but they were too regimented."
There is a statue of Sunderland's 1973 cup winning manager, Bob Stokoe, outside the Stadium of Light. They might be erecting one of Poyet alongside him if Sunderland can repeat such a shock this weekend.
Manuel Pellegrini insists Manchester City won't underestimate Sunderland in Capital One Cup final
The Chilean coach accepts his team are favourites to win the trophy but has called for his players to approach the game professionally.
Manuel Pellegrini has insisted Manchester City will not underestimate opponents Sunderland in Sunday's Capital One Cup final.
City into the Wembley showdown as firm favourites, but Pellegrini said there would be no question of complacency within his squad.
The Chilean coach, boosted by the return of star striker Sergio Aguero, who is fit again after four weeks out injured, said: "Of course it is always dangerous to play any team.
"Sunderland has a lot of motivation to win the trophy, just like us.
"We are the favourites, but we cannot forget Sunderland eliminated Chelsea and Manchester United, so they are in the final because they deserve it. I think it will be a very close game."
Aguero, who had 26 goals in 25 games for City this season, is back to lead Pellegrini's attack and the boss said his return was a huge boost ahead of the final.
"It's very important to have Sergio back with us because he is a very important player," he added..
"It [whether Aguero starts] is something I must decide tomorrow and see how he has recovered from the work he has done this week.
"I will be very happy if we achieve it [winning the cup] because I think it reflects all your work for the year.
"We have played very well in the Capital One Cup because we have scored something like 19 or 20 goals, and only conceded one.
"So it's very important to win the cup."
Stevan Jovetic and Matija Nastasic are not fit for the final, but City have no other injury concerns.
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Capital One Cup final: Sunderland winger Adam Johnson targets victory over former club
Adam Johnson says winning the Capital One Cup with Sunderland would be the highlight of his career to date.
The 26-year-old won the Premier League and FA Cup during his time at Manchester City, and also has 11 senior England caps to his name.
However, given the Black Cats' disastrous start to the Premier League season and ongoing relegation battle, victory over City at Wembley on Sunday would be little short of remarkable.
Johnson said: "Especially the way the season has gone and playing City, it would probably be the highlight of my career, especially with Sunderland.
"When I was at City winning trophies and things, it was half-expected. But at Sunderland, no-one has even given us a chance of winning anything, so to bring that back would be massive."
Johnson made a £10m switch from City to the Stadium of Light in August 2012 after falling out of favour with then manager Roberto Mancini.
Although it took the Easington-born midfielder time to settle on Wearside, he has rediscovered his best form in recent months.
Johnson is not sure he has anything left to prove to anyone at City, but says that will make little difference to his approach.
"I don't know, it's been a while now since I left," he said. "But regardless of who you are playing for, as a player, you would always want to prove something in the final anyway whether you are the best player in the world or someone in his first final.
"You still want to be the best player on the pitch or the best player you can be, and I will be no different whether it's against City or anyone else."
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Pellegrini needs victory to validate big-spending City
Does Manuel Pellegrini pay much attention to football history? The Engineer is clearly a thoughtful, studious, thorough kind of coach, who seems more than aware of his position in the grander scheme of things. But if he is a student of the past, on this occasion he might be wise to stick to the present and pay no heed to what has gone before.
Because here is a quirk of history that the Chilean will certainly not wish to sustain: Sir Alex Ferguson aside, every single coach who has won the League Cup since 2007 has subsequently been fired by their club within a season of lifting the trophy.
The run goes like this: Jose Mourinho won it with Chelsea in March 2007 and was gone by the autumn. Juande Ramos won it with Spurs in 2008 and was soon on his bike. Fergie then took it home with him for a couple of seasons (remember those days when Manchester United won things?) before Alex McLeish steered Birmingham to a surprise victory over Arsenal at Wembley in 2011.
McLeish was removed from office barely three months later after his side were relegated. Then Kenny Dalglish won it with Liverpool in 2012. At the time he told us it was the trigger, the restart of something big at Anfield. Instead, it was something small that arrived in the dugout in the shape of Brendan Rodgers who replaced the dismissed Scot.
Most recently in 2013 Michael Laudrup extended the pattern. Despite steering Swansea to their first major trophy ever, he was summarily removed under a year later after taking an unscheduled spring break in Paris just after the team had lost a league game.
In short: look out Manuel. Because surely the Chilean is about to test the pattern by winning his first trophy in England (and his 'second' in Europe after the rather tenuous Intertoto Cup he lifted with Villarreal decade ago).
Surely there can be no other result than Manchester City, the most resourced club in the country, take the Capital One Cup back to the Etihad on Sunday evening. Surely Sunderland don’t have sufficient wherewithal to stop them. There can be no other result. Can there?
For Pellegrini this is a hugely significant moment. The Capital One Cup may be at the bottom of his stated priorities this season, but now he has reached the final he has to demonstrate that he has the wherewithal to convert potential into silverware.
Everyone knows City have the best squad, the deepest pockets and the sunniest financial outlook in the Premier League. But those are fruitless boasts without a stack of trophies to show for all the outlay. On Sunday Pellegrini has to prove that his side is as capable of accumulating cups as assumption insists they should be.
If the game were played on paper, he would be already home, hosed and with his feet in the ice bath. In theory, City – especially with Sergio Aguero back in the fold – are way better than anyone else in the country. Sure, there is a sizeable problem on the left-hand side of their defence, the one which Barcelona exploited so effectively in the recent Champions League encounter. But Sunderland aren’t Barca. And even in the form of his life, Adam Johnson isn’t Lionel Messi.
Frankly, Pellegrini could pick himself at left-back and the rest of his team would be more than capable of easing past the north easterners on Sunday.
Fortunately for Gus Poyet, the game won’t be played on paper. And the excitable Sunderland manager will be making his players more than aware of the huge expectation gap between them and their opponents. City are expected not only to win, but win comfortably.
Given the difference in resources between the two sides, the City players should walk it. Which, oddly, as Poyet will be telling his men, brings a certain pressure. Whereas Sunderland have absolutely nothing to lose and can approach the game with the carefree abandon of the underdog, City will walk out on the Wembley turf burdened with assumption.
And assumption can play funny tricks. You only have to look at the most recent of history to see what that can do. Last May, City were up against Wigan in the FA Cup final, a side if anything even less favoured than Sunderland. The supposition was they would not just walk it, they’d stroll contemptuously to victory. Yet they blew it. At Wembley the divide between potential and trophies suddenly appeared a vast chasm.
Sure, things have changed for City in many ways since then. For a start the players have in charge of them a man who does not spend most of his working life lambasting them for their failings. They have instead a man of patience, dignity and sensitivity. They also have a much improved squad. The addition of Alvaro Negredo and Fernandinho have been hugely significant.
But one thing they still don’t have is a collection of trophies to prove their superiority. They need to start accumulating silverware fast, even if it is just in the shape of the Capital One Cup.
No matter what happened to those who won in the recent past, Pellegrini has to engineer victory. If what is going on at City is to have any point, any purpose, he has no choice but to win. No pressure then, Manuel.
Sunderland's Ellis Short hopes for cup final defeat of Manchester City.
After a weird season on Wearside Sunderland's owner has glimpse of improbable Wembley glory in Capital One Cup final.
Good things come to those who wait. And yet it seems they also come to those who flail around wildly looking for the nearest handhold, regularly hurl the last six months of forward planning out of the window, and generally don't seem to be able to sit down for any period of time without jabbing themselves in the foot with the nearest sharp implement. For Sunderland, progress to Sunday's Capital One Cup final has involved not so much a cup run as a compelling kind of cup stampede, fraught with hierarchal change, a fast-paced turnover in playing staff and the continual clank-clank of gear-shift and about-turn.
Not that there is anything new in any of this. It is now four years since Ellis Short bought the club from the Drumaville Consortium, during which time Short's bafflingly incontinent administration has signed 42 players and sold 53, including 14 new signings from 10 different leagues in the past year alone. Four permanent managers have come and gone, along with three temporary ones, a disgruntled-looking Roy Keane, one fascism-related scandal, an improbable ginger-bearded director of football, and at least £200m of Short's own money in transfers and wages. From a distance the American private equity tycoon with a personal fortune of $3bn seems the most unlikely of accidental cup finalists, a man who has effectively blundered his way to Wembley in the past six months.
As ever in football the truth is a little less straightforward. Sunderland's mistakes have been obvious enough, given a sharper focus of late by a disastrous summer transfer window, the sacking of Paolo Di Canio and the departure in January of Roberto De Fanti, a personal acquaintance of Short appointed director of football last year who oversaw a string of hapless new signings.
Even now Sunderland's administration looks oddly callow and homemade, with only Short, a man who knows a great deal about money and a proportionately small amount about elite-level football in any coherent advisory capacity, and the chief executive, Margaret Byrne, above the manager, Gus Poyet.
In spite of which these mercurial Black Cats are currently halfway to performing a mid-air pirouette and landing back on their feet. Should Poyet's team beat Manchester City at Wembley and then, on the back of some encouraging recent momentum, edge themselves from 18th to 17th in the Premier League table in the next six weeks, a season that has at times seemed on the verge of meltdown could end up as one of the most memorable in Sunderland's postwar history.
Yet even within sight of an unlikely good news story there are still contradictions. The League Cup final itself arrives as a mixed mid-season blessing. Such have been the travails of recent winners it is even tempting to talk about the Curse of the Capital One. The holders, Swansea, won just one of their final 10 Premier League matches last season and have since sacked Michael Laudrup. Kenny Dalglish was sacked three months after winning it in 2012. Birmingham won it in 2011 and were relegated the same season. Spurs won it in 2008 and sacked Juande Ramos the same year. Chelsea won it under José Mourinho the year before that and were being managed by Avram Grant within six months.
For Sunderland the fear is naturally that success at Wembley might induce a release of tension at a vital stage in the Premier League season. And yet this in turn raises a broader question, the wider issue of what, exactly, the likes of Short are in this for anyway. Why do they do it, these otherwise rather sober entrepreneur-owners, stakeholders in what is a horribly fraught and emotive business?
It is tempting to compare owning a Premier League football club to owning an airline, a confusingly multifarious business that is on the face of it as much about prestige and status as any sensible notions of money-making. Sunderland's opponents at Wembley, Manchester City, have spent close to £1bn, with a return so far of a single FA Cup and that breathless last-day league title two years ago.
At Aston Villa Randy Lerner has consistently lost money, last year writing off loan repayments worth £20m. Liverpool's debt continues to rise, if not uncontrollably. And yet, as Short has discovered, owning a football club can also feel a bit like owning a house during a boom in the market. Sometimes no matter what you do to it, how many ill-fated schemes you set out on, how may walls you tear down and leave unfinished, it still just keeps on going up in value.
For all the lows of the last year a place in the Premier League remains a guarantee of hugely increased television revenues and ramped up shirt sponsorship deals. Helped by some chaotically productive wheeler dealing, and the Stadium of Light's second life as a concert venue for the likes of Coldplay and Bruce Springsteen, Sunderland managed to rake in £96.4m in total revenues last year, more than the Turkish champions, Galatasaray.
Against this, £100,000 for winning the Capital One Cup looks like small beer, as does the promised interference of a turn in the Europa League. Albeit, again the question of exactly what top-level football is for these days raises its head.
Short is the most hard-nosed of operators in his financial career, but there is a creeping, familiar sense – this is after all, English football – of a chairman who does at times seem to enjoy the high visibility benefits of life as a Premier League chairman, who separately owns the Scottish celebrity haunt Skibo Castle, revels in his face-to-face encounters with Sunderland's fans, and who was recently in the news for leaving a £1,800 tip while dining out in a city centre curry house after the win over Everton.
Not that Short does not deserve to enjoy himself a little after the rigours of early season. In particular the appointment of Poyet has been a clear success so far, an indication once again of how in football one good decision can draw a veil over a bucket-load of wrong turns. Sunderland's manager has this week gone from saying he would always choose Premier League survival over winning the League Cup to a state of obvious excitement ahead of Sunday's final.
Short was something of a lone cheerleader for Poyet before his appointment, but the Uruguayan's energy, his commitment to the club, and a run of recent victories have threatened to recalibrate Sunderland's season: post-Wembley they have six winnable home matches in the league, to go alongside away games at Liverpool, Spurs, Chelsea and Manchester United.
If victory against City's heavyweights remains an unlikely prospect, Sunderland have won four and drawn two of the last eight matches between the two, and lost just once in the last five. They have a goalkeeper in fine form, a former City winger in Adam Johnson with seven goals in his last nine matches and opponents who might, just, have their eyes set on broader horizons.
For all that, this is still Sunderland, a club apparently set this season on taking the path of most resistance. One thing seems certain. It is unlikely to be dull.
Sunderland’s Top 10 League Cup moments: No 2 - semi-final success over Chelsea
SUNDERLAND fans will be hoping the greatest moment in the club’s League Cup history comes on Sunday, when they take on Manchester City in the Capital One Cup final.
In the run-up to the showpiece occasion at Wembley, the Gazette is doing a countdown of the top 10 moments the club has enjoyed in the competition.
Gazette sports writer DANIEL PRINCE talks us through No 2 on the list: the two-legged semi-final win over Chelsea in 1985.
Sunderland’s quest for silverware in the 1985 competition pitted them against Chelsea in the semi-finals, and a tight clash was expected.
However, the first leg at Roker Park saw the Black Cats build up a healthy advantage, and they never looked back.
Colin West scored two penalties as Sunderland won 2-0, with Len Ashurst’s side seemingly on their way to Wembley.
Chelsea, of course, had other ideas, but simply could not keep the Black Cats out in the second leg at Stamford Bridge.
Clive Walker scored twice and West grabbed the other as Sunderland won 3-2 to take the tie 5-2 on aggregate.
That did not go down well with the Chelsea faithful, with crowd trouble a feature of the second leg.
That did not dim Sunderland’s achievement, though, and hopes were high they would take the trophy home when they faced Norwich City in the final.
However, they came up short, with the Canaries triumphing 1-0.
Sunderland’s Top 10 League Cup moments: No 1 - penalty drama v Man United
SUNDERLAND fans will be hoping the greatest moment in the club’s League Cup history comes tomorrow, when they take on Manchester City in the Capital One Cup final.
In the days leading up to the showpiece occasion at Wembley, the Gazette has taken you through the top 10 moments the club has enjoyed in the competition.
Gazette sports writer DANIEL PRINCE talks us through No 1. on the list: the drama-filled semi-final against Manchester United this season.
Sunderland knew they were playing Man United at a low ebb when they met in the two-legged tie, but even so, David Moyes’s side were regarded as the favourites.
Gus Poyet knew the Black Cats would have to take advantage of the first leg at the Stadium of Light, and when Ryan Giggs put through his own net on the stroke of half-time, the signs were good for the Wearsiders.
However, Nemanja Vidic equalised shortly after the break to halt Sunderland’s joy.
Nevertheless, they were not to be denied, and Fabio Borini’s emphatic penalty meant they went into the second leg with a 2-1 advantage.
The drama was far from over, though, with an incredible night at Old Trafford ensuing.
The 9,000 Sunderland fans who travelled to the game were certainly put through the wringer.
Former Black Cats loanee Jonny Evans opened the scoring for Man United on 37 minutes, and the rest of the match was a nervy affair which always looked set to go the distance.
Sure enough, extra-time was needed to separate the sides, although the Red Devils held the advantage as the away goals rule came into effect after the additional 30 minutes.
Sunderland were on their way out until a long-range effort from Phil Bardsley squirmed through David De Gea in the 119th minute to send the travelling Black Cats into raptures and, surely, to Wembley.
However, more drama lay ahead.
Incredibly, Man United went up the other end of the pitch, and the ball eventually fell to Javier Hernandez, who broke Sunderland hearts by scoring to force penalties.
The momentum was all with the home side, before one of the lowest quality penalty shoot-outs ever seen.
Craig Gardner and Steven Fletcher both missed for Sunderland, while Danny Welbeck, Phil Jones and Adnan Januzaj missed for the hosts.
Adam Johnson then missed the chance to put the Black Cats through, before Rafael was denied by Vito Mannone, who booked Sunderland’s place at Wembley.
That sparked scenes of wild joy among the Wearside contingent, who won 2-1 in the shoot-out after a night packed with drama.
They will get the chance to write the final chapter on their exhilarating League Cup run on Sunday, but they will do well to match this game for excitement.
SUNDERLAND do not plan an open-top bus parade on their return to the city – even if they win the League Cup trophy this weekend.
The decision was taken by the club with the full backing of head coach Gus Poyet, who is happy to turn his attention immediately towards the FA Cup quarter-final the following weekend, and then the battle for Premier League survival.
An open-top bus parade was held after Sunderland’s FA Cup final defeat in 1992, with Malcolm Crosby’s players saluted by fans in an unforgettable show of support as the open-top bus made its way from Belmont through Houghton, and the city of Sunderland to Seaburn.
And many would have liked the chance to show similar appreciation to Poyet’s players this time around.
But the circumstances were different then – it was the last game of the season, and the game was played on a Saturday, allowing planning for Sunday’s parade.
Tomorrow’s game is a Sunday, making planning difficult for a parade.
And on top of that there’s the more difficult problem to overcome these days that many of Sunderland’s squad are full internationals, and will leave after the Wembley final to join up with their countries for games being played next week.
Open-top bus parades are always fantastic occasions for players, staff and fans, and no one would deny Sunderland deserve one for reaching this year’s final; even more so should they win it!
But Poyet, pictured, is happy for himself, and his players to continue focusing purely on the games in hand.
“An open-top bus parade?” he said. “I don’t even want to plan if we do win.
“I just want to make sure we do something important for the club, the chairman, (who nobody talks about), and for the fans who have waited so long.
“And I want it to give us an extra incentive in the league too.
“The other way – people say what happens if you lose?
“But we play a cup game the week after, so it’s not that bad.
“It’s not like it’s the end of the world if we lose – we can recover.
“The cup final at Wembley is massive for us, but it is not the end, we will move on quickly.”
An open-top bus parade therefore will have to wait – although there is potentially the FA Cup still to factor in!
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Poyet warns Sunderland they’re in for a stormy ride
SUNDERLAND must come through stormy waters against Manchester City and then strike when they are on top.
That will be Gus Poyet’s message to his players ahead of tomorrow’s Capital One Cup final, as Sunderland bid to end their 41-year trophy drought.
Poyet watched Sunderland fold in the first half at Arsenal last weekend when the Black Cats were firmly on the back foot.
The Uruguayan knows Sunderland cannot afford to be such a soft touch when title contenders Manchester City inevitably enjoy lengthy spells of pressure at Wembley tomorrow.
And when Sunderland do produce promising moments of their own, Poyet insists the under-dogs must make the most of it.
“In these types of games, you will always have a good period sooner or later and you need to take advantage,” Poyet told the Echo.
“They will have a good period too and then you have to make sure you don’t give anything cheaply away.
“If they do it by quality, then fair enough.
“But the other day, we gave Arsenal the second goal at 30 minutes and who knows what would have happened if it had been 1-0 at half-time.
“Arsenal played with 10 men three days before and who knows what could have happened with a couple of changes. But at 3-0, it was game over.
“We need to make sure we manage those times.
“If we concede after 38 minutes, then make sure we get to half-time just 1-0 down.”
Poyet says it is particularly crucial that Sunderland begin the final on the front foot.
Sunderland were left facing an uphill battle at the Emirates after conceding within the first five minutes and the Black Cats boss says there can be no repeat against Man City.
“It’s vitally important that we start well,” he added.
“We have to be a little bit more brave during the first 20 minutes than we were at Arsenal.
“And then we have to manage the game.”
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Man City will fear fighting Cattermole
PHIL Bardsley believes Lee Cattermole can be Sunderland’s driving force at Wembley tomorrow – and says he’s glad the midfielder’s name was the first pencilled on the team sheet for the Capital One Cup final.
With January signing Liam Bridcutt cup-tied, Cattermole’s the obvious candidate for the defensive midfield role which could prove so pivotal to Sunderland’s cup final hopes tomorrow.
And Gus Poyet paid the midfielder the compliment of leaving him out of last week’s Premier League game against Arsenal for fear that the Teessider might get injured or suspended and be unavailable for the Wembley showpiece.
That’s fine by Bardsley who loves to have Cattermole in the trenches in tough games.
“Lee’s an influential player for us and a close pal of mine as well and I’ve always enjoyed playing alongside him,” the ex-Man United man said.
“You know what you are going to get from him.
“And if I was a Man City player, the last person I would be looking forward to playing against in midfield would be him.
“I think he has that presence about him and I know he’s looking forward to the game itself. He’s a vital part of our team.
“He’s a strong character and if it is tough he’s always going to be there fighting, tackling and trying to do the right things for the team.
“As well as the obvious qualities Lee has, I think that the manager has brought out another side of his play.
“I think he’s been super on the ball, I think it’s something he’s working on – especially in the recent cup game against Southampton, where I thought he was the best player on the pitch by a country mile in that game.
“And it just goes to show, different managers, different philosophies and different results from players.”
Both Bardsley and Cattermole will be concentrating on using the ball well at Wembley and the full-back says that will be crucial against a Man City side that play the ball so well but also allow their opposition to play too.
Bardsley, scorer of the match-winner in the 1-0 win over the Blues back in November, said: “I’ve watched Man City over the last three or four weeks quite closely and one of the things I have noticed about them is that they do give you the ball – they don’t press you that much.
“Having said that, they do like to play with two out-and-out forwards with a pace in the team and that’s going to be a real challenge for us.
“We know we’re in for a difficult game whatever happens but we have to make that when we do win the ball, we keep it and use it well.
“On top of that, we have to battle all over the pitch, and that’s where Lee leads by example.”
SUNDERLAND face daunting challenges all over the park in tomorrow’s Capital One Cup final to overcome the quality in Manchester City’s ranks.
But what the are the key battles Sunderland must win if they are to end a 41-year wait for silverware?
Sports Writer Chris Young examines the three pivotal areas for Gus Poyet’s side at Wembley.
KEEPING KOMPANY OCCUPIED
SUNDERLAND will inevitably spend large portions of tomorrow’s game on the back foot; desperately trying to halt the waves of pressure from Manchester City.
But Gus Poyet’s men cannot afford to stock-pile 11 men behind the ball and desperately hope that is sufficient to thwart the Premier League’s second top scorers.
It would be futile.
Man City full-backs Pablo Zabaleta and Gael Clichy would be given licence to operate as supplementary wingers and eventually the battering ram would break through the fort’s defences.
Sunderland have to offer a threat on the counter-attack and they need to make life uncomfortable for the imperious Vincent Kompany.
The City captain’s partner at centre-half Martin Demichelis is the weak link in the back four, yet Kompany is a colossal figure, who provides the glue for the defence. He was a clear miss when Sunderland emerged victorious in November’s meeting between the two sides.
Poyet’s big decision is over who leads the line.
But if it is either Jozy Altidore or Steven Fletcher, they cannot afford to go toe-to-toe with Kompany and look to win the physical battle against the Belgian. Such an approach would have the former Hamburg man salivating.
They have to operate smarter than that; working the channels, dragging Kompany out of position and looking to create space for others, particularly on the counter-attack - as Chelsea did so well at the Etihad last month.
That is perhaps where the option of Fabio Borini in a central role will appeal to Poyet.
The on-loan Liverpool man has the pace and movement to stretch City’s defence - he did that twice within the opening five minutes of the second half against Arsenal last weekend after being moved into a central role.
Pondering those attacking options has weighed heavily on Poyet’s mind this week. It’s a decision the Sunderland boss needs to get right.
An easy afternoon for Kompany could spell a very difficult one for Sunderland.
STOPPING THE MIDFIELD GIANT
ONE of the prime factors in Sunderland’s run of four successive Stadium of Light victories over Manchester City has been their ability to keep Yaya Toure under wraps.
That’s no easy feat. The Ivorian behemoth is the most dominant central midfielder in the Premier League - testified by his tally of 16 goals in all competitions already this season.
But both Lee Cattermole and Jack Colback have proved outstanding adversaries for Toure.
They have pressed, hastled, harried and pestered Toure to such a degree that his impact has been minimised against the Black Cats.
Sunderland must maintain that tomorrow; hunting in packs to halt the former Barcelona man by any means possible.
That will not be easy on a pitch the size of Wembley, which should create spaces for Toure to attack. The return of Fernadinho gives Toure licence to do that too.
The absence of the water-carrying Fernandinho coincided with Man City dropping four points in the Premier League after Toure was forced into a deeper midfield role.
He is far more influential when pushed forward into the hole behind the strikers and allowed to pounce on those loose balls on the edge of the area.
Cattermole will need a helping hand from his two fellow central midfielders, but the Teessider is perhaps THE key man for Sunderland tomorrow.
At his best, the 25-year-old can be inspirational and he needs to be in pouncing on those 50-50s and preventing Toure seeing the ball regularly.
Just over two years ago - a month after Martin O’Neill’s appointment - Cattermole did that with a Herculean effort on New Year’s Day before Ji Dong-won’s dramatic late winner.
O’Neill walked across the pitch straight to Cattermole when the final whistle sounded.
Poyet needs to be doing something similar tomorrow, if Sunderland are to triumph.
ON THE TOES AGAINST THE FLEET OF FOOT
GUS POYET and his staff embarked upon an attempted prank a fortnight ago.
Prior to the FA Cup fifth round clash against Southampton, the Sunderland backroom team tried to convince Wes Brown that the game had been postponed and the 34-year-old would miss the Capital One Cup final as a result.
It didn’t work. Brown had already arrived at the Stadium of Light by the time the text campaign began.
But having the former England international back in the fold at Wembley tomorrow is no laughing matter. It’s crucial.
Although Santiago Vergini endured a miserable afternoon at Arsenal last weekend, he showed enough signs against the Saints that he can be a long-term success at the Stadium of Light.
But Brown has the experience, know-how and crucially understanding with John O’Shea that will be so dearly needed against Manchester City.
As a double act, the two have been a key reason behind Sunderland’s rejuvenation under Gus Poyet and they will have to be at their best in countering Manuel Pellegrini’s frightening attacking options.
Alvaro Negredo and Edin Dzeko can both be fearsome predators, even if the goals have dried up for the pair recently, but the two centre-forwards won’t necessarily worry O’Shea and Brown.
Far more concerning are the low centres of gravity boasted by Samir Nasri, David Silva and Sergio Aguero.
That short-sharp passing in and around the penalty area is devlishly difficult to deal with - as Tomas Rosicky proved for Arsenal last weekend.
But it is those runs by Aguero down the sides of central defenders which are particularly devastating.
The Argentine frontman isn’t match fit after a month on the sidelines with a hamstring problem, but if Pellegrini opts to throw him straight back into the starting XI, he is still a huge threat.
O’Shea and Brown need to show all the guile and game management gleaned from a decade at Old Trafford to keep Aguero quiet.
If Sunderland can do that, they have half a chance.
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City result has given Sunderland belief, says Wes Brown
WES Brown says Sunderland’s narrow league victory over Manchester City earlier this season will help strengthen their resolve at Wembley tomorrow.
Brown, and former Manchester United team-mate John O’Shea, formed the central defensive partnership on November 10, when prolific City were prevented from scoring – a goal from Brown’s fellow Mancunian Phil Bardsley giving the Wearsiders victory on the day.
And although Brown accepts that result in itself won’t give Sunderland the upper-hand in tomorrow’s final, he believes it will help with the side’s self-confidence.
“City know they have a stronger squad, and they are doing very well in the league, which will give them confidence,” acknowledged the 34-year-old.
“Man City are strong in every position on the pitch, they can score from anywhere, the defence is solid, and you can see why they are near the top of the league with our game in hand to go top.
“But we beat them in the league, and maybe that’s to our advantage.
“It will add to our belief that we won’t get battered because we know we’ve done it before.
“I think that will help.
“It will help keep us going because we had to give every possible ounce of effort to win that game back in November, and this weekend will be exactly the same – we have to give everything, like you always have to against sides like City.
“The reality is that anything can happen.
“And I have to say I’m looking forward to it. In my career, I’ve always enjoyed the finals.”
Brown admits that he has had a couple of anxious moments since his sending off against Hull City three weeks ago saw him suspended almost to the eve of the cup final.
A two-game ban for a foul on Shane Long – which looked as though it would be over inside a week – suddenly stretched to three weeks after weather conditions forced the postponement of the league game against Man City at the Etihad.
Thankfully, there have been no more postponements since that date.
and the defender returns for the cup final in the nick of time.
In the weeks in between, he has been keeping himself fit – Gus Poyet revealing: “We have been making sure he remains in peak condition, but I think he has been frustrated at not having a games at the end of each week’s work.”
Brown agreed: `I’ve trained hard ever since I’ve been sent off, in fact I’ve probably done more than the rest of the lads.
“But obviously it has been disappointing that I haven’t been on the pitch.
“I’m ready for the weekend though if selected, and just glad that I’m available.
“After the league game against Man City was called off, I was just praying it wouldn’t snow!”
Birthday boy Mannone practises penalties in case of final shoot-out
BIRTHDAY boy Vito Mannone has been practising penalties in case he is called upon to be Sunderland’s Capital One Cup shoot-out hero again.
The £2m summer signing sent 9,000 visiting fans inside Old Trafford into delirium in the semi-final second leg after saving two of Manchester United’s five spot-kicks.
Sunderland have spent time on the training ground this week trying to prepare themselves for the possibility of the final going to penalties too and Mannone hopes that can give them the edge if the Wembley showdown goes to sudden-death.
“Of course I’ve been practising penalties!” said the Italian.
“You try to have some competition with the other players.
“We have 25 members of the squad and they’re all taking one. That’s good for the goalkeepers in training!
“Obviously, you can train as much as you want, but a penalty for a keeper is something you can only train a little bit for. On the day, it’s something you need to read and look at the player in front. It’s like a lottery really.”
Mannone turns 26 tomorrow and will mark his birthday with a first appearance at Wembley.
The Italian’s experiences of cup finals as a youngster were watching AC Milan, as they enjoyed success both domestically and in Europe.
And Mannone says one of his clearest memories of the Rossoneri is the 2003 Champions League final against Juventus, when Brazilian keeper Dida was their penalty shoot-out hero – ironically at the same end of Old Trafford where Mannone proved to be Sunderland’s saviour in the semi-final.
“I watched a lot of AC Milan when I was younger because my dad was a fan,” said the former Arsenal man.
“They had a few finals in the Champions League, but the one I can remember the most is quite funny.
“I watched Dida saving the penalty in that goal at Old Trafford against Juventus. Maybe it was destiny we won at Old Trafford on penalties!”
He added: “Winning the final is something I want to achieve for my career. It stays in history.
“I’ve got a great chance and it’s something I’ve always dreamed about.
“When you are a kid, you look at people lifting the cups and it’s really emotional. You want to be in there.
“Each one of us always watched the TV and thought ‘I want to be a winner and lift the cup’. We will all be thinking that tomorrow.
“Hopefully the final being on my birthday will be a good thing and I will have a good present at the end of the game!”
Ex-Sunderland keeper Norman hopes Mannone gets his special moment
GOALKEEPERS tend to acquire more prominence in cup runs – it’s natural in sudden death competitions.
Jimmy Montgomery’s double save is the most enduring moment of the 1973 FA Cup final.
Tony Norman’s superlative run of form which helped Sunderland reach the 1992 FA Cup final was every bit as important as John Byrne’s goals.
And here, the former Welsh international tells GRAEME ANDERSON of a moment that all keepers dream of.
MONTY must have felt it in 1973. Tony Norman experienced it in 1992. And Norman, who served Sunderland from 1988-95 and made just shy of 200 appearances for the Rokermen, hopes Vito Mannone feels it tomorrow at Wembley.
He’s talking about that moment when a goalkeeper feels almost impregnable, when he senses it is going to be his day and – far more importantly – so does the opposition.
In the seconds after Monty made that world-famous Wembley double save – beating out the efforts of Trevor Cherry and Peter Lorimer, Leeds hard-man Norman Hunter turned to Dennis Tueart and said: “It’s your day now, Dennis.”
Tony Norman had a similar moment in the electrifying FA Cup quarter-final against Chelsea at Roker Park in 1992.when he withstood enough of an onslaught to help Sunderland edge past the Blues.
It was a night all of us who were there will never forget, so loud and raw and primitive was the passion and desire from the terraces; so atmospheric was the evening at Roker Park that night.
Peter Davenport had given Sunderland a first-half lead, but in the second-half, slick top side Chelsea absolutely battered their Second Division opposition.
It looked as though victory would be assured, such was their dominance but Tony Norman stood between Chelsea and victory andd he played the proverbial blinder.
The Welshman made stunning saves from Kerry Dixon and Andy Townsend – who also hit the woodwork – before the moment came where in-form Dennis Wise had to score.
Taking up the story, 56-year-old Norman, now goalkeeping coach at Darlington, recalls: “What a night that was.
“As soon as you went on the pitch with your bottle of water, you could feel the atmosphere from the crowd.
“We went 1-0 up for so long, but then they scored and they were the stronger team, and you felt there was going to be only one winner at that stage.
“If a team was going to win it; it was going to be Chelsea.
“They had their chances, but there was some good defending, and we kept them out, but then came a moment from Dennis Wise where he knew he was going to score.
“The ball came from my right, crossed in and Wise has just come in and gone bump – little header, six-yard line, and it came at me at such a speed and angle that I couldn’t get a glove up quick enough.
“All I could do was move my shoulder towards it, but incredibly it struck me, and bounced up and over the crossbar from the line.
“People were saying what a save, but it was purely reflex.
“On that occasion it simply went my way – right place, right time – and I’ll always remember his face when that happened, Dennis Wise’s face.
“ I’ll never forget it.
“They were so much on top in the game, and they were so strong and he’s come in, and he’s thought ‘It’s in’ and the ball’s hit me, and just dropped the other side.
“And he just looked at me, in that peculiar way, and I just thought to myself, I wonder if he’s just gone, ‘it’s not our day here today’?”
“If he did?
“Good!
Wise did eventually score, breaking Sunderland and Norman’s resistance, six minutes before full-time.
But they were exhausted by the prolonged and thankless siege, and in the moments afterwards they took their foot off the pedal and Gordon Armstrong pinched a famous winner.
“We scored off a corner and do you know, what I remember most about that game, was that at the corner they didn’t have a man at the back stick!”smiles Norman.
“It was something I always did as a goalkeeper – have a man on the back post – always said it, and still do it at Darlington, but they didn’t do it and Gordon got his goal.
“It was the most amazing night.
“Before the game, the atmosphere was like a hum, but it was one of those nights where there was no wind, and without sounding romantic, you had that fine mist hovering and the dew on the ground, and all you could hear was the atmosphere of the game.
“And of course when the game started, it was ‘Here we go’.”
Norman hopes Vito Mannone experiences that ‘Wise’ moment, that ‘Cherry-Lorimer’ moment at Wembley.
But for the former Sunderland keeper, his memories of the 2-0 defeat to Liverpool beneath the Twin Towers in ‘92, are not something he dwells on.
“My abiding memory of Wembley is that we got beat,” he sighs.
“I’d love to say going down Wembley Way is brilliant, and the bit before the game is brilliant, but I just remember us not winning.
“At the banquet afterwards, I don’t think I spoke until about 11pm that night.
“The day is a game of football.
“The reality of Sunderland players’ day tomorrow is that they are at work, no one will want to get too involved in the social side of things, it will be game on, just as it was for me.
“If you win it must be amazing, but it’s not great if you lose.”
Tony Norman’s amazing saves in that cup run were the key to getting Sunderland to Wembley, but ironically one of the moments that defined him came in the cup run the following year when he fumbled a simple ball and Sheffield Wednesday’s Mark Bright scored the matchwinner in a 1-0 fourth round win for Sheffield Wednesday.
“It’s an easy one for Norman,” the commentator had said before the mistake, and that comment formed a fanzine which perhaps gave an unfair slant to Norman’s time at the club. Perhaps it was meant as a back-handed compliment because the Welshman’s keeping was usually so assured, and he helped save Sunderland many points in his time between the posts.
Norman knows though that many Sunderland fans still hold him in high regard and it is a lesson Vito Mannone is likely to learn at the club, that Sunderland fans cherish the service of those who are as passionate at them.
Norman remains a Sunderland fan, and is hoping to get to the final if Darlington’s schedule permits. He has a Sunderland-supporting son who will definitely be there.
And Tony Norman – born in Wales – still wells up when he remembers his return to Roker Park after his playing days were over for the red and whites.
“One of the best moments I had in my career was returning,” he says.
“I left Sunderland and went to Huddersfield as an understudy, but injury put me in the first team unexpectedly, and I went to see who we were playing next week – it was Sunderland, at Roker Park.
“I remember leaving Huddersfield, and I was sat on the team bus with my stomach churning, and telling my team-mates I had no idea of the reception I would get.
“I was so nervous.
“But I went out to warm up – Shay Given was down at the other end – and then it came time to change ends, so I picked up my spare pair of gloves, started jogging, got to the half-way line, and then the sides started applauding me – the Paddocks and the Clock Stand – and then when I was approaching it, all the Fulwell End started applauding me.
“The noise was deafening to me, and when I got to the penalty spot, I’d gone from being nervous to being choked up!
“The reception was fantastic, so I thought I must have done something right”
“But that’s Sunderland fans – if you do your best for them, and show it means as much to you as it does to them – they’ll love you.”
Capital One Cup: Gus Poyet eyes Sunderland greatness
Capital One Cup final: Man City v Sunderland Venue: Wembley Stadium Date: Sunday, 2 March
Gus Poyet wants to become a Sunderland legend by leading the Black Cats to victory over Manchester City in Sunday's Capital One Cup final.
Poyet has guided Sunderland off the bottom of the Premier League since his appointment as head coach in October.
"I was told last week that if I want to be famous or a hero in Sunderland then I need to win the Cup," said Poyet.
"It puts pressure on us but I love it. I cannot play, coach or manage without pressure - it wouldn't be me."
Sunderland, whose best performance in the League Cup was as runners-up in 1985, are underdogs heading into the final at Wembley, with 33 points separating third-placed Manchester City and the third-bottom North East side in the Premier League.
However, Poyet has already celebrated some success against City this season, beating them 1-0 at the Stadium of Light in only his fifth game in charge.
His team have also knocked out Premier League sides Southampton, Chelsea and Manchester United on their way to reaching Sunday's final, the club's first major chance of silverware since losing the 1992 FA Cup final to Liverpool.
"We need to be perfect," ex-Brighton manager Poyet, 46, told Football Focus. "We need to be at our best level as a group and not make any mistakes, not give any presents or anything away.
"We need to be outstanding tactically and defensively and we need to be spot on when we're on the ball - if we're not very good on the ball we've got no chance.
"If we're going to go there just to defend and wait and pray for something to happen, it's not us.
"We don't have that quality and then it's going to be impossible because Manchester City are just going to come and come. We need to play a very good game and hope that City are not on an exceptional day and then we've got a chance."
Sunderland, who will hope to evoke memories of their shock 1973 FA Cup final win over Leeds, head to Wembley in good form, having won four of their last six matches in all competitions.
But it is that victory over City's expensively-assembled squad in November that captain John O'Shea believes could have a bearing on the outcome at Wembley.
"It is definitely on your mind because that's the only game we've played against City this season," O'Shea, who will be aiming to lift the League Cup for the fourth time after winning it three times with Manchester United, told Sunderland's official website.
"It's one of those things, obviously a final is different on the day but I'm sure City will be well aware of the last time we played them and they'll have that on their minds too.
"We've got to make sure that even though we've beaten City before, we know we had to work very hard to do that and survive a few scares along the way."
Sunderland's Road to Wembley
2nd rd: bt MK Dons 4-2 (h)
3rd rd: bt Peterborough 2-0 (h)
4th rd: bt Southampton 2-1 (h)
Q/F: bt Chelsea 2-1 (h) aet
S/F 1st leg: bt Man Utd 2-1 (h)
S/F 2nd leg: lost Man Utd 2-1 (a)*
*Sunderland won on pens
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Manuel Pellegrini: FA Cup final defeat was a lesson for Man City
Manuel Pellegrini says Manchester City's players learned a "lesson" from last year's Wembley woe as they prepare for the Capital One Cup final.
City lost to Wigan in the FA Cup final last May - with Roberto Mancini sacked as manager two days later.
Pellegrini, Mancini's successor, will lead the club against Sunderland at Wembley on Sunday.
"I don't like to talk with them about last year but I'm sure for every player it is a lesson," the 60-year-old said.
"It's beautiful to play for a title at Wembley and very awful to lose it.
"For all of them it is not revenge - it is another team, another year, another situation - but I am absolutely sure all will be 100% motivated to win."
Pellegrini arrived from Malaga in the summer under pressure to deliver silverware at the Etihad Stadium, with chief executive Ferran Soriano setting a target of five trophies in five years.
A run of eight successive Premier League wins raised hopes of a quadruple bid - but their chances were damaged in February by a Premier League defeat against title rivals Chelsea and a 2-0 loss at home to Barcelona in their Champions League last-16 first-leg meeting.
Sunday's match offers Pellegrini his first chance of a trophy with City.
"We would be very happy if we achieve it because it reflects all your work from the year," the Chilean said.
"We have played play a very good Capital One Cup because we have won all the games, scored 19 goals and conceded just one.
"I think it is very important to win the Cup and the way we play."
Pellegrini is therefore under pressure to deliver but he does not think it is any greater on him than any other manager elsewhere.
He said: "The pressure is always exactly the same for all the teams.
"The pressure is a personal pressure - for managers, players, all of us. I think we have the same pressure to win.
"It is very important for this club to win titles. To win the first trophy at Wembley is very important."
Sunderland, who are in the Premier League's bottom three, reached the final after knocking out Chelsea and Manchester United - the latter via a dramatic semi-final penalty shoot-out - and Pellegrini has warned his team against complacency,
He said: "It is always dangerous playing against any team. Sunderland have a lot of motivation to win this cup, the same as any team.
"I am sure we are the favourites but we cannot forget that Sunderland eliminated Chelsea and Manchester United - big teams.
"They are in the final because they deserved it. I am absolutely sure it will be a very close game."
Top scorer Sergio Aguero, who has missed the last five games with a hamstring injury, is included in the squad after returning to training this week.
Pellegrini, who must decide whether to stick with the players who have got his team to Wembley or call on his stellar names, said: "Of course, it is very important for the team to have Sergio again with us because he is a very important player. We must see if he is 100% to play the whole match.
"It is not easy to choose the 11 starters. All the players deserve to play.
"A lot of them played the whole Cup run, other players the Premier League or Champions League - because at that moment, it was necessary for them to play in that competition. I will try to choose the best XI as I did in all the other games."
City's run to the final
R3: 5-0 v Wigan (H)
R4: 2-0 v Newcastle (A)
QF: 3-1 v Leicester (A)
SF: 9-0 v West Ham (agg)
City's list of major honours
First Division/Premier League (3): 1936-37, 1967-68, 2011-12
FA Cup (5): 1904, 1934, 1956, 1969, 2011
League Cup (2): 1970, 1976
Community Shield (4): 1937, 1968, 1972, 2012
European Cup Winners' Cup: 1970
Man City Vs Sunderland AFC - Capital One Cup final
Venue: Wembley Stadium
Date: Sunday, 2 March
TEAM NEWS
Sergio Aguero is fit to return to Manchester City's matchday squad for Sunday's League Cup final after a five-match absence with a hamstring problem.
Stevan Jovetic will miss out with a hamstring injury, while Matija Nastasic is also unavailable.
Sunderland's only significant absentee will be midfielder Liam Bridcutt, who is cup-tied having played for Brighton in the competition earlier this season.
Goalkeeper Keiren Westwood remains sidelined by a shoulder injury.
MATCH PREVIEW
If you are not a Manchester City or Sunderland supporter then you'd probably better stop reading, because what I'm about to say might upset some of you.
The main reason I'm looking forward to the first big final of the season is because of the fans that will be there. If ever two sets of supporters deserved the chance to try to out sing one another at Wembley it's these two.
I know what some will be thinking: "City's ground is a library", "they're at Wembley every year", "gloryseekers" etc - but I'm talking about the seasoned Manchester City followers who endured underachievement bordering on comedy for years and years before the stargazing boom times they're enjoying now.
It might be City's sixth visit to HQ in a little under three years, but that debt owed from the dark times is a long way from being paid yet.
Of course they'll start as huge favourites, but those long accrued memories AND what happened against Wigan in last year's FA Cup final will guard against overconfidence in most. There's also the fact that Sunderland know how to beat City.
The Black Cats have won the last two meetings, three of the last five, and four of the last seven.
Yes, all those wins were at the Stadium of Light (and all 1-0 with City wasting numerous chances) but they'll certainly play a part in fuelling Gus Poyet's players' belief that they can win.
They should have won at the Etihad two seasons ago too - throwing away a 3-1 lead late on. Still, that game was the only one that City dropped points at home in during their title-winning season.
It's Sunderland's first visit to the 'new' Wembley, and their first at all since the dramatic 1998 play-off final defeat by Charlton - which brings me to the hordes of fans who'll be following them down from Wearside again this time.
The night before that momentous match in 1998, the centre of London was practically taken over by partying Sunderland supporters. In Trafalgar Square I remember explaining to an American tourist what it was all about and why they were all there.
"They must have played a hell of a game today," was the response. "Game's tomorrow," I replied to laughter and bemusement.
Sixteen years on they deserve another party - win or lose.
LAWRO'S PREDICTION
"Sunderland beat City at the Stadium of Light in November but Wembley is a big pitch and, when you are playing against a good side, you think it is even bigger because you end up chasing the ball.
"What City are good at is finding space. I just see them playing really well on Sunday, no matter what Sunderland try to do to stop them.
The Road to Wembley
Second round
W4-2 v MK Dons (h)
W5-0 v Wigan (h)
Third round
W2-0 v Peterboro (h)
W2-0 v Newcastle (a) aet
Fourth round
W2-1 v So'ton (h)
W3-1 v Leicester (a)
Quarter-finals
W2-1 v Chelsea (h) aet
W6-0 v West Ham (h)
Semi-final 1st leg
W2-1 v Man Utd (h)
W3-0 v West Ham (a)
Semi final 2nd leg
L1-2 v Man Utd (a)
S'land win 2-1 on pens
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
Manchester City were beaten 1-0 at the Stadium of Light earlier in the season, with Sunderland's Phil Bardsley scoring the only goal.
Sunderland have not beaten Manchester City outside of the north-east in nine attempts since a 1-0 away victory in January 1998.
Their most recent cup meeting came in the now-defunct Full Members Cup in November 1985. City won the northern semi-final tie 4-3 on penalties after a goalless draw at Maine Road in front of only 6,642 fans.
The only previous League Cup tie between these clubs came in the third round in 1979-80. Sunderland progressed in a replay, beating City 1-0 at Maine Road.
Manchester City
Manchester City have won all five of their League Cup matches this season, scoring 19 goals and conceding only once.
Should City win the final and keep a clean sheet, they would be the first team to lift the trophy by only conceding once throughout the tournament.
They have twice won the League Cup, beating West Bromwich Albion in 1970 and Newcastle United in 1976. They were losing finalists against Wolves in 1974.
City have failed to score in three of their last five games, having scored 21 times in their previous five fixtures.
Edin Dzeko has scored in all four rounds that City have played in this season's League Cup. Dzeko and strike partner Alvaro Negredo are the joint leading scorers in the competition with six goals each.
Sunderland
Sunderland's only previous League Cup final appearance came in 1985, when they were beaten 1-0 by Norwich City.
Guy Poyet's side have won four of their last six matches in all competitions, and seven of their last 11.
They have twice come from behind to win in League Cup ties this season.
Ten different players have scored for the Black Cats during their run to the final.
Sunderland have been shown 19 yellow cards in the competition, 11 more than any other team.
Capital One Cup final: Manchester City win Capital One Cup after beating Sunderland 3-1
Manchester City produced a stunning comeback as they beat Sunderland 3-1 to lift the Capital One Cup at Wembley.
Sunderland threatened a major shock when Fabio Borini (10) gave them a half-time lead with a superb solo effort, but City turned the game in their favour with a stunning two-goal blast from Yaya Toure (55) and Samir Nasri (56).
Substitute Jesus Navas made the game safe in the final minute when he latched onto Toure pass's to fire past Vito Mannone after a lightning break from City.
Toure cancelled out Borini's opener with a sublime effort from 30 yards out and less than a minute later Nasri broke Sunderland hearts with another brilliant finish before Navas added a third late on to keep City's domestic treble hopes on course.
City created the first noteworthy chance of the game on nine minutes when the returning Sergio Aguero fired in a shot from 25 yards which Vito Mannone did well to push away.
A minute later Sunderland stunned City by breaking the deadlock with a superb finish from on-loan striker Borini.
Lee Cattermole robbed the ball off Fernandinho on the edge of the Sunderland penalty area and Adam Johnson sent a ball over the top for Borini, who held off the attentions of Vincent Kompany before exquisitely drilling his shot with the outside of his foot past Costel Pantilimon to send the Sunderland fans into raptures.
Aguero created a chance for Nasri on 27 minutes when he broke down the right and picked out the Frenchman inside the box, but on the stretch he could not get enough purchase on his shot to trouble Mannone.
Two minutes later Johnson almost got in goal when he caught the City defence sleeping from a throw-in and his cross was just about scrambled away by Fernandinho.
Borini had a great chance to double Sunderland's lead seven minutes before the break when the Italian, in an offside position, raced clear on goal, but just when he was about to shoot Kompany made a vital last-gasp tackle to deny the striker.
Silva had the first chance after the break on 50 minutes when he saw his shot from the edge of the box comfortably saved by Mannone.
Sunderland then switched play straight up the other end and Ki Sung-yeung fired in an ambitious dipping 30-yard shot which forced Pantilimon to tip over the crossbar.
City drew themselves level on 55 minutes with a goal out of nothing as Toure scored one of the goals of the season with a stunning shot.
There looked very little danger to Sunderland when Pablo Zabaleta played a square ball to Toure 30 yards from goal, but the midfielder unleashed an unstoppable curling shot into the top corner past Mannone.
Less than a minute later City turned the game on its head with another brilliant goal through Nasri.
Aleksandar Kolarov's cross from the left was cleared to the edge of the box and it fell perfectly to the arriving Nasri, who showed great technique to smash his shot with the outside of his right foot past a startled Mannone.
City continued to push forward in search of a third goal and they had claims for a penalty waved away just before the hour mark when Kolarov went down in the box under a challenge from Phil Bardsley.
Sunderland refused to lie down and substitute Steven Fletcher had a sight of goal on 72 minutes when Jack Colback teed him inside the box, but his half volley was straight at Pantilimon.
City almost grabbed a third goal nine minutes from time when Kompany got on the end of a corner from Nasri and was unlucky to see his volley fall the wrong side of the near post.
Fletcher wasted a great opening a minute from time when the ball dropped to him inside the box, but his first touch let him down the chance went begging.
Sunderland were made to pay for that miss as City caught them on the break and Toure passed for Navas to score and seal the victory.
SUNDERLAND powered past a strong, physical Bolton side looking to record their third successive Barclays U18 Premier League win at the Eddie Davies training academy.
The young Black Cats were ahead as early as the eighth minute, when Martin Smith fired in a fierce shot that the home keeper could only parry and Josh Robson was on hand to slot home.
However, the visitors’ lead only lasted four minutes as, from a Bolton corner, the Sunderland defence were unable to scramble the ball clear, allowing James Ball to level.
Sunderland restored their advantage in the 37th minute following a brilliant solo goal by Rees Greenwood.
He picked up the ball midway in the home half, then jinked his way through three defenders to slot the ball into the bottom right hand corner of the net.
Sunderland continued to dominate and it was 3-1 on 56 minutes when, following a good run by Josh Robson, he let fly and his effort squirmed through the hands of the keeper, falling for sub Jordan Blinco to hit home.
Bolton, unable to penetrate the Sunderland defence, reverted to long shots which gave keeper Peter Burke few problems,
The game was all over on 73 minutes when Greenwood, one on one with a defender, rounded him and was subsequently brought down in the area.
Greenwood dusted himself down and stepped up to fire home, low to the keeper’s right.
Academy boss Ged McNamee said afterwards: “We played some very good football today – it was a really pleasing display and also gave us the chance to give some of the younger players an outing, such as Luke Molyneux, who stepped up from the Under-15s.”
SUNDERLAND: Burke, Ellison, Colquhoun, Ledger, J Robson, E Robson, McCarthy (Molyneuz 77), Smith (Embleton 85), Wright (Blinco 28), Greenwood, Gooch.
James Hunter's big match verdict: It's a defeat – but it's a glorious one for Cats who gave giants a real scare
Chronicle sports writer James Hunter gives his verdict on Sunderland's 3-1 defeat to Manchester City in the Capital One Cup final
After 41 years of hurt, Sunderland spent 45 minutes living the dream.
Sunderland’s Capital One Cup run may have faltered at the final hurdle, but for half this match the Black Cats had one hand on the trophy.
Fabio Borini’s brilliant 10th-minute finish at Wembley was Sunderland’s first cup final goal since Ian Porterfield’s famous strike against Leeds United brought the FA Cup back to Wearside in 1973.
And the 32,000 fans massed behind Vito Mannone’s goal at the east end of the new Wembley Stadium went wild.
All the way through, Sunderland’s cup-run motto has been ‘dare to dream’.
Now, the fans were beginning to believe.
They watched, hearts bursting with pride, as Borini put them in front and their team stood toe-to-toe with Manchester City’s multi-million-pound megastars.
In 1985 against Norwich City in this competition, and in 1992 in the FA Cup final, Sunderland did not do themselves justice.
This time, Gus Poyet had promised the fans a performance they could be proud of.
His team delivered. And then some!
Poyet had made three changes for the final, and in the first half they worked like a charm. Wes Brown was a tower of strength after being restored to central defence having served his two-game ban.
Lee Cattermole – who replaced the cup-tied Liam Bridcutt – was outstanding in central midfield, and so was Seb Larsson, who played in place of frontman Jozy Altidore.
The changes meant Borini played as the central striker with Jack Colback shifted out to the left flank.
It was a gamble, but it worked.
In that first half, City rarely threatened and Sunderland should really have gone in at half-time two goals to the good.
With City waiting in vain for an offside flag that never came – although it should have – Borini ran through one-on-one with keeper Costel Pantilimon.
But just as he was about to slot the ball home, City skipper Vincent Kompany came from nowhere to make a goal-saving sliding tackle.
Such moments are so often turning points in a game, and so it proved yesterday.
Had Sunderland gone in at the break 2-0 up, it would have been a long way back even for a City team of this quality.
Instead, Sunderland’s single-goal lead was always precarious and City produced two moments of individual brilliance in the space of a little over a minute early in the second half to turn the game on its head.
First Yaya Toure conjured an outrageous equaliser from fully 25 yards, which left Mannone no chance.
And then the keeper was left rooted to the spot when Samir Nasri lashed home Aleksander Kolarov’s deflected cross.
All of a sudden, the mood within the stadium changed.
The City fans, so quiet in the first half, found their voices; and the Sunderland fans began to wonder if their chance had gone.
Sunderland did have other opportunities after falling behind.
Sub Steven Fletcher shot straight at Pantilimon from a good position 20 minutes from time, and in the final minute the Scotland international – who was making his return after a month on the sidelines through injury – had a clear sight of goal but miscontrolled with his favoured left foot when he should have shot with his right.
That was Sunderland’s moment. An equaliser then would have taken the game to extra time.
Instead, a minute later sub Jesus Navas killed the game off when City hit Sunderland on the counter-attack and he applied the finish.
Just as in 1973, it was a brave effort from Sunderland against a vastly superior side.
For 55 minutes they matched City, and for 45 minutes they held the lead.
But this time there was to be no giant killing. No fairytale ending.
At least for now.
Because they are through to the last eight of the FA Cup, and a win on Sunday at Hull City will see them return to Wembley for the semi-final and – who knows? – maybe even a third appearance beneath the arch if they reach the final once again.
It could yet be a special year for Sunderland. Of course, their Premier League status remains in the balance – although defeats for Cardiff and Norwich yesterday certainly didn’t do Sunderland’s survival chances any harm.
But this was not the day to worry about such mundane things.
This was about a cup final, and the unforgettable excitement that went with it.
Borini targets Wembley return after Sunderland heroics
The Italian scored the opening goal on Sunday to give the Black Cats hope of winning the Capital One Cup final before Manchester City roared back to triumph 3-1
Fabio Borini has targeted a return to Wembley after scoring Sunderland's only goal in the 3-1 Capital One Cup final defeat to Manchester City.
Gus Poyet's men are still involved in the FA Cup and visit Hull City in the quarter-finals this Sunday, handing Sunderland a chance to put the disappointment of Sunday's defeat to City behind them.
Victory at the KC Stadium would see Sunderland head back to the national stadium in the last four, a prospect that Borini is relishing.
SUNDERLAND LATEST
Sunderland are 14/1 with William Hill to win the FA Cup
"I want to go back there, to be at Wembley," Borini is quoted as saying by the Sunderland Echo. "Scoring at Wembley is always special, especially for a foreign player.
"If we can win against Hull, we'll be going back again, which will be good. But the main thing is to get points and start pushing up the league.
"We've seen what it's all about and hopefully we can push on now in the league."
Yaya Toure, Samir Nasri and Jesus Navas found the net after Borini had given Sunderland the lead in Sunday's final, but the Italian forward - on loan from Liverpool - feels there are plenty of positives to take from the performance.
"The only negative is the result," he added. "We were disappointed, but proud of what we did on the pitch.
"We made Man City win the game and they had to score two incredible goals, which is why they are Man City.
"It was a great team performance in the first half.
"Man City came out with the qualities, that's normal. But the feeling to be in front and have a real chance to win it was unbelievable.
"That's what we need to take with us for the rest of the season."
Sunderland currently sit one point adrift of safety in the Premier League, with a game in hand over 17th-placed West Brom.
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Five things we learned from Sunderland's day out at Wembley
Manchester City dashed Sunderland's dreams of ending their 41-year trophy drought with a 3-1 Capital One Cup Final victory at Wembley. Here, Sports Writer Richard Mason highlights five things we learned from yesterday's final
MONEY TALKS
This is hardly rocket science. Manchester City won the game with a second-half display that would arguably have left most other Premier League teams in their wake, let alone Sunderland.
With the bit between their teeth, City set about the task of overturning Sunderland's slender lead and the 55th and 56th minute goals from Yaya Toure and Samir Nasri saw them do just that.
But it was Sunderland and City's substitutions afterwards which ensured that Manuel Pellegrini's side won the cup.
While City were able to augment their team with Jesus Navas, Javi Garcia and Alvaro Negredo – with Jesus Navas coming on moments after the second goal to replace the tiring Sergio Aguero – Sunderland brought Steven Fletcher, Emanuele Giaccherini and Craig Gardner into the fray.
At 2-1, Fletcher, still not fully fit having suffered an Achilles injury earlier in the season, spurned a fine chance to get his side on level terms but catastrophically miscontrolled a ball into the box, bouncing off his shin for a goal kick.
Moments later, City swept forward and hit their opponents on the break, with Jesus Navas sliding home from Yaya Toure's pass.
City's ability to call on such quality from the bench, allied with Sunderland's ineffective replacements, saw the blue half of a packed Wembley celebrate their victory.
CITY'S BIG GAME EXPERIENCE TOLD
Manchester City have a squad that has been assembled at considerable expense. While Sunderland's has not exactly been built with peanuts – many of the Wembley squad were big-money buys for the Black Cats, City were able to attract the world's finest players in Yaya Toure, Sergio Aguero, David Silva and Alvaro Negredo.
Sunderland's defensive duo of Wes Brown and John O'Shea aside, many of the Black Cats were making their Wembley debuts yesterday, and while they did not wilt on the big stage, City were able to call upon their experience and hit Sunderland at the right times and sit on their lead to eke out the win.
FABIO BORINI NEEDS TO PLAY CENTRE-FORWARD
It had been mooted throughout the week that Gus Poyet was considering playing Fabio Borini in a central attacking role instead of his usual wide berth, and so it came to pass at the expense of Jozy Altidore, who missed out on the squad completely.
Borini had spoken about his wish to play there – indeed, in post-match interviews he shrugged “It's my position – and Poyet granted his wish to great effect.
Borini was everything that Sunderland have lacked up top. He gave Martin Demichelis and Vincent Kompany the runaround, tirelessly pulling them this way and that, and a ball over the top deceived both of them for Borini to get in and poke past Pantilimon in the City goal.
But that was the tip of the iceberg. Borini did not stop running and chasing the ball, while positionally he was impeccable, winning balls that Altidore or indeed Steven Fletcher would never have gone for. His goal displayed real confidence which again, neither Altidore nor Fletcher have at present.
Sunderland's problem now is figuring out who could replace Borini on the left flank.
LEE CATTERMOLE DOESN'T ALWAYS HAVE TO BE THE VILLAIN
Lee Cattermole put in a disciplined, determined and dare I say classy performance at Wembley, shutting up a few of his critics in the process. It is often said that Cattermole has that in his locker, his ability to dictate the game from midfield, displaying a range of passing, attributes that are masked all too often by his tendency to dive into challenges and pick up needless bookings and stupid dismissals.
Many outside of the North-East have seen the good side of Cattermole. And as much as Sunderland's fans bang the drum for him, the Stockton-born midfielder has always been cast in the role of pantomime villain. Yesterday, he showed the rest of the country that he is much more than that.
SUNDERLAND'S FANS KNOW HOW TO PARTY
Again, nothing new here. It may be parochial to praise North-Easterners for their amiable natures. But any neutral that happened to wander past central London on Saturday night will have seen a hell of a shindig. From Covent Garden, to Leicester Square, from Charing Cross to Picadilly Circus, there were thousands of supporters clad in red and white. It was all good-natured fun as well, without a hint of any violence or disorder. They even managed to upset a Tory MP in the process. From the Labour heartlands of Wearside, that could be considered a minor success.
Tory MP forced to apologise for branding Sunderland league cup Final fans 'scumbag hooligans'
Robert Halfon, who has campaigned for the Tories to be the new “workers’ party”, attacked supporters who travelled to London for Sunday’s game
A Tory MP has been forced to apologise after labeling football fans “scumbag hooligans” .
Robert Halfon, who has campaigned for the Tories to be the new “workers’ party”, attacked Sunderland supporters who travelled to London for Sunday’s Capital One Cup Final.
He had been in central London for dinner on Saturday night where thousands of Black Cats fans had gathered ahead of the big game
Afterwards, he wrote on Twitter : “Went to London for dinner. Wish I hadn’t. Scumbag football hooligans turn Covent Garden into a disgusting Cesspit.”
The 44-year-old Essex MP said there were “a few ambulances around the place” with fans “smashing glasses and throwing bottles at cars”.
The MP said this was “hardly the actions of the decent”.
Furious Sundarland MP Julie Elliot wrote to Mr Halfon to demand an apology for the slur.
She pointed out over 50,000 Sunderland fans had travelled to the capital for the club’s first major cup final since 1992 - with just one arrest.
In her letter to Mr Halfon she wrote that she was “horrified” by the comments.
Went to London for dinner. Wish I hadn't. Scumbag football hooligans turn Covent Garden into a disgusting Cesspit pic.twitter.com/rodb7Bfk47
— Robert Halfon MP (@halfon4harlowMP) March 1, 2014
She said: “Upon reaching London, several thousand Sunderland fans congregated near Covent Garden to celebrate their club’s achievement of reaching a cup final for the first time in over 20 years.
“Whether directed at Sunderland fans specifically or not, your comments have caused great offence to the tens of thousands of Sunderland fans who travelled to London at the weekend and tens of thousands more who supported their team from home.
“The blasé branding of football fans celebrating their clubs success as ‘scumbag football hooligans’ is inappropriate behaviour for a Member of Parliament in this day and age.
“I feel you ought to make an immediate apology to the people of Sunderland specifically for the offence you have caused.”
Mr Halfon replied that he was sorry for any offence he had caused - but insisted he was “in no way” referring to people from Sunderland.
He claimed that he had distinguished between “genuine fans” and “hooligans who throw and smash glass all over the road”.
The Tory MP wrote: “That was the context of my tweet, which inevitably has been twisted or misunderstood as attacking a particular group of fans, or particular club, which was far from the case.
“For that I am sincerely sorry.”
He added: “I do regret most sincerely that my Tweet did not reflect the distinction between a minority who had broken glass and the majority of decent fans who were just celebrating as any fan would do.”
Ms Elliot responded last night: “Whilst I am pleased that Robert Halfon MP has apologised to the people of Sunderland for his comments, I continue to believe that they were wholly unfounded.
“The comments were also completely inappropriate for a Member of Parliament in this day and age.”
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Tory MP labels Sunderland fans 'scumbags' after turning Covent Garden into a 'disgusting cesspit'
Robert Halfon, the MP for Harlow, took to Twitter after Black Cat revellers left a trail of debris behind them in the run up to the Capital One Cup Final
A Tory MP has labelled Sunderland fans as "scumbags" in an extraordinary Twitter rant.
Robert Halfon, the Member of Parliament for Harlow, also accused Black Cat supporters of turning Covent Garden into a "disgusting cesspit".
Thousands of Mackems descended on the capital ahead of the Capital One Cup Final, and caused mayhem leaving the streets in a mess.
And after heading into the city for a meal the 44-year-old MP took to the social media site to express his fury.
"Went to London for dinner. Wish I hadn't. Scumbag football hooligans turn Covent Garden into a disgusting cesspit," he tweeted.
The legions of Sunderland supporters spilled over into the streets over the weekend as they made sure to enjoy their first major cup final since 1992.
Unfortunately roads and other areas were left strewn with rubbish in the aftermath prompting an angry response from residents.
The Wearsiders have travelled in numbers as they look to upset the odds and beat Manchester City on Sunday afternoon.
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City fans turn red faced as they arrive at Wembley with tickets for the wrong match
Six Blues fans tried to see the cup final but actually had tickets for a cancelled game at the Etihad
Six City fans almost had a cup final day to forget - after buying tickets for the WRONG match.
The pals only realised when they were on a minibus to Piccadilly train station that they had actually got tickets for the Blues v Sunderland Premier League clash on February 12 rather than for Sunday's Capital One Cup final.
They went down to London anyway and four managed to buy tickets for the sell-out clash at face-value from kindhearted fellow City fans.
But two, including the lad who made the error, had to watch Vincent Kompany's men land the trophy from a curry house.
Andrew Heald, a pal of the group who are from Chadderton, near Oldham explained: "A lad called Phil Brierley had looked after it all.
"He'd bought the tickets on the City website ages ago and put them all into envelopes for everyone.
"They hired a minibus to take them to Piccadilly and he handed them their envelopes.
"They opened them and one of them spotted that there was no picture of the cup on their ticket.
"He thought that was odd and looked a bit closer at the date. They saw that they were for the home match at the Etihad that got called off last month!
"They had all paid £70 for a train ticket so they decided to come down anyway and called me to see if I could get them any. I spoke to a tout but he was after £200.
"Fortunately four of them managed to get one from City fans who wouldn't charge them more than face value but Phil and another lad ended up watching it in a curry house."
Andrew added that Phil was the butt of all the jokes when they arrived back home.
"He was very apologetic and buying everyone drinks," he said.
"He said he was in a rush when he got the tickets and didn't check properly."
JACK Colback believes Sunderland will “comfortably” beat the drop – if they reproduce their Capital One Cup final performance in the relegation run-in.
The Black Cats will have gone three weeks between Premier League games when they resume their fight for survival against Crystal Palace in 11 days’ time.
But the self-belief in the Sunderland camp received a major shot in the arm on Sunday when they pushed title-chasing Manchester City to the limits at Wembley.
And midfielder Colback says the Black Cats need to take that performance into the relegation battle – with Gus Poyet’s side remaining one point adrift of safety after the weekend’s top-flight results.
“If we apply ourselves like we did in the final, then the wins will come naturally,” said Colback.
“That’s what we’ve got to look to do, because we’re still in a bad position in the league.
“If we have the same hunger and passion, then we should win the games comfortably.
“It’s strange to play a cup final with 12 games to go in the league still.
“We’ve got the FA Cup again on Sunday ,and then we’ve got to look to the league to win the games needed to keep us in the division.”
The 3-1 defeat against Man City was Colback’s first appearance at Wembley, yet the 24-year-old could be heading there again with Sunderland next month if Poyet’s men can emerge victorious from Sunday’s FA Cup quarter final at Hull.
“If we win our next game, we’ll be going back to Wembley in the semi-finals, and that’s what we’ve got to aim to do,” added the 24-year-old.
“It was a fantastic experience; great to be honest. It’s just disappointing that we couldn’t win.
“It was different to any other game I’ve ever played.
“Just coming out for the warm-up, the atmosphere was brilliant.
“The fans were absolutely outstanding, and we were just sorry that we couldn’t bring the cup home.
“Even at 3-1 down, they were still singing their hearts out.
“Coming into the stadium, you couldn’t see one Man City fan, but there was thousands and thousands of Sunderland fans.
“It gave the lads a lot of inspiration. We were just disappointed that we couldn’t repay that with a win.”
VITO Mannone says he couldn’t even hear the voices of his own defenders due to the wall of noise created by Sunderland supporters.
Sunderland’s allocation of 30,000 fans produced a raucous atmosphere inside Wembley, with many more Black Cats followers dotted around the stadium.
And goalkeeper Mannone, who turned 26 yesterday, said he has never experienced anything comparable during his career.
Mannone said: “The experience was amazing. I enjoyed every minute of it.
“The fans were incredible again; unbelievable. They were so loud.
“I’ve never heard anything like that in the game. It was the most noisy I’ve ever heard.
“I couldn’t even talk to my defence at some points during the first half.
“Our fans were pushing us from behind and that was what was really great about the first half.
“They still sang for us all the way and they were proud of us.”
Mannone held his hands up to the quality of Manchester City’s first two goals, which turned the game on its head in the space of 60 seconds.
“I thought the first one was incredible, the way it dipped down,” said the Italian.
“I didn’t expect a shot like that to be honest. It kept going away from me when I was diving.
“The second one is such a brilliant finish too. It was the only spot in the net that would go in.”
Mannone insists Sunderland could rightly hold their heads high, despite the defeat, after threatening to cause a major upset.
And the former Arsenal man believes that has to act as a huge comfort to Gus Poyet’s men, particularly as Sunderland were underwhelming in their last two finals at Wembley in the 1985 League Cup and 1992 FA Cup.
The £2m summer signing added: “We are proud, even if we are disappointed. I’m like any Sunderland fan.
“At least we have no regrets.
“We went into the game and surprised them. We played really well in the first half.
“In the second half, the only thing that beat us was two world-class finishes.
“We were really in shape and playing our game and I can’t fault anyone in the team.
“We were spot on with our plan, but unfortunately, we faced a great Man City side and they’ve got talents like Yaya Toure and (Samir) Nasri and I think everybody saw that.”
Poyet looks for players’ reaction – particularly Altidore
GUS Poyet says he will watch in training this week for the right response from his players to their Capital One Cup final defeat.
The Sunderland head coach was as crushed as any of his squad at the end of a gallant but ultimately futile effort to contain Manchester City’s multi-talented superstars on a draining Wembley afternoon.
But now he says the final is something Sunderland need to build on, rather than mull over.
“It’s up to me now to make sure we go on from this,” the Uruguayan said.
“It is my responsibility and I have to use this the right way.
“I don’t like excuses and I won’t allow the disappointment of a cup final to be used as an excuse by the players.”
Every Sunderland player will have their own personal reaction to their day at Wembley.
But perhaps no one more so than American international striker Jozy Altidore who was left out of the squad altogether – a point Poyet accepted.
“I want us to move on in the right way and I will demand it,” he said.
“But it is easy for me to say: ‘put this behind you and move on’ and another thing for it to actually happen.
“We will see how each one of them is individually.
“How will Jozy Altidore react to not being in the squad for example?
“I don’t know. I will find out.
“It’s tough for him, it’s tough for everyone, defeat.
“I hate losing, hate it, but we have to show the right response.”
Phil Bardsley looked inconsolable in the centre-circle at the final whistle, and John O’Shea pointed out in a TV interview that all cup final defeats are heartbreaking.
Earlier, Seb Larsson had been seen uncharacteristically raging at the Sunderland bench as he was substituted shortly after City grabbed a second-half lead.
But Poyet explained: “Seb was angry because he had been fouled in the build-up to the Yaya Toure goal and he was still angry about it when he came off.
“In an ideal world the referee would have seen the foul – it was an easy one to give.
“But even so, we can’t complain about the quality of the finish.
“Seb was passionate, but there was a lot of passion around but I like that and now we have to pick ourselves up again.
“Maybe it’s good that we have a cup game next weekend, (the FA Cup quarter-final against Hull City), because that game might help us get over the disappointment of this one.”
Sunderland legend reveals who he thinks should be Poyet’s No1 striker
SUNDERLAND legend Gary Rowell believes Gus Poyet could persevere with Fabio Borini as a central striker – especially with Jozy Altidore out of the frame.
Borini was handed the lone forward role at Wembley for the Capital One Cup final ahead of Altidore, who was left out of the squad altogether.
And the Italian impressed, opening the scoring in the 10th minute and giving Manchester City’s defenders a torrid time in the first half.
Rowell, a former striker himself, said: “My Wembley man of the match was Fabio Borini.
“He’s hardly played a central striker’s role for Sunderland this season – more often than not, he has been supporting the main striker from wider areas – but that didn’t faze him at all.
“Of course he got a great confidence-booster with the early goal, brilliantly taken from a tight angle.
“He always made himself available to his team-mates with his unselfish running and sheer appetite for hard work.
“The lone striker’s role is not an easy one but Borini adapted to it well.
“With Jozy Altidore left out of the cup final squad completely, will be interesting now to see if Gus Poyet perseveres with him in that role for the rest of the season.”
Borini wasn’t the only Sunderland player to impress Rowell, however.
“It was fascinating to see which players would perform under intense pressure in a final at Wembley,” he added.
“The first player to catch my eye was Lee Cattermole, who had a great first half, giving his typical valiant performance, breaking up the opposition’s play and never allowing City time on the ball.
“Wes Brown and John O’Shea also impressed.
“You tend to name them together as they are very much a partnership and both are better with the other alongside.
“My heart sank had sank when Sergio Aguero was named in the City starting line-up as he is an incredible player. But he and Edin Dzeko did not cause them too many problems.”
Sunderland boss dared much more than just to dream!
A LITTLE after 9pm on Saturday night, the beer pumps of the Covent Garden hostelries reached the bottom of the barrel.
Sunderland supporters had drank the capital dry.
There wasn’t even a Babycham to be had in the nearby Tesco Express.
A party atmosphere prevailed all weekend in London. Nothing was going to prevent Sunderland’s hordes enjoying a first visit to Wembley since 1998.
But while there was a determination to enjoy the occasion, regardless of the result, among the thousands that made the journey south, the thought of “just being happy to be there” never crossed Gus Poyet’s mind.
This was another feather in the cap for the Sunderland manager’s blossoming reputation.
He did more than dare to dream. He devised an immaculate battleplan that took Sunderland to within a whisker of ending a trophy drought which is still four decades and counting.
Poyet made big calls in his starting XI.
Bringing back Wes Brown and the immense Lee Cattermole was no issue. There was never any doubt that experienced heads and big-game players would be welcomed back into the fold.
But installing Seb Larsson in the middle of the park and Fabio Borini in his favoured central striker role were huge decisions.
Poyet could easily have taken the easy options of sticking with Jozy Altidore - tellingly not even included on the bench after his woeful display at Arsenal - or installing Emanuele Giaccherini.
Yet the former Brighton boss stuck his neck out; believing the brave decisions were the best way of countering Manchester City’s attacking riches.
Oh, how it worked in that opening 45 minutes.
Sunderland had the harmony, togetherness and the collective understanding of their strategy which was so noticeably missing from the ranks of Manuel Pellegrini’s side.
The Black Cats hunted in packs, hastling, harrying and pressing City into errors or down blind alleys from which they were unable to escape.
From the moment Phil Bardsley thundered into David Silva with a Kevin Ball-esque cruncher in the opening exchanges, there was a dogged determination around Sunderland.
Sunderland weren’t just there to dream. They were there to win.
The inclusion of Borini and Larsson in those roles was key to it.
Borini showed what Sunderland have arguably been missing all season. A central striker capable of causing the opposition defence a headache.
The on-loan Liverpool man worked the channels, won his headers, chased down centre-halves and stretched Manchester City’s defence on the counter-attack.
Crucially, he made Vincent Kompany uncomfortable too. That was always going to be pivotal towards Sunderland’s hopes of victory. They needed someone capable of dragging the Man City skipper out of position.
Kompany’s anxiety was shown with Borini’s goal. Although the Belgian made amends with a stunning recovery challenge to deny the Italian a second later in the half, he was horrifyingly culpable for the opener.
But Borini still required ice-cool composure to convert it and he did it majestically. In truth, he’s been doing it all season on the big occasions - four of the Italian’s five previous Sunderland goals coming against Man United, Chelsea and Newcastle (twice).
Leaving Borini to operate down the middle must now be in the forefront of Poyet’s mind for the remainder of the relegation battle.
So too will Larsson, if he reproduces performances like this.
The Swedish international was frustrated to be removed from the field on the hour mark - and understandably so - after he had been at the forefront of Sunderland’s first half display.
Typically, Larsson never stopped running to close down the space available to City’s outnumbered central midfield, but he also distributed the ball effectively to set Sunderland away on the counter-attack.
It was a surprise that he was used in a central role, with Jack Colback going to the left, but as the game unfolded, that ploy made perfect sense.
Colback wasn’t going to leave Pablo Zabaleta on his backside by bursting beyond the right-back, but he crucially prevented the Argentine getting forwards and injecting the width into City’s play.
The star of the midfield was Cattermole though.
There wasn’t a more dominant player on the pitch during the first 45 minutes.
The tenacity shown by the Teessider on the edge of his own area was predictable, yet was pivotal, given that is the zone where City do so much of their damage.
Repeatedly during the first half, a Cattermole interception would prove to be the catalyst for a Sunderland counter-attack as he utterly outshone Yaya Toure.
But the 25-year-old backed up that bite in the tackle by demonstrating his range of passing too.
Just before Borini’s opener, Cattermole played a sublime crossfield pass with the outside of his right foot to Adam Johnson which Kompany just managed to deal with.
It was the first of many such passes from a player whose distribution continues to be overlooked by the wider world.
Cattermole has been working on that part of his game on the training ground with fellow defensive midfielder Liam Bridcutt.
While Bridcutt remains a firm favourite of Poyet’s, the £2.5million January arrival will surely struggle to get his place back.
When Cattermole was withdrawn with 15 minutes to go as Poyet went for broke with Emanuele Giaccherini, the former Middlesbrough man was utterly spent.
So too were his team-mates.
That, as much as Man City’s brilliance, prevented Sunderland getting back into the game after the conversion of two of the best goals Wembley will see.
It was impossible to do anything other than admire the quality of Toure and Samir Nasri’s strikes. If Sunderland were going to lose the cup final, that was the way to do it.
But after that psychological blow, those tired legs began to feel heavier and heavier.
Predictably, that tireless work-rate of the opening 45 minutes began to drop and gaps opened up for City, particularly on the counter-attack.
It would have been very different though had Steven Fletcher taken an agonisingly presentable option with a minute to go.
Fletcher, who had actually looked bright following his introduction, was clearly caught in two minds after Marcos Alonso’s knock-down fell to him so invitingly.
But it was crying for him to swing his weaker right foot at the ball. Dithering before the ball bounced harmlessly off him and behind was a depressing waste of a glorious late chance, particularly as City sealed the deal moments later.
Sunderland’s exhausted players sank to the floor after Jesus Navas’ strike on the counter-attack and the tears were to follow when the final whistle sounded moments later.
The torture continued with an agonising walk up to the royal box to collect runners-up medals, while the sounds of City anthem Blue Moon blasted out of the Wembley PA System.
But when Poyet’s men emerged from the dressing room an hour or so later, dejection had been replaced by pride.
In their hearts, Sunderland’s players knew they could have done nothing more. That was a comfort.
Unlike the anti-climatic finals of 1985 and 1992, Sunderland stepped onto the big stage, performed, and played their part in a thoroughly absorbing encounter.
Even in the most exuberant moments during the early hours of Sunday morning, the thousands who had crammed into Covent Garden could not have asked for anything more.
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