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Richard Sellers

Relegation, sackings, arrests: New Netflix series to document Sunderland's humiliating season

The Black Cats were expected to push hard for immediate promotion to the Premier League but instead dropped to League One.

HOT ON THE heels of Amazon’s documentary All Or Nothing, which centres on Manchester City’s triumphant Premier League campaign, UK production company Fulwell 73 have announced an eight-part Netflix series following Sunderland’s chaotic and shambolic 2017-2018 season.

The company – who also helmed The Class of ’92 – have confirmed the series will be titled Sunderland Til I Die and focuses on the club’s attempts to return to the top-flight at the first time of asking following their Premier League relegation.

But things didn’t exactly pan out that way. Instead, in their first season in the Championship since 2006, the Black Cats finished bottom of the table and were humiliatingly demoted to League One.

There were various other embarrassments too: boss Simon Grayson was sacked less than 20 minutes after a drawn game against Bolton at the end of October having only just replaced David Moyes as manager in the summer.

His replacement, Chris Coleman, couldn’t stem the bleeding and relegation was confirmed in late-April. The Welshman was ‘released from his contract’ as much-maligned US owner Ellis Short finally agreed to sell the club to a consortium led by businessman Stewart Donald.

The series will almost certainly cover the plight of Darron Gibson too.

The former Republic of Ireland midfielder was caught on camera in the summer of 2017 drunkenly criticising the club and telling supporters some of his team-mates didn’t care enough.

“We’re fucking shit,” he said while being filmed.

Of course I am [bothered]. I don’t want to be shit. There are too many people are the club who don’t give a fuck. I might be off my face in here but I still want to play for Sunderland. The rest of them fucking don’t though, the rest of them don’t.”

Gibson’s contract was terminated in March 2018 after he crashed his car while under the influence, a second drink-driving offence. He was spared a prison sentence but banned from driving for 40 months after the judge said the former Manchester United and Everton man had ‘significant psychological issues’.

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