CHAIRMEN from many of the top European clubs gathered together in the millionaires paradise of Dubai this week to discuss issues facing the future of football. The head of Sunderland Football Club, Bob Murray, was one man not in attendance.

Tanning himself in the Middle Eastern sunshine, with the occasional Soccerex conference to attend in between times, certainly appealed to him. But there was no invitation forthcoming for a representative from an English club scrimping and saving in an attempt to claw themselves out of the Championship.

It could have been so different. It was only a little over three years ago that Sunderland clinched their second successive seventh place finish under manager Peter Reid.

European football was high on the club's agenda, while that particular aspiration was never fulfilled. In fact the club went into freefall and only now has Murray been able to steady the club financially.

So while Newcastle's Freddy Shepherd criticised the running of Manchester United in the grandeur of the sun-baked Dubai surroundings, his opposite number at his major North-East rivals was back in England keeping things ticking along at the Stadium of Light.

Sitting third in the Championship, with today's game against West Ham next on the horizon, there is a real sense around the club that promotion back among the elite can be achieved at the second time of asking.

Ideally, Murray would have been in Dubai. But even he would admit mixing it with the leading lights of the European game is a little premature, although an appearance at a Premiership chairmen's meeting could come sooner, possibly even later this year.

Two clubs likely to be happy to see the return of Sunderland as a top-flight club would be Tottenham and Southampton. "The Premiership miss what we can bring to the party. They miss our hospitality," said Murray. "And the fact that I used to divide Spurs and Southampton at the meetings prevented the Third World War at times.

"I had Rupert Lowe on one side and Daniel Levy on the other. Southampton weren't happy about Spurs nicking their manager (Glenn Hoddle) and then they did the same with centre-half (Dean Richards). I was like the buffer zone between them but I do really miss being in the Premiership from my position.

"There have been a lot of characters that have left the table in recent years. Ken Bates, Sam Hammam, Freddie Fletcher, Martin Edwards and Alan Sugar have all gone. There's a lot of characters gone now in a short period of time. It would be good to get back in amongst it though.

"Sunderland are a very popular club and they can't wait for us to get back into the Premiership. Some clubs are disliked, like Cardiff or Millwall, but Sunderland are well liked because of their fans and the feel around the club."

Murray and vice-chairman John Fickling claim to have never worked so hard over the past couple of years to make sure Sunderland have not followed the likes of Sheffield Wednesday, Bradford and Barnsley into League One.

The club's spiralling debts have now been rescheduled with their bank at somewhere between £35-£40m - depending on the time of year. Owning both the Stadium of Light and Academy of Light has given them a bargaining tool worth £100m and that has put them in a stronger position than most who face relegation from the Premiership.

Nevertheless, in Sunderland's 19 months outside English football's upper tier, the board have slashed an incredible £34m wage bill to just £10m - a figure that is still one of the highest in the Football League. "If we get an offer in January of £39m for one of our players then we might consider selling," said Murray, before breaking into an sarcastic smile. "Otherwise, despite the figures, we will not be selling any of our players this season."

On a more serious note, he added: "We did what we had to do in difficult times. It hurt to lose a lot of good people around the place but needs must. We wanted to keep the shape as best we could and I was convinced we would never fall like some big clubs did.

"I remember when Blackpool had Stan Mortensen and Stanley Matthews. Huddersfield had Bill Shankly in charge but things can change in football, look where they are now. We could have went a similar way but we worked hard to ensure it didn't happen."

Murray has accepted the days of sell-out crowds at the Stadium of Light will not return until promotion has been achieved - something he wants to see happen 'as soon as possible'.

The Sunderland chairman was criticised for becoming too close to ex-boss Reid during his reign and has already formed an understanding with one of his successors Mick McCarthy.

"I'm loving working with Mick. He's very South Yorkshire, very honest and I think he's one of the most honest people around," said Murray. "He's very, I wouldn't say black and white, I would say red and white. If it's Friday it's Friday with Mick.

"I'm really enjoying working with him. He likes the autonomy, doesn't like the director on the team bus or in the hotel on a Friday night.

"He's got the team motivated and blended in. It's very much his side now and he's eager to get them into the Premiership. That's something we are all geared towards.

"Things under Mick are far better than they have been for a number of years. The dressing room has not been better since the days of Kevin Ball and Niall Quinn."

Happy times are rolling back to Wearside, so will McCarthy be the man to steer Sunderland back to the top-flight and Murray back to the Premiership chairmen's table?

Read more about Sunderland here.