Walking away from Wembley Stadium after Sunderland had just secured promotion back into the Championship after 4 horrid seasons in the third tier of English football, the majority of Sunderland fans did not care that they were still a league away from where they believed that they truly belong, as the celebrations when Ross Stewart scored the second of the game show. After only managing to get promoted via the playoffs, fans were sceptical about the new season ahead and most would have been more than happy with a bang average season finishing anywhere from 12th to 20th, just as long as they never had to experience League One football ever again. It is safe to say that the majority of Sunderland fans expectations for the season have been exceeded and then some, as the club are currently in the hunt for playoffs for a second season running, with the chance of double promotion a real possibility. Even from the perspective of a rival fan, Sunderland gaining double promotion after enduring a double relegation from the topflight to the third tier in the same decade would be one of English footballs greatest stories. The current Sunderland team are a breath of fresh air compared to those who made up the squad during the double relegation era, with young hungry talented players with a point to prove, such as players like Jack Clarke and Patrick Roberts, actually wanting to play for the club rather than talentless journeymen at the end of their career coming to Sunderland for one last big pay-check.  

Even with the club challenging for the playoffs, most Sunderland fans think it may be too early for the club to get promoted, as a lot of the current players, although talented, do not seem ready for the step up into the Premier League and it seems another couple of years experiencing the physicality of the Championship would do them a world of good. That being said, seeing the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United and Arsenal back at the Stadium of Light would be a welcome sight, as would the obligatory 6 points against those in black and white up the road.