safc.com take a look at the managers that have led the club during the Stadium of Light era.
First up, Peter Reid...
Peter Reid was enjoying his third full season as Sunderland boss as we entered a new era at the Stadium of Light in 1997.
The previous season saw Sunderland relegated on the final day of the season away at Wimbledon, which meant that our first season in the new stadium would be in the First Division.
Incoming that summer was a certain Kevin Phillips, signed for a measly £325,000, and he formed a magnificent partnership with Niall Quinn that wielded 52 goals in all competitions.
Our first season was a rollercoaster, with the Black Cats challenging continually in the second half of the campaign for the automatic promotion spots.
Reid’s side were in the driving seat with two games to go, but fell to a 2-0 away loss at Ipswich Town that cost them their promotion spot.
What followed was the Play-Offs, and a semi-final victory over Sheffield United earned the Lads a trip to Wembley to face Charlton Athletic in what turned out to be one of the greatest games to be played at the Old Wembley Stadium.
A 4-4 draw after extra-time was followed by the cruellest of penalty shoot-out defeats, though, as local lad Michael Gray missed the decisive kick.
The following season almost made the cruel end to the 1997-98 campaign worth it, as Sunderland romped to the league title with 105 points.
Premier League football was at the Stadium of Light for the first time ever, and the club brought in players like Stefan Schwarz, Steve Bould, Eric Roy and Kevin Kilbane amongst many others to improve the squad for the season ahead.
Stamford Bridge was the first destination that campaign, and Reid’s men fell to a 4-0 defeat – quite the welcome back to the big leagues.
But that bad result was followed by an excellent start to the campaign and a 4-0 win away at Bradford in October saw the Lads rise to second place in the division.
Eventually that early-season form dwindled, but a seventh-place finish was a terrific effort for the newly-promoted side.
Kevin Phillips won the European Golden Boot for his efforts, netting 30 goals. His strike partner Niall Quinn also notched 14 goals, while setting up many others.
Peter Reid sought reinforcements for the 2000-01 season and brought in Emerson Thome, Don Hutchison, Julio Arca and Stan Varga to help push the side up into the top six.
Early signs were good that this team could make the jump to the next level, as Arsenal were defeated on the opening day at the Stadium of Light in front of over 46,000 people.
A five-game winning streak in November – including a second straight 2-1 victory at St James Park – saw the Lads jump into Champions League contention.
Manchester United visited the Stadium of Light in late January of 2001 in a top vs second clash and the visitor’s left with a controversial three points that seemed to knock the stuffing out of Reid’s men.
The Lads won just one of their next 12 games and tumbled down the league table – with the most galling result coming against Spurs at home. Sunderland took an early 2-0 lead but fell to a second-half comeback that saw Glenn Hoddle’s side win 3-2.
That result all but knocked Sunderland out of European contention and Reid’s men had to settle for a second successive seventh-place finish.
Sunderland fans were enjoying the best years in memory at the turn of the millennium, but soon those joyous years would turn into an unexpected turbulent period.
The summer of 2001 saw important players like Don Hutchison and Alex Rae leave the club, while Niall Quinn was aging and not sufficiently replaced.
Form was okay heading into 2002, with Reid’s men sat in 10th place, but a torrid end to the season saw the team fall emphatically down the league as they won just three games out of their final 20 games.
Survival was secured on the final day of the season as we drew 1-1 with already-relegated Derby County in front of a packed Stadium of Light.
It seemed that the end was nigh for Peter Reid heading into the 2002-03 campaign, but the chairman Bob Murray backed his manager in the transfer market to try to turn the tide.
Tore Andre Flo and Marcus Stewart were brought in to help Kevin Phillips rediscover his form from years past.
Those signings were not enough, though, and Reid was sacked after a 3-1 away defeat at Arsenal in October, which left the team in 17th position.
That sacking ended arguably the best era for Sunderland in modern times, with the club competing at the top end of the Premier League and playing in front of capacity crowds every week.
Reid will forever be remembered fondly by Sunderland fans and the cast of players he assembled are still revered on Wearside to this day.