1998 Play-Off, Wembley
Sunderland 4 (0) Quinn 50, Phillips 58, Quinn 73, Phillips 99
Charlton Athletic 4 (1) Mendonca 23, Mendonca 71, Rufus 85, Mendonca 103
Sunderland: Perez, Holloway (Makin), Gray, Clark (Rae), Craddock, Williams, Summerbee, Ball, Quinn, Phillips (Dichio), Johnston
Attendance: 77,739
What more is there to say about this one? We drew 4-4 after extra time and, despite finishing miles ahead of them in the league, were condemned to another season in Division 1 by the lottery of a penalty shoot-out.
Summerbee, Johnston, Ball, Makin, Rae and Quinn were successful from the spot but then up stepped Mickey Gray...
Our hatred for penalty shoot-outs is only outdone by our hatred for the play-offs in general. It’s time they gave more of an advantage to the team finishing higher in the league. Why not, in the event of the aggregate scores being level after extra time, allow the ‘higher’ placed team to win/progress? No more penalty shoot-outs. Not that Sky would agree, of course.
Oh, and if you ever needed confirmation that Wembley should have been demolished years earlier this, our last ever visit to the tired old stadium, did just that.