Why Sunderland and Newcastle struggle to win the league, according to research

Sunderland and their arch football rivals Newcastle have something in common, a Norwegian journalist has claimed.

And it could affect their chances of winning trophies.

Teams in striped shirts don't win the league and it is more than 87 years since one did. It was Sunderland in 1936.

A carnival of football at Roker Park

The facts and an insight into the history of teams in stripes has been examined by Norwegian freelance journalist Asbjørn Wille.

'Sunderland AFC was a big club in England at that time, and in their red and white stripes, they won the league this season, scoring a whopping 109 goals.

It was a carnival of football at Roker Park, and this was the club's sixth league championship. Then suddenly it was over for teams with striped jerseys.

West Bromwich, Sheffield Wednesday, Southampton, and Newcastle have all come close and taken silver.

The era when stripes ruled

But now, almost a century later, the English football world still wonders if a new champion in stripes will ever emerge.

It hasn't always been that way, said Asbjørn.

"From the start of the English league in 1888 until Sunderland's league championship in 1936, one-third of the league trophies were awarded to teams with either white and red, white and blue, or white and black stripes on their jerseys."

Blue is on the rise

These days red dominates in England, but blue is on the rise.

"In England, Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, and Nottingham Forest play in red jerseys, and together they have won the English league a total of 53 times.

"When England won their only World Cup title, at home in 1966, they played the final in red. Research has been done on why red football jerseys have been so successful.

"Researchers at Plymouth and Durham Universities analysed the results of 68 English teams over a period of sixty seasons and found that teams with red jerseys won more than those with other colours.

Teams in one of two colours have won the last 31 titles

"It has been speculated that red is a more visible colour and makes it easier to see teammates and pass accurately.

"Others believe that if you wear a red football jersey, you unconsciously gain more confidence and create more fear and nerves in your opponents."

Since the introduction of the Premier League in the 1992/93 season until today, it has been almost evenly split between red and blue. 16 teams in red and 15 teams in blue have shared the 31 trophies between them.

As for Asbjørn, he told the Echo: "I started to follow English football in 1974 and it has been a big part of my life since. 

"The last 10 years I have been more interested in the older history of football.

"Sunderland have always fascinated me. Most because of the supporters passion for the club. Sunderland Til I Die was also fascinating."