The SIX key differences Sunderland fans can look forward to after promotion from League One to Championship

Sunderland have finally won promotion back to the Championship after a four-season stay in League One - but what will now change for the Black Cats?
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Here, we take a look at some of the key differences Sunderland fans can expect now that the club is on the second tier

Sunderland’s first team are no longer in the Papa John’s Trophy

Sunderland’s first team will no longer compete in the Papa John’s Trophy.

LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 21: Corry Evans of Sunderland lifts the Sky Bet League One Play-Off trophy following victory in the Sky Bet League One Play-Off Final match between Sunderland and Wycombe Wanderers at Wembley Stadium on May 21, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 21: Corry Evans of Sunderland lifts the Sky Bet League One Play-Off trophy following victory in the Sky Bet League One Play-Off Final match between Sunderland and Wycombe Wanderers at Wembley Stadium on May 21, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 21: Corry Evans of Sunderland lifts the Sky Bet League One Play-Off trophy following victory in the Sky Bet League One Play-Off Final match between Sunderland and Wycombe Wanderers at Wembley Stadium on May 21, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
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Let’s be honest, the group stages and early rounds are an absolute pain, plus playing against Premier League under-21 teams can feel like a bit of an insult.

Getting beaten by Leicester City’s under-21 side was a particularly bad episode during Sunderland’s four-season stay in League One.

The competition provided some good memories for fans, though. There were Aiden McGeady’s goals against Portsmouth in the final back in 2019.

That, though, was a game Sunderland ultimately lost on penalties. A nice day out, yes… but not a competition you want to be competing in regularly.

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At least some of us can say that we were there when ex-player Paul McShane, aged 35, returned to captain Manchester United’s under-21 at the Stadium of Light with Robbie Savage’s son playing in midfield.

Even when Sunderland won the trophy last season under Lee Johnson, it was a bitter-sweet feeling given the final at Wembley was played behind closed doors due to Covid.

You wait for all of those years since 1973 to see Sunderland win at Wembley and then they go and do it without any fans there! Typical. At least the play-off final against Wycombe more than made up for it.

However, Sunderland may still yet enter an under-21 team into the Papa John’s Trophy as the Wearsiders boast a category one academy.

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16 teams are usually invited from both the Premier League and Championship with category one academies but it is unclear at this moment whether or not Sunderland will explore that avenue.

Entering the third round of the FA Cup

Another key difference comes in the form of the FA Cup.

Teams in League One and League Two enter the competition in the first round proper whereas Championship and Premier League clubs join in the third round.

Couple that with the lack of first-team Papa John’s Trophy fixtures and there will be fewer games for Sunderland to play and less pressure on their squad going forward.

Sunderland, of course, famously suffered the ignominy of being knocked out in the first round of the FA Cup by Mansfield Town in consecutive seasons.

The return of proper international breaks

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The next key difference between League One and the Championship is the return of the good old international break.

No longer will we all be left wondering if Sunderland will be playing during international breaks or not.

A club in League One has the right to call a game off if three of its players have been selected by their respective international sides.

That left many fans constantly sweating on the fate of Sunderland fixtures and quite often caused the Black Cats to build up a backlog of fixtures.

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But now, multiple games in hand due to international fixtures are a thing of the past for Sunderland, at least for this season.

That’s because the Championship and Premier League do not play league fixtures when international games are taking place.

No more travel plans being ruined at great expense.

Experiencing a better quality football grounds

The quality of stadia that Sunderland fans are about to re-experience will be vastly different to what they have come to expect over the League One years.

Sunderland will revisit Bramall Lane for the first time in the league since the Black Cats’ Championship season four years ago.

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Long trips to Wales will also be of interest to many of Sunderland’s away hardcore following with Swansea City and Cardiff City both on the agenda.

Bigger grounds could also equate to a few larger allocations for Sunderland fans looking to travel with their team.

For those fancying a shorter trip, there are plenty of options in the North and the Midlands with Birmingham City, Hull City and Coventry City pencilled in throughout the season.

The return of the Wear-Tees derby

On that note, Sunderland will also visit the Riverside Stadium for the return of the Tees-Wear derby.

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That particular fixture hasn’t had an outing since the Teessiders took four points off Sunderland during the 2017-18 season.

It hasn’t quite got the same feeling as the Wear-Tyne derby but it will be nice to experience a local rivalry once more… more so if Sunderland get the win.

How the World Cup impacts the Championship and League One

Now, this is where it gets fun. This season falls during a World Cup year.

The competition is set to take place in Qatar, and for reasons unknown to most of the world outside of the FIFA bubble, will be played during the winter. It starts on November 21 this year and runs through to December 18.

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The EFL has changed its schedule to accommodate the international tournament, with a break in Championship matches planned from November 13 to December 9.

That period includes the World Cup group stage and the opening round of knockout games.

However, League One and League Two will continue as normal.

Can you imagine having to support Sunderland and your international team at the same time? What a nightmare that could have been.