Sunderland

Sunderland were the surprise package of the 2023/24 Barclays Women’s Championship season as a largely settled squad climbed from 11th to third in the space of one season.

The Lasses have been a pioneer of women’s football in the North East and are responsible for the development of the likes of Beth Mead, Lucy Bronze, Demi Stokes and Steph Houghton.

After winning the league cup in 2012 and the WSL 2 in 2014, Sunderland spent three seasons in the Barclays Women’s Super League before being demoted to the third tier and returned to the Barclays Women’s Championship in 2021, with last season’s third place their highest finish in the second tier since 2014.