Sunderland sit joint bottom of Championship fair play league after Luke O'Nien red card

Few who watch them would describe Sunderland as a dirty team, but the fair play league says otherwise.

No team in the Championship has acquired more disciplinary points that Sunderland following Luke O’Nien’s red card against Swansea.

O’Nien was given his marching orders in the 18th minute of the game at the Stadium of Light for a rash and reckless tackle on the halfway line.

It left Sunderland to struggle to inevitable defeat, but it also left them with a joint-worst 79 disciplinary points across the whole Championship this season.

They are not rooted to the bottom, though, as Blackpool have 79 points too and have received a staggering seven red cards to Sunderland’s three, which is used as a decider.

Sunderland are also the most booked team in the division – along with Swansea – having received 64 yellow cards in 27 games. Only Blackpool have received more red cards than Sunderland too.

In terms of straight red cards, Sunderland’s three can only be beaten by Blackpool, although O’Nien’s is the first one you’d say was for serious foul play.

Dan Neil’s at Sheffield United was for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity, while Elliot Embleton’s at Hull would almost certainly have been appealed and was widely seen as unwarranted.

Championship fair play table

Club	Yellow Cards	Second Yellow Cards	Straight Red Cards	Points
QPR	42	0	0	42
WBA	39	1	0	42
Millwall	45	0	0	45
Stoke	52	0	0	52
Birmingham	54	0	0	54
Wigan	49	0	1	54
Luton	44	2	1	55
Hull	52	0	1	57
Reading	57	0	0	57
Rotherham	55	1	0	58
Coventry	50	1	1	58
Huddersfield	51	1	1	59
Norwich	52	1	1	60
Watford	51	0	2	61
Burnley	52	0	2	62
Bristol City	52	0	2	62
Sheffield United	54	1	1	62
Cardiff	50	1	2	63
Blackburn	54	0	2	64
Middlesbrough	59	0	1	64
Preston	63	0	1	68
Swansea	64	1	1	72
Sunderland	64	0	3	79
Blackpool	50	3	4	79

Sunderland have five players inside the worst 50 in the Championship for discipline too, with Luke O’Nien accounted for 14% of the Black Cats total disciplinary points.

He has 11 to his name, a total that can only be topped by Watford’s Hassane Kamara. Embleton, Corry Evans, Neil and Jack Clarke are the others.

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