‘People expected a feelgood story of promotion. They ended up getting something very different’: Simon Grayson on nightmare season documented in Sunderland ’Til I Die

These days, behind-the-scenes sporting documentaries are a dime a dozen, with every major streamer seemingly releasing a new warts-and-all series every week.

But back in December 2018, when Netflix premiered Sunderland ’Til I Die, there was still something of a novelty value behind such productions.

And in the case of the series which documented the Black Cats' chaotic 2017/18 campaign, the producers would barely have believed their luck, as the team lurched from crisis to crisis on their way to finishing rock bottom of the Championship and dropping into the third tier.

Simon Grayson on the 'Sunderland ’Til I Die' experience

Sunderland’s 2017/18 season began with former Leeds United boss Grayson in charge of the club, tasked with picking up the pieces from their previous season’s relegation under David Moyes.

“You always know there’s going to be a hangover at a relegated side, but I underestimated it,” Grayson tells FourFourTwo. “The club sold or loaned off a large number of players, raising almost £40m, but there was still no money to spend. We brought in 10 or so new faces for around a combined £1m.”

As the documentary showed, plenty of players either did not want to be at the club, or as in the case of Jack Rodwell, were happy to train with the kids in order to pick up a hefty salary after refusing to leave.

“They thought they were too good for that level,” Grayson continues. “Players told me directly that they didn’t want to be there.

“They were going through the motions during pre-season, hoping their agents could sort a move away.

“People expected a feelgood story of promotion,” laments Grayson, who did his best to shield players and limit camera access. “They ended up getting something very different.”

Grayson was only able to muster one win in his first 15 league matches and was sacked on Halloween, with Chris Coleman replacing him. The Welshman then failed to see out the season, with the club going on to finish 24th in the table, dropping down to the third tier for only the second time in their history.

A second season of 'Sunderland ’Til I Die' followed in 2020, showcasing the 2018/19 season in which the club lost to Charlton Athletic in the play-off final, before a third and final series was released in February 2024, which ended by following the club’s promotion back to the Championship.