IN the end, Sunderland’s relegation to League One was confirmed in a fittingly farcical fashion.

Leading at home to fellow strugglers Burton Albion, the Black Cats conceded two goals in the final four minutes to crash into the third tier of English football for only the second time in their history. To rub further salt into the wound, they even had a stoppage-time equaliser ruled out for handball.

Ultimately, Sunderland have got what they deserve. Their owner, Ellis Short, has overseen almost a decade of chronic mismanagement and made a succession of dreadful decisions. The senior management has been found wanting at every turn, and too many players have seen the club as a way to make easy money while giving little or nothing in return.

As ever, though, they will not be the ones affected by life in League One. Instead, it will be the staff members fearing for their jobs that suffer, along with the club’s charitable foundation that carries out so much good work in Wearside and County Durham.

Then there are the supporters, battered and bruised after yet another season of misery, but still emotionally attached to a club that is so integral to the identity of Sunderland as a city.

When all is said and done, football is just a game. But in this part of the world, it is a game that matters deeply. That is why we sincerely hope that Sunderland have reached rock bottom. Hopefully, the fightback is about to begin.