This Week In Football History: Sunderland's horrific hat-trick of own goals

Michael Gray, Tore Andre Flo, Stephen Wright and Michael Proctor look on in shock horror

Football often hinges on moments of pure luck, but back in 2003, Sunderland suffered perhaps the unluckiest seven minutes the Premier League has seen. Adrian North looks back on the Black Cats' terrible end to the 02/03 season and the game that marked the low point of it all.

February 1, 2003 - Sunderland 1-3 Charlton, Stadium of Light: Losing 15 in a row was bad enough, but three own goals in seven minutes was the cherry on top of a disastrous season for Sunderland...

Back in 2007/08 Derby County set a whole host of unfortunate and quite awful records:

Fewest goals scored in a season (20). Most Goals conceded (89). Worst goal difference (-69). Fewest games won (1). Fewest points (11). These are just five that spring to mind.

At first glance Derby's 07/08 records could well fall into that hypothetical category of 'records that will never be broken'. And while it does seem almost impossible that there will ever be a team in the Premier League to have a worse season than Derby, we must remember that that sentiment has always belonged to someone.

Where Derby only had to endure one season as the Premier League's whipping boys, it is Sunderland, who at the turn of the Millenium were the perfect stereotype of a Yo-Yo club, who have suffered the second and third worst seasons in recent Premier League memory.

In 05/06 they finished last with just three wins and 15 points, and in 02/03 managed a marginally better 18 points. But it was the last five months of Sunderland's 02/03 that many a supporter from Wearside has long since tried to erase from their memory. Between January 18 and May 11, the last five months of the season, Sunderland lost every League game they played. A record of 15 straight defeats that just as is the case with many a Derby County record, I can't see it being broken any time soon.

And on February 1, 2003, Sunderland's developing nightmare had it most horrifying moment.

Playing at home to another relegation threatened side in Charlton Athletic, the Black Cats would go on to lose the game 3-1, after scoring a hat-trick of own goals in seven first half minutes.

Full-back Steven Wright opened the floodgates by flicking a deflected Mark Fish shot into his own net before youngster and future lower-league journeyman Michael Proctor accidentally bundled two more past a helpless Thomas Sorensen.

Manager Howard Wilkinson, head bowed in embarrassment, promptly walked off down the tunnel. The fans slowly began to filter out, and if ever there is a time where it is okay to leave early it would be after you just watched your side score three own goals in one half. Sunderland sank to the bottom of the league for the first time that season and would remain there for another 113 days.

To concede one own goal in a game is unfortunate enough. But three in seven minutes is ample enough evidence to suggest that God had decided to be a Newcastle fan during 2003.