THE bookies are convinced that Sunderland can succeed this year where Wanderers failed so narrowly two years ago.

They've stopped taking bets on Peter Reid's runaway leaders winning promotion and they're ready to close the book on the title.

Now, to keep interest alive, they're giving prices on the Mackem's doing the double century - and judging by the odds on offer, they fancy them to do it.

Sunderland are quoted at 5-1 to do the "double", 5-2 to reach 100 points and 5-6 ON to score a century of goals.

They are certainly on schedule. Being seven points and two goals better off than Wanderers were at the same stage of that record-breaking 96-97 season, it's hardly surprising they are feeling pretty confident on Wearside.

But it's still a tall order.

They've had a magnificent first half of the season and an eight-point lead at the turn of the year is beyond Reid's wildest dreams. But they know they're going to have to maintain the momentum and that's not easy when every team you face sees you as the prized scalp.

Sunderland have been fortunate up to now, insofaras they haven't had a bad patch. No-one is saying they will, of course, and if they've shown anything up to now it's that they have the wherewithal to grind out results when they aren't playing well . . . the sign of a good side.

But good enough to claim the double century?

They're still going to have to go some to do it.

At this stage two years ago, Wanderers didn't look anything like runaway title winners.

They led the league, it's true, but they were only two points clear of Barnsley, three ahead of third-placed Sheffield United and there was no talk of "the double".

No-one could foresee what an incredible run they'd have in the second half of the season . . . played 23, won 17, drew 5, lost 1. They grew in confidence with every win had promotion sewn up with five games to go and the Championship in the bag with four to spare.

Only a Lee Jones equaliser with practically the last kick of the last game at Tranmere denied them the century of points, just 13 unlucky minutes after Jamie Pollock had claimed the 100th goal.

It was a minor irritation as opposed to a major disappointment at the time but it would have been satisfying, whatever Sunderland do, for Wanderers fans to be able to say "We did it first!"

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.