Never again. That must be the lesson that Sunderland take away from their stay in League One.
Now that the dust has settled on the weekend's unforgettable Wembley play-off final celebrations, it is time to draw a line in the sand and resolve that the club must never again find itself languishing in the third tier. One season in the 1980s was one too many; this four-season stint was beyond the pale.
The novelty, if there ever was such a thing, wore off a very long time ago. Sunderland's promotion to the Championship is the first tentative step towards regaining the Premier League status lost five years ago.