Fleetwood Town make major Sunderland mistake after Lee Johnson appointment

Fleetwood Town made a major gaffe during their appointment of Lee Johnson - and Sunderland fans were quick to point it out.

Johnson was sacked as Hibernian boss earlier this season after a poor start to the Scottish Premiership and European competition.

Fleetwood sacked manager Scott Brown earlier this month, after taking just one point from their first six league games of the season and appointed former Sunderland boss Johnson, 42, as his replacement.

In Fleetwood's article announcing Johnson as their new manager, the club wrongly stated that the ex-Bristol City man had guided Sunderland to promotion from League One to the Championship. Several Black Cats supporters were quick to notice the gaffe, pointing out that it was in fact Alex Neil at the helm as the Wearsiders won the play-off final.

Johnson was sacked by Sunderland in January 2022 following a 6-0 defeat against Bolton. The Black Cats would go on to win promotion via the play-offs under Alex Neil, beating Wycombe in the final.

Reacting to his appointment, Johnson told Fleetwood’s website: “I’m absolutely delighted to be here, I’m not long out of a job and I’ve been humbled that the club made such a big effort to get me here but, at the same time, I’ve known Fleetwood for a long time. I’ve watched the journey, which has been fantastic for the football club, and I want to be part of the new era by helping the success continue.

“I’ve had good friends who have managed here, and they all spoke well about the club, that’s not just the fanbase and the players, but the people around the place as well. I’m looking forward to getting down and dirty with the players, the people around the building, and the staff.

“I started my professional career at Yeovil, and I would say it’s kind of a similar theme around the place in terms of it being a family club, the size of the town, and have both built up through non-league and to the heights they are now. It’s 10 years they’ve been in League One and now the next step is to try and push for the Championship.