Jason Tindall and Eddie Howe tduring of the pre-season friendly match between Hull City and Newcastle United at MKM Stadium
Sunderland will resume their great rivalry with Newcastle United in the Premier League after winning their Championship play-off final against Sheffield United at Wembley Stadium.
Regis Le Bris' side fell to a first-half deficit and were saved by VAR to not go two goals down. Eliezer Mayenda then equalised with a powerful strike midway through the second period, and Tom Watson emerged as Sunderland's play-off-winning hero in the 95th minute, finding the bottom right corner from range.
So it is the Black Cats who will be joining Leeds United and Burnley in the English top-flight next season - the prize for winning what is famously known as the most valuable match in football.
That title owes itself to the fact the winner is expected to bag around £200m in prize money to set themselves up for the challenge of the Premier League.
And interestingly in Sunderland's case, this victory is actually going to strike a costly blow for the teams they are going to face next term, including Newcastle.
As explained by football finance expert Kieran Maguire before kick-off: "Under Premier League rules, clubs are entitled to three years of Parachute Payments when they are relegated to the Championship, although this is restricted to two years if they had previously been promoted and were immediately relegated.
"The parachute payments are calculated as being 55 percent, 45 percent and 20 percent respectively of the equal share elements of the Premier League distribution to its member clubs.
"This works out as £48m, £39m and £17m for the relegated clubs over a three year period.
"If a relegated club is then immediately promoted, then the parachute payments it was due to receive are retained by the Premier League and given to its own clubs.
"Burnley and Leeds United have already been promoted to the Premier League which saves the Premier League £39m and £17m in 2025/26.
"If Sheffield United are promoted in the playoffs at the weekend this will be a further £39m. This could result in a total of £95 million coming back to the Premier League.
"Leicester, Ipswich and Southampton were relegated in 2024/25 having been promoted the previous season. This means that the Premier League will definitely not have to pay parachute payments in the third year, resulting in a further benefit to Premier League clubs of £51 million (3 x £17m).
"This could take the parachute payments benefit to existing PL clubs to £146 million."
So, as Sheffield United are to remain in the Championship next term, they will still be owed their £39m share of parachute payments for a second year of playing in the second tier.
That money goes directly to them, as opposed to being pooled amongst the Premier League's 2025/26 clubs.
So Newcastle, along with everyone else, have been denied almost a £2m bonus because it was their fierce rivals Sunderland who got promoted instead of the Blades.
On the upside, there is already going to be around £2.8m coming the way of each Premier League club from the money that otherwise would have been paid to Leeds and Burnley.